Chapter 3
Combinational Logic
This chapter will describe the basics of VHDL required to describe combinational logic using basic types to create boolean equations and simple arithmetic circuits.
It will also introduce the simulation model of VHDL, with an introduction to modelling concurrency, how this is done using the event model and the concepts of simulation time and delta time.
This chapter will then show how this model is used by synthesis tools to control the mapping of VHDL descriptions to circuits, and introduces synthesis templates.
3.1 Design Units
Design Units are the basic building blocks of VHDL. They are indivisible in that a design unit must be completely contained in a single file. A file may contain any number of design units.
When a file is analysed using a VHDL simulator or synthesiser, the file is, in effect, broken up into its individual design units and each design unit is analysed separately as if they had been in separate files.
There are six kinds of design units in VHDL. These are:
- entity;
- architecture;
- package;
- package body;
- configuration declaration;
- context declaration.
The six kinds of design unit are further classified as primary or secondary units. A primary design unit can exist on its own. A secondary design unit cannot exist without its corresponding primary unit. In other words, it is not possible to analyse a secondary unit before its primary unit is analysed. The secondary units are shown above indented and immediately below their corresponding ...
