Abstract
We present a mathematical definition of a hardware description language that admits a semantics-preserving translation to a subset of VHDL. The language is based on the VHDL model of event-driven simulation and includes behavioral and structural circuit descriptions, the basic VHDL propagation delay mechanisms, and both zero and nonzero delays. It has been formally encoded in the computational logic of Boyer and Moore, which provides a LISP implementation as well as a facility for mechanical proof-checking. We prove a number of basic properties of the simulator, which we apply to the analysis of gate-level designs of a one-bit adder and a d-flip-flop.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R.S. Boyer and J. Moore,A Computational Logic Handbook. Academic Press, Boston, 1988.
W. Damm, A Formal Semantics for VHDL Based on Interpreted Petri Nets. Technical Report, University of Oldenburg, 1992.
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers,Draft Standard VHDL Language Reference Manual, 1993.
M. Kaufmann, A Translator from an HDL of David Russinoff to VHDL. Internal Note 278, Computational Logic, Inc., July 1993.
D. Russinoff, Specification and Verification of Gate-Level VHDL Models of Synchronous and Asynchronous Circuits, to appear inSpecification and Validation Methods, edited by Egon Börger, Oxford University Press, 1995; also available as Technical Report 99, Computational Logic, Inc., May 1994.
L. Sanchez and C.D. Kloos, “Functional Description of VHDL.” InSegundo Congreso de Programacion Declarativa PRODE 93, Spain, September 1993.
H. Taub and D. SchillingDigital Integrated Electronics. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1977.
J. Van Tassel, A Formalization of the VHDL Simulation Cycle. Technical Report 249, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, June 1992.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Russinoff, D.M. A formalization of a subset of VHDL in the Boyer-Moore logic. Form Method Syst Des 7, 7–25 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01383871
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01383871