VHDL for Logic Synthesis

Many engineers encountering VHDL (very high speed integratedcircuits hardware description language) for the first time can feeloverwhelmed by it. This book bridges the gap between the VHDLlanguage and the hardware that results from logic synthesis withclear organisation, progressing from the basics of combinationallogic, types, and operators
through special structures such astristate buses, register banks and memories, to advanced themessuch as developing your own packages, writing test benches andusing the full range of synthesis types.

This third edition has been substantially rewritten to includethe new VHDL-2008 features that enable synthesis of fixed-point andfloating-point hardware. Extensively updated throughout to reflectmodern logic synthesis usage, it also contains a complete casestudy to demonstrate the updated features.

Features to this edition include:

• a common VHDL subset which will work across a range ofdifferent synthesis systems, targeting a very wide range oftechnologies
• a design style that results in long design lifetimes, maximumdesign reuse and easy technology retargeting
• a new chapter on a large scale design example based on adigital filter from design objective and design process, to testingstrategy and test benches
• a chapter on writing test benches, with everything needed toimplement a test-based design strategy
• extensive coverage of data path design, including integer, fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic, logic circuits, shifters, tristate buses, RAMs, ROMs, state machines, anddecoders

Focused specifically on logic synthesis, this book is forprofessional hardware engineers using VHDL for logic synthesis, anddigital systems designers new to VHDL but familiar with digitalsystems. It offers all the knowledge and tools needed to use VHDLfor logic synthesis. Organised in themed chapters and with acomprehensive index, this complete reference will also benefitpostgraduate students following courses on microelectronics orVLSI/ semiconductors and digital design.