Introduction to VHDL
What is VHDL?
-------------
VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) is a hardware description language
used to model and design digital systems. It allows for simulation and synthesis
of digital circuits.
Basic Structure of VHDL Code
----------------------------
1. Library Declarations:
library IEEE;
use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;
2. Entity:
Describes the interface of the digital system.
entity example_entity is
Port (
input_a : in STD_LOGIC;
input_b : in STD_LOGIC;
output : out STD_LOGIC
);
end example_entity;
3. Architecture:
Defines the behavior or structure of the entity.
architecture Behavioral of example_entity is
begin
output <= input_a AND input_b;
end Behavioral;
Basic Constructs
----------------
1. Signal Assignment:
output_signal <= input_signal_1 AND input_signal_2;
2. Conditional Statements:
if input_signal = '1' then
output_signal <= '0';
else
output_signal <= '1';
end if;
3. Case Statements:
case select_signal is
when "00" =>
output_signal <= '0';
when "01" =>
output_signal <= '1';
when others =>
output_signal <= 'Z';
end case;
Example: 2-to-1 Multiplexer
---------------------------
library IEEE;
use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;
entity mux2to1 is
Port (
input_a : in STD_LOGIC;
input_b : in STD_LOGIC;
select : in STD_LOGIC;
output : out STD_LOGIC
);
end mux2to1;
architecture Behavioral of mux2to1 is
begin
process(input_a, input_b, select)
begin
if select = '0' then
output <= input_a;
else
output <= input_b;
end if;
end process;
end Behavioral;
Applications of VHDL
--------------------
- Designing digital circuits like multiplexers, decoders, and counters.
- Simulating digital systems to verify their behavior before hardware implementation.
- Creating testbenches for automated testing.
For more advanced examples, refer to additional resources or books on VHDL.
