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2019 | Book

A Tutorial Introduction to VHDL Programming

Author: Prof. Dr. Orhan Gazi

Publisher: Springer Singapore

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About this book

This book helps readers create good VHDL descriptions and simulate VHDL designs. It teaches VHDL using selected sample problems, which are solved step by step and with precise explanations, so that readers get a clear idea of what a good VHDL code should look like.

The book is divided into eight chapters, covering aspects ranging from the very basics of VHDL syntax and the module concept, to VHDL logic circuit implementations. In the first chapter, the entity and architecture parts of a VHDL program are explained in detail. The second chapter explains the implementations of combinational logic circuits in VHDL language, while the following chapters offer information on the simulation of VHDL programs and demonstrate how to define data types other than the standard ones available in VHDL libraries. In turn, the fifth chapter explains the implementation of clocked sequential logic circuits, and the sixth shows the implementation of registers and counter packages. The book’s last two chapters detail how components, functions and procedures, as well as floating-point numbers, are implemented in VHDL.

The book offers extensive exercises at the end of each chapter, inviting readers to learn VHDL by doing it and writing good code.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Entity, Architecture and VHDL Operators
Abstract
VHDL stands for “very high speed integrated circuits hardware description language”, and first developed by the US department of defense in 1980s. It is used to describe the behavior of an electronic circuit. VHDL programs consist of program modules. A module is nothing but a program segment written for some specific purposes. For instance, we have package modules, test modules, and main VHDL modules, i.e., main programs.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 2. Combinational Logic Circuit Design and Concurrent Coding in VHDL
Abstract
In this chapter we will explain the implementations of combinational logic circuits in VHDL language. The combinational logic circuits can be implemented using logic operators and VHDL statements. The VHDL statements when and select are used for the implementation if conditional expressions are available in logic circuit implementation. The combinational circuits are implemented via concurrent codes.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 3. Simulation of VHDL Programs
Abstract
In this chapter we will give information about the simulation of VHDL programs. Once we implement a digital circuit or an algorithm in VHDL language, we need to check the correctness of the implementation. For this purpose, we write test programs which are used to supply values to the input ports of the VHDL program, and it is possible to observe the values at the output ports. The test program written to simulate the input and output behavior of the VHDL programs is usually called test-bench.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 4. User Defined Data Types, Arrays and Attributes
Abstract
It is vital for a programmer to have a good knowledge of data types and arrays together with the attributes to be able to write qualified programs.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 5. Sequential Circuit Implementation in VHDL
Abstract
In this chapter we will explain the implementation of sequential logic circuits in VHDL. Implementation of clocked or sequential logic circuits differ from the implementation of combinational logic circuits in the type of VHDL coding. The sequential logic circuits as its name implies works in a sequential manner, and the sequence of operations are controlled by a periodic signal called clock. The VHDL codes written for the implementation of the sequential logic circuits works in a sequential manner. On the other hand, the VHDL codes written for the implementation of the combinational logic circuits work in a parallel manner, i.e., work in a concurrent manner.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 6. VHDL Implementation of Logic Circuits Involving Registers and Counters
Abstract
In this chapter we will explain the implementation of logic circuits involving registers and counters. In the previous chapter we focused on the implementation of simpler units, such as flip-flops, however, in this chapter, we will solve exercises for the implementation of more complex logic circuits.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 7. Packages, Components, Functions and Procedures
Abstract
In this chapter packages, components, functions and procedures will be explained in details. The repeatedly used parts of program units, such as functions, procedures, components, and data declarations, such as constants and user defined data type declarations are placed into the package unit. In this way, the program units placed inside the package becomes portable, and less space is occupied in the main program window. Packages can be written as a separate program unit or they can be placed before the main program.
Orhan Gazi
Chapter 8. Fixed and Floating Point Numbers
Abstract
In this chapter, fixed and floating point number implementations in VHDL will be explained. Fixed and floating number formats enable the VHDL programmer to implement the fractional numbers in an easy manner. Fixed point number format is used to implement the fractional integers; on the other hand, floating point format is used to implement the real numbers in FPGA platform.
Orhan Gazi
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
A Tutorial Introduction to VHDL Programming
Author
Prof. Dr. Orhan Gazi
Copyright Year
2019
Publisher
Springer Singapore
Electronic ISBN
978-981-13-2309-6
Print ISBN
978-981-13-2308-9
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2309-6