Lecture -8

Finite State Machines

 Datapath
vs.
Controller

ECE 448 – FPGA and ASIC Design with VHDL 2

Structure of a Typical Digital
System
Data Inputs Control & Status Inputs
Control
Signals
Datapath Controller
(Execution (Control
Unit) Unit)
Status
Signals
Data Outputs Control & Status Outputs
Datapath (Execution Unit)
• Manipulates and processes data
• Performs arithmetic and logic operations,
shifting/rotating, and other data-processing
tasks
• Is composed of registers, multiplexers, adders,
decoders, comparators, ALUs, gates, etc.
• Provides all necessary resources and
interconnects among them to perform specified
task
• Interprets control signals from the Controller
and generates status signals for the Controller
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Controller (Control Unit)

• Controls data movements in the Datapath by

switching multiplexers and enabling or disabling
resources
Example: enable signals for registers
Example: control signals for muxes
• Provides signals to activate various processing
tasks in the Datapath
• Determines the sequence of operations
performed by the Datapath
• Follows Some „Program‟ or Schedule

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Programmable vs. Non-Programmable Controller

• Controller can be programmable or non-programmable

• Programmable
• Has a program counter which points to next instruction
• Instructions are held in a RAM or ROM
• Microprocessor is an example of programmable
controller
• Non-Programmable
• Once designed, implements the same functionality
• Another term is a “hardwired state machine,” or
“hardwired FSM,” or “hardwired instructions”
• In this course we will be focusing on non-
programmable controllers.

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Finite State Machines
• Digital Systems and especially their Controllers
can be described as Finite State Machines
(FSMs)
• Finite State Machines can be represented using
• State Diagrams and State Tables - suitable
for simple digital systems with a relatively few
inputs and outputs
• Algorithmic State Machine (ASM) Charts -
suitable for complex digital systems with a
large number of inputs and outputs
• All these descriptions can be easily translated to
the corresponding synthesizable VHDL code
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 Hardware Design with RTL VHDL

Pseudocode Interface

Datapath Controller
Block Block State diagram
diagram diagram or ASM chart

VHDL code VHDL code VHDL code

 Steps of the Design Process
1. Text description
2. Interface
3. Pseudocode
4. Block diagram of the Datapath
5. Interface with the division into the Datapath
and the Controller
6. ASM chart of the Controller
7. RTL VHDL code of the Datapath, the Controller, and the
Top Unit
8. Testbench of the Datapath, the Controller, and the Top
Unit
9. Functional simulation and debugging
10. Synthesis and post-synthesis simulation
11. Implementation and timing simulation
12. Experimental testing
 Steps of the Design Process
Practiced in Class Today
1. Text description
2. Interface
3. Pseudocode
4. Block diagram of the Datapath
5. Interface with the division into the Datapath
and the Controller
6. ASM chart of the Controller
7. RTL VHDL code of the Datapath, the Controller, and
the Top Unit
8. Testbench of the Datapath, the Controller, and the
Top Unit
9. Functional simulation and debugging
10. Synthesis and post-synthesis simulation
11. Implementation and timing simulation
12. Experimental testing
 Finite State Machines
Refresher

ECE 448 – FPGA and ASIC Design with VHDL 11

Finite State Machines (FSMs)

• Any Circuit with Memory Is a Finite State

Machine
• Even computers can be viewed as huge FSMs
• Design of FSMs Involves
• Defining states
• Defining transitions between states
• Optimization / minimization
• Manual Optimization/Minimization Is
Practical for Small FSMs Only
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Moore FSM
• Output Is a Function of a Present State Only

Inputs Next State

function
Next State Present State
clock Present State
reset register

Output Outputs
function

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Mealy FSM
• Output Is a Function of a Present State and
Inputs
Inputs Next State
function
Next State Present State
clock Present State
reset register

Output Outputs
function

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 State Diagrams

ECE 448 – FPGA and ASIC Design with VHDL 15

Moore Machine

transition
condition 1

state 1 / state 2 /
output 1 output 2
transition
condition 2

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Mealy Machine

transition condition 1 /
output 1

state 1 state 2
transition condition 2 /
output 2

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Moore vs. Mealy FSM (1)

• Moore and Mealy FSMs Can Be

Functionally Equivalent
• Equivalent Mealy FSM can be derived from
Moore FSM and vice versa
• Mealy FSM Has Richer Description and
Usually Requires Smaller Number of States
• Smaller circuit area

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Moore vs. Mealy FSM (2)

• Mealy FSM Computes Outputs as soon as

Inputs Change
• Mealy FSM responds one clock cycle sooner
than equivalent Moore FSM
• Moore FSM Has No Combinational Path
Between Inputs and Outputs
• Moore FSM is less likely to affect the critical
path of the entire circuit

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 Moore FSM - Example 1
• Moore FSM that Recognizes Sequence “10”
0 1
0
1
S0 / 0 S1 / 0 1 S2 / 1

reset
0
S0: No S1: “1” S2: “10”
Meaning elements observed observed
of states: of the
sequence
observed

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Mealy FSM - Example 1
• Mealy FSM that Recognizes Sequence “10”
0/0 1/0 1/0

S0 S1

reset 0/1
S0: No S1: “1”
Meaning elements observed
of states: of the
sequence
observed
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Moore & Mealy FSMs – Example 1

clock
0 1 0 0 0
input
S0 S1 S2 S0 S0
Moore
S0 S1 S0 S0 S0
Mealy

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 Finite State Machines
in VHDL

ECE 448 – FPGA and ASIC Design with VHDL 23

FSMs in VHDL
• Finite State Machines Can Be Easily
Described With Processes
• Synthesis Tools Understand FSM
Description if Certain Rules Are Followed
• State transitions should be described in a
process sensitive to clock and asynchronous
reset signals only
• Output function described using rules for
combinational logic, i.e. as concurrent
statements or a process with all inputs in the
sensitivity list
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 Moore FSM
process(clock, reset)

Inputs Next State

function
Next State

clock Present State Present State

reset Register

concurrent Output Outputs

statements function

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 Mealy FSM
process(clock, reset)
Inputs Next State
function
Next State Present State
clock Present State
reset Register

Output Outputs
concurrent function
statements
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 Moore FSM - Example 1
• Moore FSM that Recognizes Sequence “10”

0 1
0
1
S0 / 0 S1 / 0 1 S2 / 1

reset
0

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Moore FSM in VHDL (1)
TYPE state IS (S0, S1, S2);
SIGNAL Moore_state: state;

U_Moore: PROCESS (clock, reset)

BEGIN
IF(reset = ‘1’) THEN
Moore_state <= S0;
ELSIF (clock = ‘1’ AND clock’event) THEN
CASE Moore_state IS
WHEN S0 =>
IF input = ‘1’ THEN
Moore_state <= S1;
ELSE
Moore_state <= S0;
END IF;

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Moore FSM in VHDL (2)
WHEN S1 =>
IF input = ‘0’ THEN
Moore_state <= S2;
ELSE
Moore_state <= S1;
END IF;
WHEN S2 =>
IF input = ‘0’ THEN
Moore_state <= S0;
ELSE
Moore_state <= S1;
END IF;
END CASE;
END IF;
END PROCESS;

Output <= ‘1’ WHEN Moore_state = S2 ELSE ‘0’;

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Mealy FSM - Example 1

• Mealy FSM that Recognizes Sequence “10”

0/0 1/0 1/0

S0 S1

reset 0/1

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Mealy FSM in VHDL (1)
TYPE state IS (S0, S1);
SIGNAL Mealy_state: state;

U_Mealy: PROCESS(clock, reset)

BEGIN
IF(reset = ‘1’) THEN
Mealy_state <= S0;
ELSIF (clock = ‘1’ AND clock’event) THEN
CASE Mealy_state IS
WHEN S0 =>
IF input = ‘1’ THEN
Mealy_state <= S1;
ELSE
Mealy_state <= S0;
END IF;

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Mealy FSM in VHDL (2)
WHEN S1 =>
IF input = ‘0’ THEN
Mealy_state <= S0;
ELSE
Mealy_state <= S1;
END IF;
END CASE;
END IF;
END PROCESS;

Output <= ‘1’ WHEN (Mealy_state = S1 AND input = ‘0’) ELSE ‘0’;

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Moore FSM – Example 2: State diagram

Reset

w = 1
w = 0 A z = 0 B z = 0

w = 0

w = 0 w = 1

C z = 1

w = 1

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Moore FSM – Example 2: State table

Present Next state Output

state w = 0 w = 1 z

A A B 0
B A C 0
C A C 1

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Example 2: VHDL code (1)
USE ieee.std_logic_1164.all ;

ENTITY simple IS
PORT ( clock : IN STD_LOGIC ;
resetn : IN STD_LOGIC ;
w : IN STD_LOGIC ;
z : OUT STD_LOGIC ) ;
END simple ;

ARCHITECTURE Behavior OF simple IS

TYPE State_type IS (A, B, C) ;
SIGNAL y : State_type ;
BEGIN
PROCESS ( resetn, clock )
BEGIN
IF resetn = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSIF (Clock'EVENT AND Clock = '1') THEN

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Example 2: VHDL code (2)
CASE y IS
WHEN A =>
IF w = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSE
y <= B ;
END IF ;
WHEN B =>
IF w = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSE
y <= C ;
END IF ;
WHEN C =>
IF w = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSE
y <= C ;
END IF ;
END CASE ;
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Example 2: VHDL code (3)

END IF ;
END PROCESS ;

z <= '1' WHEN y = C ELSE '0' ;

END Behavior ;

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Mealy FSM – Example 3: State diagram

Reset
w = 1 z = 0

w = 0 z = 0 A B w = 1 z = 1

w = 0 z = 0

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Example 3: VHDL code (1)
LIBRARY ieee ;
USE ieee.std_logic_1164.all ;

ENTITY Mealy IS
PORT ( clock : IN STD_LOGIC ;
resetn : IN STD_LOGIC ;
w : IN STD_LOGIC ;
z : OUT STD_LOGIC ) ;
END Mealy ;

ARCHITECTURE Behavior OF Mealy IS

TYPE State_type IS (A, B) ;
SIGNAL y : State_type ;
BEGIN
PROCESS ( resetn, clock )
BEGIN
IF resetn = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSIF (clock'EVENT AND clock = '1') THEN

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Example 3: VHDL code (2)
CASE y IS
WHEN A =>
IF w = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSE
y <= B ;
END IF ;
WHEN B =>
IF w = '0' THEN
y <= A ;
ELSE
y <= B ;
END IF ;
END CASE ;

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Example 3: VHDL code (3)
END IF ;
END PROCESS ;

z <= '1' WHEN (y = B) AND (w=‘1’) ELSE '0' ;

END Behavior ;

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