Design methodologies based on hardware description languages

TLDR

The paper adopts a top‑down design flow, commonly used for complex digital systems, and illustrates it with application‑specific integrated circuits and examples in the widely used VHSIC HDL standard. The study presents a basic methodology for designing digital systems using hardware description languages. It outlines the key stages of the design flow and the computer‑aided design tools involved, from initial specification to final implementation.

Abstract

In this paper, we are presenting the basic methodology to be used in the design of a digital system, based on the use of hardware description languages. The most important stages of the design flow and the computer-aided design tools involved are presented, from the initial specification to the final implementation. The design flow described in the paper is based on a top-down approach, as this is the methodology currently used for most of the digital systems to face the current system complexity. Although all the concepts and methods are feasible for any kind of digital electronic system, application-specific integrated circuits are, in particular, considered as an application example in the paper. Most of the examples shown are written in VHSIC HDL, as it is an IEEE Standard and is one of the most commonly used.