Product Description

* Teaches VHDL by example
* Includes tools for simulation and synthesis
* CD-ROM containing Code/Design examples and a working demo of ModelSIM ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

VHDL Book
This is an excellent book and I couldn't believe the price. The book arrived in better shape than I hoped for. It is a good reference book.

Good basic coverage, but BEWARE of poor editing!
(This review is based on the hardcover Fourth Edition)

Being somewhat of a newcomer to VHDL (I've had some prior exposure to it as a grad student), I found the text to be a good breadth-first coverage to get acquainted with the layout and basic syntax of VHDL source. However, it is extremely frustrating and confusing to run into so many errors. Being so inexperienced, I found myself wondering if something is truly a mistake or whether I'm just "not getting it". Looking at the source code on the included CD makes it clear though: This book was basically NOT edited! The example code on CD is mostly out of sync with the book, and although the CD code is more correct, it is difficult to understand because it doesn't sync well with the examples in the text [the signal names are different, the entities are labeled differently, etc].
It would be a much better text if an editor actually put some effort into the 5th edition, or at the very least, an Errata document was published on the web.

Paints the Key Points of the Language with a Broad Brush
Like so many of the books on the market, this builds up through a series of examples a simple RISC processor in VHDL.One of the key things to keep in mind, is that this approach may not prepare the user for some other types of VHDL tasks, and so other texts may be needed as well.For example signal processing concepts for VHDL are not covered, nor are Ethernet MAC concepts, or a host of other complex area's found in today's technologies.It does a reasonable job of covering the features of VHDL in a fashion such that one can implement a RISC processor or similar device. Many of the tool's presented in the book are getting a bit dated, now, and one may be able to download web-pack type software for free that does a better job with the examples.Realistically to get fully equipped for most types of design expect to need a range of books that cover the different area's that the Language has been adapted to.

too many bugs/typos, but explains basic ideas
Perry's 4th edition seems a little hastily put out on the market. Many inconsistencies between the text and the contents of the enclosed CD. But if you are willing to tolerate this, then the book is actually ok. It teaches VHDL with many examples of source code. You should be able to ascertain that VHDL is a pretty simple language. From a theoretical computing viewpoint, there is nothing too abstruse in VHDL.

What you do have to be careful about is if you actually want to use the example code that's either in the text or on the CD. Here, you should go carefully through it, because of possible bugs. Which does afford the advantage that it forces you to understand the code. An inadvertant pedagogic property of the book!

Editor and proof reader on indefinte leave
I downloaded and started reading this book and it's full of errors.The text refers to lines of code that don't exist in the example.There are lines left out of the code. References are made to names of entities etc that do not exist.This makes it extremely hard for some one not fluent with the VHDL language to know what was meant.Obviously as the preface indicated the examples have been updated and the text only half updated.I am up to Page 9 and at least 12 unconnected references is making this hard work.
Has the publisher put up an early draft for download or is this for real? This is based on the Fourth Edition Downloadable Version. ... Read more

Product Description
This lab manual, written around software and hardware developments of the past ten years, focuses on the fundamentals of digital electronics and use of Max+Plus II software by Altera Corporation.Lab sequences start with digital gates and logic control circuits, progress to MSI devices, latches and flip-flops, and cover clock dependent circuits, and the LPM_MACRO functions available in the software. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to VHDL, a standard language used for describing digital systems that model high density integrated circuits. It focuses on a variety of programming techniques that solve design problems, each of which includes extensive programming examples. ... Read more

Product Description
Advances in semiconductor technology continue to increase the power and complexity of digital systems. To design such systems requires a strong knowledge of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as well as the CAD tools required. Hardware Description Language (HDL) is an essential CAD tool that offers designers an efficient way for implementing and synthesizing the design on a chip. HDL Programming Fundamentals: VHDL and Verilog teaches students the essentials of HDL and the functionality of the digital components of a system. Unlike other texts, this book covers both IEEE standardized HDL languages: VHDL and Verilog. Both of these languages are widely used in industry and academia and have similar logic, but are different in style and syntax. By learning both languages students will be able to adapt to either one, or implement mixed language environments, which are gaining momentum as they combine the best features of the two languages in the same project. The text starts with the basic concepts of HDL, and covers the key topics such as data flow modeling, behavioral modeling, gate-level modeling, and advanced programming. Several comprehensive projects are included to show HDL in practical application, including examples of digital logic design, computer architecture, modern bioengineering, and simulation.

Features* Teaches both IEEE standardized languages: VHDL and Verilog* Provides numerous complete examples including simulation, digital logic design, computer architecture, and a few bioengineering topics* Covers key areas such as data flow modeling, behavioral modeling, transistor-level modeling, procedures, tasks, and functions* Includes review questions and exercises for each chapter* Includes a companion CD-ROM with all of the complete projects from the book

ON THE CD! (see Appendix C for more details)* CODE: Includes all of the full programs from the book* FIGURES: Includes all of the figures from the book by chapter

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP; CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive; keyboard and mouse, or other pointing device; HDL simulator for the examples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

good bilingual introduction
Since this is one of the very few bilingual HDL textbooks, I have adopted it for my graduate-level introductory HDL-based design class. The author has been extremely cordial and helpful in handling my questions and comments via email, and I really like the book's extensive use of examples. My biggest gripes are the failure to embrace several Verilog 2001 constructs and the lack of test bench discussion. (I always start my class with a simple test bench example, to show the students how to get up-and-running with HDLs. They are then strongly encouraged to test all of their homework or term project designs with extensive test benches.) I need to supplement the book's discussions of logic synthesis and design verification, but it is a readable, accessible text for the novice or for anyone who knows one HDL and wishes to learn the rudiments of the other one.

Good reference for translating vhdl to verilog or vice versa.
I expect that this is the only book in print with vhdl-93 and verilog-95 examples side by side. For this reason it is a good reference for anyone knowing vhdl or verilog and wishing to quickly learn the other language for synthesis. Appendix B is a good cross reference for the two description languages.

This book does not cover HDL simulation and there are no testbench examples. The synthesis coverage of both languages is shallow. However for a designer who already knows one language and needs to learn the other, this book is an good value. I would also suggest that the word "Programming" be stricken from the title in the next edition, because this is not what hardware description is about.

Doesn't go far enough in depth, not organized well
I bought this book to learn verilog, pretty much because it had decent reviews and it's fairly cheap compared to other Verilog books. Well, you get what you pay for. Although I admire the author's attempts to try and cover both HDL languages, I had 2 major problems with the book:

1. It doesn't go in depth enough - This book would have been fine totally dedicated to either Verilog or VHDL, but it tries to cover both and doesn't cover the advanced details a professional or advanced grad student would need. It is a good primer for undergrads at best.

2. Minor flaw, but I didn't like how the book is organized. Like I said in point #1, if the book was either Verilog or VHDL it may have been sufficient. The author organizes the book so that a topic is covered for Verilog, then VHDL...then the next topic is covered in Verilog and then VHDL. I would have preferred if the first half of the book covered verilog, then the second half covered VHDL. If somebody is trying to learn Verilog like myself, I don't have to read a chapter, skip the next chapter, then read the next chapter...and so on and so forth.

The master teacher of HDL fundamentals
Nazeih M. Botros' HDL PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS: VHDL AND VERILOG includes a cd of code for all the full programs from the book plus detailed in-depth descriptions of ASIC and FPGAs, as well as an overview of CAD tools. HDL is a CAD tool which offers designers a more efficient way for synthesizing chip designs, and this book is the master teacher of HDL fundamentals, covering both IEEE standardized languages VHDL and Verilog. Highly recommended for advanced students.

Automating Integrated Circuit Design
The design of semiconductors has become highly automated as the devices have gotten so complex that designing them by manual means is all but impossible. To assist in the design, the Hardware Definition Language (HDL)and the Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Definition Language (VHDL) were developed. They have become critical tools that the circuit designer must know and understand.

This book is intended to give the undergraduate student a solid background in the use of the software and it's place in the design phase for integrated circuits. It is suitable for any hardware oriented student in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science where an emphasis on integrated circuit design is present. The book presumes no particular background, but some understanding of basic logic and modern algebra will be a help.

A CD included with the book that contains all the examples, code samples and figures. ... Read more

Product Description

This book teaches readers how to design and simulate digital systems using the hardware description language, VHDL. Focus is placed on writing VHDL design decriptions, VHDL testbenches, and the steps in VHDL/PLD (programmable logic devices) design methodology. Topics include: Digital Design using VHDL and PLDs; Entities, Architectures, and Coding Styles; Signals and Data Types; Dataflow and Behavioral Style Combinational Design; Event-Driven Simulation; Testbenches for Combinational Designs; Latches and Flip-Flops; Mulitbit Latches, Registers, Counters, and Memory; Finite State Machines; ASM Charts and RTL Design; Subprograms; Packages; Testbenches for Sequential Systems; Modular Design and Hierarchy. More than 275 block diagrams, logic diagrams, and timing waveforms and 180+ program listings illustrate the design concepts. The book includes the Aldec Active-HDL™ 7.2 Student Edition Software.

This book is suitable for anyone with a basic understanding of logic design and a minimal background in programming who desires to lean how to design digital systems using VHDL. No prior experience with VHDL is required.

Product Description
Chapters: Vhdl. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language; VHSIC: very-high-speed integrated circuit) is a hardware description language used in electronic design automation to describe digital and mixed-signal systems such as field-programmable gate arrays and integrated circuits. VHDL was originally developed at the behest of the US Department of Defense in order to document the behavior of the ASICs that supplier companies were including in equipment. That is to say, VHDL was developed as an alternative to huge, complex manuals which were subject to implementation-specific details. The idea of being able to simulate this documentation was so obviously attractive that logic simulators were developed that could read the VHDL files. The next step was the development of logic synthesis tools that read the VHDL, and output a definition of the physical implementation of the circuit. Modern synthesis tools can extract RAM, counter, and arithmetic blocks out of the code, and implement them according to what the user specifies. Thus, the same VHDL code could be synthesized differently for lowest area, lowest power consumption, highest clock speed, or other requirements. VHDL borrows heavily from the Ada programming language in both concepts (for example, the slice notation for indexing part of a one-dimensional array) and syntax. VHDL has constructs to handle the parallelism inherent in hardware designs, but these constructs (processes) differ in syntax from the parallel constructs in Ada (tasks). Like Ada, VHDL is strongly typed and is not case sensitive. There are many features of VHDL which are not found in Ada, such as an extended set of Boolean operators including nand and nor, in order to directly represent operat...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=43410 ... Read more

Product Description
"Fundamentals of Digital Logic with VHDL Design" teaches the basic design techniques for logic circuits. It emphasizes the synthesis of circuits and explains how circuits are implemented in real chips. Fundamental concepts are illustrated by using small examples, which are easy to understand. Then, a modular approach is used to show how larger circuits are designed. VHDL is used to demonstrate how the basic building blocks and larger systems are defined in a hardware description language, producing designs that can be implemented with modern CAD tools. This book emphasizes CAD through the use of Altera's Quartus II CAD software, a state-of-the-art digital circuit design package. This software produces automatic mapping of designs written in VHDL into Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Good textbook for logic design and VHDL
This textbook is well written, with lots of good examples and problems.The included CD has software that is about two major versions old -- better to download it.But it also has code for all the coding examples in the book, which, if you want to run them, can save lots of time and typos.One needs an Altera DE-2 demo board on which to run them (about $270 for academic users [with pretty restrictive licensing], $495 for commercial users).

Darius
I had one of the author of this book as my professor during my second year of engineering at the University of Toronto.I used this book for my Digital System course. I am currently doing ASIC Design where much of my work required VHDL. This is an "OK" book.It contains a lot of information but nothing special because other similar books also have such infos. I would recommend another book because I am too also refering to other sources for reference.If you are looking to learn VHDL in depth, please look else where.As for beginner, there are much better books out there for Digital Circuits design and VHDL.This is not a book worth its price.I sold it after my second year and I am glad I did it.Get yourself a book strictly on Digital Circuit alone, get the hardware basics in your head first, then get another book strictly on VHDL.This should gives you a fair depth into the Digital Design.

Not a very good text
I'm currently using this book for a Digital Design class and I have yet to be impressed.Though this book has lots of useful information it phrases it in such a way that you have to be a rocket scientist to understand it.As for the VHDL you're supposed to be learning from this book it stinks.I work the problems at the end of the chapters for practice and constantly have problems finding the answers in the text or finding example VHDL code that is relavent to the problem I'm trying to answer.In short I do not recommend this book.

terrible
This "textbook" has very few and skimpy examples of
how to work problems.
It also has a solution book which is not available to
students!!!
Therefore, the student cannot check his/her answers to
the review exercises at the end of the chapters!!Huh???
I can't believe that any school or instructor would choose this
this as a textbook or even as an additional reference!!!

Excellent book for getting started.
This book does an excellent job of covering the basics of digital logic circuits and chips, and a solid job of covering VHDL design.While some "newer" topics are not covered, that does not hinder this book, as it aims provide a fundamental understanding of Digital components and circuits, and VHDL. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to VHDL, a standard language used for describing digital systems that model high density integrated circuits. It focuses on a variety of programming techniques that solve design problems, each of which includes extensive programming examples. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume focuses on effective techniques for writing letters, memos, reports, and proposals, as well as delivering oral reports. The highly readable format contains lively anecdotes, numerous illustrations, and writing assignments for each type of communication presented. ... Read more

Product Description
VHDL-2008: Just the New Stuff, as its title says, introduces the new features added to the latest revision of the IEEE standard for the VHDL hardware description language. Written by the Chair and Technical Editor of the IEEE working group, the book is an authoritative guide to how the new features work and how to use them to improve design productivity. It will be invaluable for early adopters of the new language version, for tool implementers, and for those just curious about where VHDL is headed.

* First in the market describing the new features of VHDL 2008;
* Just the new features, so existing users and implementers can focus on what's new;
* Helps readers to learn the new features soon, rather than waiting for new editions of complete VHDL reference books.
* Authoritative, written by experts in the area;
* Tutorial style, making it more accessible than the VHDL Standard Language Reference Manual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great intro
As the title says, this presents only the deltas from the previous version of the spec. If you're not already reasonably conversant with VHDL, this won't do a thing for you. But, if you've used VHDL long enough to be utterly maddened by some of its shortcomings, get this one. You're in for some happy surprises.

The two biggest changes have to do with generics and with assertions. Since day one, logic designers have treated strongly-typed VHDL as an untyped language. We've had to cast everything to bitvectors, like a PL/I programmer who uses unspec for everything, because of inflexible typing. A FIFO, for example, that handled one data type could never be reused with a different type. You'd have rewrite the entire FIFO, identical in every way, except for the data type. Yuk - better to cast everything to std_logic_vector, reuse the component, and adopt the old C-language slogan: "strong typing is for weak memories." Generic types, more like C++ templates, get past that. Generic subprograms increase reusability, too. If you're new to the concept, it's like passing a function as parameter, but at compile time. In the world VHDL addresses, compile-time binding is just fine.

Much has been made of SystemVerilog assertions - and with good reason. They add a huge level of expressiveness to the verification engineer's task, and represented a real advance over what VHDL had. The gap closes with VHDL's integrated PSL. I haven't done a point by point comparison, but SV assertions and PSL appear to have closely comparable feature sets. That includes Verilog's scope-busting ability to reach internal signals deep down in the structure hierarchy, but PSL allows up-level references, too.

VHDL 2008 also includes minor features that scratch many itches from the previous standards: ability to use std_logic values as "if" tests without casting to boolean, conditional assignments in sequential blocks, bitwise reduction operators, and fixes to other niggling annoyances that people have been coding around for years.

The one thing conspicuous by its absence is mention of what's in the synthesizable subset. Using advanced features in testbenches is nice. But, if you can't put them in the payload logic, they tend to create impedance mismatch where the application plugs into the test harness. Also, one of VHDL's big advantages has been its formally standardized synthesizable subset. That meant you could code for one tool suite and have some assurance that your work would port to other tools, too. Without that kind of contract for reusability, the new features (especially richer generics) will never live up to their promise.

This book is just a stopgap, and will become obsolete once complete VHDL references include the new features. Those books aren't out yet, however, and this is. For now, I recommend this highly to anyone who uses or develops VHDL tools.

-- wiredweird

understandable discussion of enhancements
Well, you had better be well acquainted with the earlier VHDL standard. What this book does is focus on the deltas. The changes or improvements that have been promulgated for release in the VHDL 2008. In straightforward language, the text explains how to use the new features. The basic syntax of VHDL is still unchanged, as you'd expect.

But now there are enhancements. Like in the IP encryption. To let IP vendors/owners more securely protect their code when it is downloaded to customers' machines. The discussion quickly goes over the ideas behind public key encryption and symmetric ciphers. However, all you have to know is the broad outlines of these. No indepth mathematical reasoning is necessitated. The 2008 standard comes with many parameters for IP encryption that can be tweaked by the vendor.

... Read more

Product Description

The demand is exploding for complete, integrated systems that sense, process, manipulate, and control complex entities such as sound, images, text, motion, and environmental conditions. These systems, from hand-held devices to automotive sub-systems to aerospace vehicles, employ electronics to manage and adapt to a world that is, predominantly, neither digital nor electronic.

To respond to this design challenge, the industry has developed and standardized VHDL-AMS, a unified design language for modeling digital, analog, mixed-signal, and mixed-technology systems. VHDL-AMS extends VHDL to bring the successful HDL modeling methodology of digital electronic systems design to these new design disciplines.

Gregory Peterson and Darrell Teegarden join best-selling author Peter Ashenden in teaching designers how to use VHDL-AMS to model these complex systems. This comprehensive tutorial and reference provides detailed descriptions of both the syntax and semantics of the language and of successful modeling techniques. It assumes no previous knowledge of VHDL, but instead teaches VHDL and VHDL-AMS in an integrated fashion, just as it would be used by designers of these complex, integrated systems.

* Explores the design of an electric-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAV) in five separate case studies to illustrate mixed-signal, mixed-technology, power systems, communication systems, and full system modeling.

* Includes a CD-ROM with code for all the examples and case studies in the book, an educational model library, a quick reference guide for VHDL-AMS, a syntax reference from Appendix E in the book, links to VHDL-AMS resources and Mentor Graphics SystemVision software, which provides a simulation and modeling environment with a schematic entry tool, a VHDL-AMS simulator, and a waveform viewing facility. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but not excellent
VHDL-AMS contains everything that a typical language does, like C.But it goes beyond that by solving equations for you.For instance, the AMS part can help you solve ordinary differential equations, which is different from other computer languages.I feel that the book describes the usage of the language without giving enough details.You will have to learn certain aspects of the VHDL-AMS through your colleagues or other technical papers.VHDL-AMS has enough material to justify more than one book.A typical computer language takes one book to explain.VHDL-AMS goes way beyond that.So, do not get frustrated if you cannot learn everything from this book.With one single volume, it is just not feasible to cover everything.

... Read more

Product Description
VHDL is the VHSIC Hardware Description Language, an industry standard language used to describe hardware from the abstract to the concrete level. It is embraced as the universal communication medium of design and computer-aided engineering workstation vendors throughout the industry are standardizing on VHDL as input and output from their tools. This book is aimed at hardware engineers with some experience of hardware design, but little or no experience in terms of the hardware mappings performed by synthesis. The book starts with a review of Register Transfer Level design, the foundation of logic synthesis. The basics of logic and registers are described first, then expanded by the effective use of types, including the proposed standard synthesisable types. More advanced techniques are developed, including the writing of packages and parametrisable modules. The book finishes with techniques for writing effective test benches. The concepts are illustrated throughout by examples, making it suitable as a source reference for synthesisable models. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents the concepts of VHDL for synthesis and simulation in an easy-to-understand way, using examples, tutorials, and detailed descriptions of important VHDL language features. CD ROM included. DLC: VHDL ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Poor Organization
This book has very poor organization. I would not recommend this book to a beginner.

Good introduction to VHDL, but light on the details
This book is a fine introduction to VHDL, well written in the early chapters. Unlike most VHDL books it covers the language from a higher level, including fundamental concepts like test benches that seem to be buried or lost in other books on the subject. It could use a lot more detail, though, and the later chapters seem rushed, and also dated in some areas (VHDL 87 vs. 93 in particular). And as others have mentioned the examples seem inadequate. If you buy this book, you might also want to get something with more detailed examples to go with it.

Perfect introduction
This book provides a perfect introduction to the field of vhdl for synthesis. Very simple and it almost cover the main topics of the language in an efficient way. The book does not provide a detailed description of the language but the level of introduction is sufficient for anyone with little or no background in VHDL.

Perfect introduction
This book provides a perfect introduction to the field of vhdl for synthesis. Very simple and it almost cover the main topics of the language in an efficient way. The book does not provide a detailed description of the language but the level of introduction is sufficient for anyone with little or no background in VHDL. Tip: follow this sequence when reading 1, 3-6, 2, 7-9

not that helpful for a beginner
I tend to agree with one of the reviewers that the some of the constructs are not explained at all. As a hobbyist my hope was to use this book as a guide reference and use VHDL using Altera's software but I wasn't able to do so. The examples are unfinished without much explanation.

Good thing is that if you are a beginner you will learn something if not everything from this book. I gained a lot from chapter 2, first look at vhdl. ... Read more

Product Description
VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) is the market-leading digital circuit simulation software system. Now a VHDL expert offers readers the benefits of his in-depth experience as a VHDL modeler and seminar leader. Packed with a huge array of examples, this book presents a pragmatic picture of VHDL that takes full account of its possibilities and its limitations. ... Read more