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CSEE W4823 Lab#2

Verilog HDL & Modelsim

Paul Huang, Zhaoqing Wang

27th September, 2024

Acknowledgement: Jae-bin Choi & Mingoo Seok, previous TAs

Topics
• Lab#1: Design flow & Matlab®
• Lab#2: Verilog HDL / ModelSim®
• Lab#3: Synthesis / Design Compiler®
• Lab#4: Timing and power analysis / PrimeTime®
• Lab#5: Memory Compiler
• Lab#6 and following labs: Project based lab
Semi-Custom Flow
Lab#1 Matlab/Simulink
*.m *.mdl modeling and specification
testbench
tb*.v
Lab#2
Behavioral Verilog (RTL) ModelSim functional
*.v verification
std. cell lib
*.db *.sldb
Lab#3
constraints Design
*.sdc Compiler

ModelSim
Structural Verilog post-synthesis
*.nl.v dynamic timing verification
Timing info.
*.sdf Lab#4
PrimeTime
post-synthesis
static timing verification
Encounter post-synthesis
Automatic Placement and power analysis
Routing (APR)
Things to Know in Verilog (Design)
• Necessary:
▪ Abstraction level (behavioral, gate-level)
▪ Module declaration and instantiation
▪ Reg, wire usage
▪ If else, case statement, looping statement
▪ Signed vs unsigned arithmetic, bit and logical operators
▪ Procedural & continuous assignment
▪ RTL style coding (look at the document uploaded)
• Helpful
▪ Generate blocks
▪ Iterating over 2D arrays
▪ Part select
▪ Parameters, localparam
▪ Task 5
Things to Know in Verilog (Testbench)
• Many times the design is correct but the test setup
is wrong
• File I/O for giving inputs and checking the results
• Initial block
• Task (makes the code readable and modular)
• Back annotation (Will see later)
• Dumping vcd for power analysis (Will see later)
• Tracing the hierarchy
▪ For vcd
▪ Changing the waveformat.do

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Verilog HDL Simulator: QuestaSim
• Verilog simulator: QuestaSim by Mentor-Graphics
• Simulator I/O files testbench.v output:
ModelSim
DUT1. or
results
1. Testbench file (testbench.v) v QuestaSim or
▪ defines input waveform DUT2. waveform
v
▪ defines output detectionion
ntiat
Insta
2. Source files
▪ RTL-level Verilog file (*.v)
▪ gate-level netlist (output of synthesis or APR)
3. How to define timing constraints?
▪ RTL-level: use “#xx” expression (not affect actual circuit)
▪ gate-level: include *.sdf file (output of synthesis or APR)
Testbench
• Instantiate DUT
• Generate clk Input
Stimuli
DUT Checker
Design
correct?
• In the initial block
▪ Initialize all the inputs
▪ Delay-control: Give inputs for testing, use small delays to
reflect real inputs
▪ Event-control: Use @(posedge clk) to time when to give inputs
and check outputs
▪ For loops to run through several clock cycles
▪ Finally say $finish
• The testbench starts processing from the initial block
• Simulation ends at $finish or you can time the
simulation in runsim.do
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Debug tips
• ‘x’ means undefined
▪ See if you gave reset correctly
▪ Check if inputs have been initialized correctly
• ‘z’ means high impedance
▪ No logic driving the wire
▪ There maybe bit width mismatch in connections
• After functional verification synthesize individual
blocks and verify them (Will see later)

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To start with…
• Folders and files
▪ Create your local folders
[your_path]/4823/rtl/lfsr1/ for source Verilog
[your_path]/4823/qsim_rtl/lfsr1/ for testbench
Verilog/simulation scripts/results
▪ Copy source codes from
/courses/ee6321/share/4823-Fall2024/rtl/lfsr1/lfsr1.v
/courses/ee6321/share/4823-Fall2024/qsim_rtl/lfsr1/*.*
to your local folder

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Hardware Description Language (HDL)
• An efficient way to design, verify, and test circuits
▪ Custom design → Fine-grained but with low efficiency
▪ Semi-custom design→ HDL → Higher development efficiency
• Popular HDLs: Verilog/SystemVerilog, VHDL
• If you are not familiar with Verilog HDL, you can use the
following tutorials:
▪ http://www.asic-world.com/verilog/veritut.html
▪ IEEE Verilog Standard
▪ http://www.doulos.com/knowhow/verilog_designers_guide
▪ feel free to find one manual that looks good to you
Project Hierarchy
Project

matlab rtl qsim_rtl dc qsim_dc pt

lfsr1 lfsr1 lfsr.1

lfsr1.m lfsr1.v modelsim.ini ModelSim/QuestaSim initialization file

lfsr1.results nuke.sh The shell script file to delete output files

run.sh README

run.sh The shell script file to run the simulation

runsim.do

test_lfsr.v Testbench file

waveformat.do
lfsr1.v
`timescale 1ns/1ps
module lfsr1 (clk, resetn, seed, lfsr_out);
input clk, resetn;
input [15:0] seed;
output [15:0] lfsr_out;

reg [15:0] lfsr_out;

wire [15:0] lfsr_next;

• `timescale specifies the time unit and precision for the modules
▪ Format: `timescale <time_unit>/<time_precision>
• input/output, wire/reg element declaration
• [Important]: Please check the difference between “reg” and
“wire” elements

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lfsr1.v
always @(posedge clk) begin
if (~resetn) begin
lfsr_out <= #0.1 seed;
end
else begin
lfsr_out <= #0.1 lfsr_next;
end
end

assign lfsr_next = {lfsr_out[14:0], lfsr_out[15]^lfsr_out[12]^lfsr_out[5]^lfsr_out[0]};

endmodule

• ‘always@’: Behavioral presentation – Procedure statement

• Synchronous reset is utilized
• It is better to use the separated element for non-blocking
assignment (<=) (Up to you!)
• ‘assign’: continuous statement
• #0.1 is the artificial delay (Ignored in logic synthesis)
▪ Because time_unit is 1ns, the delay is 100ps
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Matlab vs. Verilog
always @(posedge clk) begin
if (~resetn) begin
lfsr_out <= #0.1 seed;
end
else begin
lfsr_out <= #0.1 lfsr_next;
end
end

assign lfsr_next = {lfsr_out[14:0], lfsr_out[15]^lfsr_out[12]^lfsr_out[5]^lfsr_out[0]};

endmodule

reg[12]
reg[14] reg[13]

Matlab reg[15] reg[5] reg[0]

lsfr_next[12]
lsfr_next[5]
lsfr_next[15] lsfr_next[14] lsfr_next[13] lsfr_next[0]

Verilog Q D Q D Q D Q D Q D Q D

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test_lfsr.v
`timescale 1ns/1ps
`define SD #0.010
`define HALF_CLOCK_PERIOD #0.90
`define QSIM_OUT_FN "./qsim.out"
`define MATLAB_OUT_FN "../../matlab/lfsr1/lfsr1.results"

module testbench();
reg clk;
reg resetn;
reg [15:0] seed;

integer lfsr_out_matlab;
integer lfsr_out_qsim;

wire [15:0] lfsr_out;

integer i;
integer ret_write;
integer ret_read;
integer qsim_out_file;
integer matlab_out_file;
integer error_count = 0;
Device-Under-Test (DUT) instantiation
lfsr1 lfsr_0 ( .clk(clk), .resetn(resetn), .seed(seed), .lfsr_out(lfsr_out) );

• clk: Using a ‘reg’ because is used at the left-hand side of an

always assignment
• resetn, seed: using a ‘reg’ in an initial block
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test_lfsr.v
● clk generator: toggle clk every half clock period
always begin
`HALF_CLOCK_PERIOD;
clk = ~clk;
end

● File I/O
initial begin
// File IO
qsim_out_file = $fopen(`QSIM_OUT_FN,"w");
if (!qsim_out_file) begin
$display("Couldn't create the output file.");
$finish;
end

matlab_out_file = $fopen(`MATLAB_OUT_FN,"r");
if (!matlab_out_file) begin
$display("Couldn't open the Matlab file.");
$finish;
end

• $fopen opens a disk file

▪ QSIM_OUT_FN file is opened for writing
▪ MATLAB_OUT_FN file is opened for reading 17
test_lfsr.v
// register setup
clk = 0;
resetn = 0;
seed = 16'd1;
@(posedge clk);

@(negedge clk); // release resetn

resetn = 1;

@(posedge clk); // start the first cycle

▪ Initial ‘clk’=0, ‘resetn’=0, ‘seed’=1

▪ clk signal toggles every HALF_CLOCK_PERIOD
▪ At the first falling edge of clk, resetn becomes 1

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test_lfsr.v
for (i=0 ; i<256; i=i+1) begin
// compare w/ the results from Matlab sim
ret_read = $fscanf(matlab_out_file, "%d", lfsr_out_matlab);
lfsr_out_qsim = lfsr_out;

$fwrite(qsim_out_file, "%0d\n", lfsr_out_qsim);

if (lfsr_out_qsim != lfsr_out_matlab) begin
error_count = error_count + 1;
end

@(posedge clk); // next cycle

end

• From the second rising edge of clk, for loop statement starts
– You can read the file content by using $fscanf
– $fwrite writes the data on the file
– At the next clock’s rising edge, it starts new comparison
• In this testbench, 256 comparisons are repeated
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test_lfsr.v
// Any mismatch b/w rtl and matlab sims?
if (error_count > 0) begin
$display("The results DO NOT match with those from Matlab :( ");
end
else begin
$display("The results DO match with those from Matlab :) ");
end

// finishing this testbench

$fclose(qsim_out_file);
$fclose(matlab_out_file);
$finish;
end

endmodule // testbench

• Display the comparison result

• Close the file descriptor

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Shell Script Files
• run.sh
vsim -do "runsim.do"

▪ vsim command is used to invoke the VSIM simulator

▪ ‘-do’: instructs vsim to use the command specified by “cmd” or the “file”
▪ Format: vsim [-do “cmd” | <file>]

• nuke.sh
\rm -rf work modelsim.ini
\rm -rf *.log *.syn *.rpt *.mr *.nl.v *.sdf *.svf *.vcd transcript *.wlf

▪ remove generated file (log files, netlists, ...)

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runsim.do
##################################################
# Modelsim do file to run simuilation
##################################################
vlib work
vmap work work

# Include Source File and Testbench

vlog +acc -incr ../../rtl/lfsr1/lfsr1.v
vlog +acc -incr test_lfsr.v
# Run Simulator
vsim -t ps -lib work testbench
do waveformat.do
run -all

• vlib command creates a design library

• vmap command defines a mapping between a logical library name and a directory
▪ Format: vmap [<logical_name>] [<path>]
• vlog command compiles Verilog source code into a specified working library
▪ ‘-incr’: performs an incremental compile
• vsim command
▪ ‘-t’: Specifies the simulator time resolution
▪ ‘-lib’: Specifies the default working library
▪ Format: vsim [-arguments] [<library_name>.<design_unit>]
▪ do command executes commands contained in a macro file
▪ run command advances the simulation 22
Reference: https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~kbiswas/modelsim/se_man.pdf
waveformat.do
onerror {resume}
quietly WaveActivateNextPane {} 0
add wave -noupdate /testbench/clk
add wave -noupdate /testbench/resetn
add wave -noupdate /testbench/i
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/lfsr_out
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/lfsr_out_matlab
add wave -noupdate /testbench/lfsr_out_qsim
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/error_count
TreeUpdate [SetDefaultTree]
WaveRestoreCursors {{Cursor 1} {3 ns} 0}
quietly wave cursor active 1
configure wave -namecolwidth 223
configure wave -valuecolwidth 89
configure wave -justifyvalue left
configure wave -signalnamewidth 0
configure wave -snapdistance 10
configure wave -datasetprefix 0
configure wave -rowmargin 4
configure wave -childrowmargin 2
configure wave -gridoffset 0
configure wave -gridperiod 1
configure wave -griddelta 40
configure wave -timeline 0
configure wave -timelineunits ps
update
WaveRestoreZoom {0 ns} {12 ns}

• onerror commands specifies one or more commands to be executed when a

running macro encounters an error
• add wave commands adds the following objects to the window
• WaveActiveNextPane commands create a pane which contains signals 23
waveformat.do
onerror {resume}
quietly WaveActivateNextPane {} 0
add wave -noupdate /testbench/clk
add wave -noupdate /testbench/resetn
add wave -noupdate /testbench/i
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/lfsr_out
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/lfsr_out_matlab
add wave -noupdate /testbench/lfsr_out_qsim
add wave -noupdate -radix unsigned /testbench/error_count
TreeUpdate [SetDefaultTree]
WaveRestoreCursors {{Cursor 1} {3 ns} 0}
quietly wave cursor active 1
configure wave -namecolwidth 223
configure wave -valuecolwidth 89
configure wave -justifyvalue left
configure wave -signalnamewidth 0
configure wave -snapdistance 10
configure wave -datasetprefix 0
configure wave -rowmargin 4
configure wave -childrowmargin 2
configure wave -gridoffset 0
configure wave -gridperiod 1
configure wave -griddelta 40
configure wave -timeline 0
configure wave -timelineunits ps
update
WaveRestoreZoom {0 ns} {12 ns}

• TreeUpdate command refreshes waveforms

• WaveRestoreCursors command restores any cursors you set during the original simulation
• WaveRestoreZoom command restores the Zoom range you set
• Configure wave commands are used only in saved Wave format files
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Reference: https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~kbiswas/modelsim/se_man.pdf
modelsim.ini
• In general, modelsim.ini file is generated when running
simulation
▪ Thus, we don’t need to keep this file (should be included in
nuke.sh)
• However, we have to keep the file to maintain the
‘VoptFlow’ option and prevent the version conflict
▪ If you remove this file, you can generate new modelsim.ini file
by running simulation
▪ But, we need to change ‘VoptFlow’ option as 0

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