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VHDL(5) 	     VHDL subset of ASIM/LIP6/CAO-VLSI lab.		 VHDL(5)

NAME
     ALLIANCE VHDL Subset

DESCRIPTION
     The  ALLIANCE  VHDL subset is dedicated to digital synchronous circuits de-
     sign.  The same subset is used for:
	    logic simulation (asimut)
	    logic synthesis (boom, boog, loon)
	    functionnal abstraction (yagle)
	    formal proof (proof)

     The ALLIANCE VHDL subset is fully compatible with the  IEEE  VHDL	standard
     Ref.   1076  (1987).  That means that a VHDL description using the ALLIANCE
     subset can be simulated with any full-VHDL commercial compiler-simulator.

     Here follows the main restrictions of the ALLIANCE subset.

     The VHDL description of a circuit is made of two separate parts: the exter-
     nal view and the internal view.

     The external view defines the name of the circuit and  its  interface.  The
     interface	of  a  circuit is a list of ports. Each port is specified by its
     name, its mode, its type, its constraint for an array and, its kind.

     The mode of a port depends only on the manner the port is used  inside  the
     circuit (in the internal view of the circuit). If the value of a port is to
     be  read in the view of the description, the port must be declared with the
     mode in. If the value of a port is to be written by the internal view,  the
     port  must be declared with the mode out. If both above conditions are sat-
     isfied the port must be declared with the mode inout.

     Only structural and behavioural data flow are supported as internal view.

     In order to allow automatic  translation  from  structural  VHDL  to  other
     netlist  formats  (EDIF,  ALLIANCE, COMPASS, ...) it is not possible to mix
     behavioural and structural description. Of course, a circuit, a  subcircuit
     or a cell can have two different descriptions:
	    a  structural  view  may  be defined in a file with a .vst extension
	    (see vst(5)).
	    a behavioural data flow description may be defined in a file with  a
	    .vbe extension (see vbe(5)).

     A	typical  VHDL model will be made of a hierarcical structural description
     (a hierarchy of structural files) and, for each leaf  cell,  a  behavioural
     description.

     In  a  behavioural description, only concurrent statements (except process)
     are supported. Up to now, sequential statements are not allowed by the  AL-
     LIANCE VHDL compiler.

     Timing information can be specified in behavioural descriptions using After
     clauses.  However, those delays are currently only used for simulation. Af-
     ter clauses are supported but not used for synthesis and formal proof.

     A predefined set of types has been defined (other user  defined  types  are
     not supported):

     bit	    the predefined standard bit type ('0' or '1')

     bit_vector     array of bit

     mux_bit	    a resolved subtype of bit using the mux resolution function.
		    This  function  checks that only one driver is actually con-
		    nected to a signal. The effective value of the signal is the
		    value of the active driver. If all drivers are disconnected,
		    the value of the signal is '1' (pull up). A signal	of  type
		    mux_bit must be declared with the kind bus.

     mux_vector     array of mux_bit

     wor_bit	    a resolved subtype of bit using the wor resolution function.
		    This  function  allows  a  signal be driven by more than one
		    driver. All active drivers have to drive the same value. The
		    effective value of the signal is the value	of  active  dri-
		    vers. If all drivers are disconnected, the value of the sig-
		    nal  is  '1' (pull up). A signal of type wor_bit must be de-
		    clared with the kind bus.

     wor_vector     array of wor_bit

     reg_bit	    a resolved subtype of bit using the reg resolution function.
		    This function checks that only one driver is  actually  con-
		    nected to a signal. The effective value of the signal is the
		    value of the active driver. A signal of type reg_bit must be
		    declared with the kind register (which makes the signal keep
		    its previous value when all drivers are disconnected).

     reg_vector     array of reg_bit

     In  the next ALLIANCE release the VHDL subset will be largely extended (se-
     quential statements, user defined types) .

SEE ALSO
     vst(5), vbe(5), asimut(1), boom(1), loon(1), boog(1), proof(1)

ASIM/LIP6			 October 1, 1997			 VHDL(5)

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