VHDL-2019: Just the New Stuff Part 2: Protected Type Enhancements and Verification Data Structures

In this second webinar of the VHDL-2019: Just the New Stuff series we will focus on enhancements to VHDL’s protected type capabilities.

Protected types simplify and abstract the construction of data structures.   As such they are the enabling feature that makes it possible to create VHDL verification methodologies that are competitive with SystemVerilog + UVM, such as Open Source VHDL Verification Methodology (OSVVM).  OSVVM uses protected types to create functional coverage, Intelligent Coverage random test generation, messaging (logs), unified error reporting (alerts/affirmations), and verification data structures (Memory Models, FIFOs, and Scoreboards).

We will start the presentation with an overview of protected types and how they work.  This will help all participants understand the impact of the changes.    The balance of the presentation is dedicated to covering the changes and why they are important.

Some of the updates discussed during this presentation will be:

• Protected Types with Generics
• Composites (arrays) of Protected Types
• Pointers to Protected Types
• Composition with Protected Types
• Protected Types on Entity Interface
• Protected Type Methods with File Types
• Protected Type Methods with Access Types
• Functions with Protected Type Parameters

These new features allow libraries like OSVVM to take the next step in advancing VHDL’s verification capabilities.

About VHDL-2019

VHDL-2019 was requested by users, ranked by users, scrutinized by users, written by users, and balloted by the VHDL community.  As such, it should be clear to the vendor (simulation and synthesis) community that the users want these features.

Through its revisions, 1987, 1993, 2002, 2008, and now 2019, VHDL has evolved to be capable design and verification language.

Aldec started their implementation of VHDL-2019 prior to the standard being completed and is well into their implementation.  If your vendor cannot tell you definitively if and when they will support the new features you want to use on your VHDL projects, then maybe it is time to find a vendor who will.

What about Verilog and SystemVerilog?  Despite overwhelming marketing for SystemVerilog, it is clear from the Wilson Verification Survey, that VHDL is the preferred FPGA design and verification language.  For many applications, FPGA is the future.  Just like in the software world, FLASH is usually preferred over ROM.

The VHDL standards committee work is never done.  It takes a collaboration of people with different skills to successfully update the standard.  Some of these members are language experts, some design experts, and some verification experts.  Join us in writing the next revision.  See: http://www.eda-twiki.org/cgi-bin/view.cgi/P1076/WebHome.

Presenter BIO

The presenter, Jim Lewis, is an innovator and leader in the VHDL community.   He has 30 plus years of design and teaching experience. He is the Chair of the IEEE 1076 VHDL Standards Working Group.  He is a co-founder of the Open Source VHDL Verification Methodology (OSVVM) and the chief architect of the packages and methodology.  He is an expert VHDL trainer for SynthWorks Design Inc.   In his design practice, he has created designs for print servers, IMA E1/T1 networking, fighter jets, video phones, and space craft.

Whether teaching, developing OSVVM, doing VHDL design or verification consulting, or working on the IEEE VHDL standard, Mr Lewis brings a deep understanding of VHDL to architect solutions that solve difficult problems in simple ways.

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