Digital System Design with VHDL

Introduction to digital system design

Start the session with an introduction to DIGITAL
ELECTRONICS.
● Review of Binary system and Boolean algebra

● Review of Logic gates, Multiplexer (combinational

circuits), Flip Flop, Registers, Counters (sequential
circuits), etc.
● Discrete components

● Digital ICs

● Fab devices

➔ Microprocessor (CPU)

Wrist watch to satellite vehicle

➔ Microcontrollers (SoC)

(Interactive questions related to De Morgan's Law,

Universal gates, Digital circuits, Digital ICs etc.)
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
● To build reconfigurable digital circuits
● Field devices
● General purpose chip for implementing logic
circuits
● Developed by Rone Cline from Signetics (Later
Philips, now Xilinx)
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Different types :
1. ROM (ASIC)
➢ Not as memory
➢ m input lines (address lines), n output lines
(data lines)
➢
2m Boolean functions allows 2n logic
functions produced at output
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Basic ROM Structure:
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Basic ROM Structure:
● The logic array are of mask, fusible wires or
special charge-storage mechanism
● Along with flip flops sequential logic can be
implemented
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
2. Programmable Logic Array (PLA):
● More flexible than ROM
● Internal decoder is replaced with AND array
Basic PLA structure:
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
3. Programmable Array Logic (PAL)
● Economical and easy to program
● Same as PLA, but AND array is only
programmable
● All these PLDs are available with Flip flops
● Lattice Semiconductors, Cypress
Semiconductors, Atmel , Xilinx, Altera, Texas
Instruments are some vendors of PLDs
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
4. Complex PLD (CPLD)
● ROM, PLA and PAL are not flexible for
sequential and more complicated combinational
digital circuit design
● Upto 10,000 logic
● Contains many PAL blocks called macro cells
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Typical structure of macro cells:
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Structure of typical CPLD:
 Digital System Design with VHDL

Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)

CPLD:
● Typical CPLD consists 2 to few 100 PAL blocks
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
CPLD:
Some CPLD vendors and the devices are:
● Altera MAX 7000 Family
● AMD Mach Family
● Lattice Family
● Cypress Flash 370 Family
● Xilinx XC9500 Family
 Digital System Design with VHDL

Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA):
● For large number of logic circuits
● More than 10,000 logic
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA):
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Programmable Logic Devices (PLD)
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA):
Some vendors are:
● Xilinx
● Actel
● Atmel
● Lattice
● Altera
● Quick Logic
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools:
● Software tools for designing electronic system
like PCBs, ICs, PLDs, CPLDs, FPGAs, etc.
Simulation, analysis and verification,
➔

manufacturing
Some vendors of EDA softwares are:
● Cadence Design System ● National Instruments
● Cadsoft Electronics Workbench
Group
● Impulse Accelerated Technologies
● Synopsys
● Labcenter
● Visionics
● Mentor Graphics
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Hardware Description Language (HDL)
● Used to model the intended operation of a
piece of hardware
● To describe the architecture and behavior of
digital electronic system
Various softwares:
➔ ABEL (Advanced Boolean ➔ RHDL (Ruby HDL)
Expression Language) ➔ System C
➔ AHDL (Altera HDL) ➔ System Verilog
➔ C to Verilog ➔ Verilog
➔ Impulse C ➔ VHDL
➔ JHDL (Java HDL)
 Digital System Design with VHDL
Syllabus
Module 1:
✔ Design flow of digital system
✔ Introduction to EDA and HDL, Simulation etc
✔ Basics of VHDL
Module 2:
✔ VHDL syntax and statements
✔ VHDL models for basic combinational and sequential circuits
Module 3:
✔ VHDL model for digital circuits
✔ State machines and its VHDL model
✔ Synthesis
✔ Designing of CPLD and FPGA
 Digital System Design with VHDL
References:
1. Zainalabedin Navabi, VHDL: Analysis and modeling of digital
systems (For all lectures and tutorials)
2. Perry D. L, VHDL Programming by Example.(Some lectures all
tutorials)
3. Roth C. H., Digital System Design Using VHDL (Some lectures and
some tutorials)
4. Mano M. M. and Ciletti M. D, Digital Design (Some lectures and some
tutorials)
5. Pedroni V. A., Circuit design with VHDL. (Reading)
6. Peter J. Ashenden, The Designer's Guide to VHDL (Reading)
7. Sudhakar Yalamanchili, VHDL Starter's Guide (Reading)
8. J.Bhasker, VHDL Primer(Reading)
9. Wakerly J. F, Digital Design – Principles and Practices (Reading)