Vhdl

[Wynken]

I'm curious if anyone ot there in the business world uses VHDL in their job. I'm about to graduate with some somewhat extensive(I think) VHDL experience. All that I can say is that I don't think I could handle it.

If anyone does use VHDL, I think I'll have more question.

For those who doesn't know, V.H.D.L. stands for V. Hardware Description Language. V. stand for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit. So the whole thing is Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language. If I recall, it was designed by a multi-national committee, which explains the horrendous acronym.

-Wynken

[BobTheCow]

lol, a psudo-acronym as part of an acronym... can't say I've ever seen that before.

Can't say I've ever heard of it, but I'm assuming it's programming language designed for <i>hardware??</i> Do you have any experience with any other language... if so, how does this crazy-sounding deal compare with whatever else you're used to (ease to learn, etc)?

[Miscue]

VHDL and Verilog... blah!

I'd like to learn them eventually. But it looks like you gotta be designing some stuff at really low levels to make use of those.

[Wynken]

Originally posted by BobTheCow63
lol, a psudo-acronym as part of an acronym... can't say I've ever seen that before.

Can't say I've ever heard of it, but I'm assuming it's programming language designed for <i>hardware??</i> Do you have any experience with any other language... if so, how does this crazy-sounding deal compare with whatever else you're used to (ease to learn, etc)?

You hit it on the head, it's programming that's for hardware. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically it's a way of describing logic circuits. From what I hear, most chips are designed using it.

I've programmed in several other languages, but this is very different. It's programming, but it's not sequential like most programming is.

Originally posted by Miscue
VHDL and Verilog... blah!
I'd like to learn them eventually.

But it looks like you gotta be designing some stuff at really low levels to make use of those.

If you're interested in learning either, I'd do VHDL over Verilog. Verilog isn't as powerful.

They're both very good at low level stuff. One of the reason's I'm not happy with VHDL right now is I'm trying to create the arcade game Asteroids, which is decidedly not low level.

[alkafluence]

Originally posted by Wynken

I've programmed in several other languages, but this is very different. It's programming, but it's not sequential like most programming is.

Ahhh, the beauty of concurrent processing. The one thing you do have to be careful is how processes interact. There are essentially two timing setups.

You have real time, and then "update steps" within each increment of real time.

Although if you used all processes it would be more or less sequential, except the processes would be handled concurrently. And it also depends to a lesser extent on whether your code it purely behavioral or synthesizable.

If you're interested in learning either, I'd do VHDL over Verilog. Verilog isn't as powerful.

Agreed, although Verilog is more like C.

Edit: Fixed sentence structure.

[OfficerGoat]

Don't be too afraid of it. Its one of those things that without continuous practice you are going to be weak in it. Knowing the basics of what is going on is the important part. Getting back on the ball is pretty qick provided you have the fundimentals. The difference between a school environment and a work environment is that at work you live and breath whatever project you are writing 40 hours a week rather than just while you are doing study and are in class. It makes a huge difference.