Some students asked me how to start a new digital design, hence this page

•  In order to make a digitalsystem design with VHDL and programmable logic you must deal with:

  • The basic knowledge of digital components and their functionality

    • Multiplexers

    • Decoders

    • Code-converters like Bcd to 7 segments

    • F/F and Latches

    • Counters

    • Shift registers

    • State machines

  • Hardware Description Language - most likely VHDL which involves

    • Entity - Architecture

    • Types - Vectors - Input and Output

    • Signals vs. Variables

    • Concurrent vs. Sequential code

  • The Software and Hardware of your favourite programmable logic

    • In my case will it most likely be a XiLinx solution but also Altera and Actel could be a choice.

No matter how clever you might be writing VHDL code won't this help you much. In order to write the "correct" VHDL code must you also be able to "think hardware".

Most of the basic digital components like the ones mention above can be described easy with a few lines of VHDL and State Machines can be written and understood easily with VHDL.

Conclusion: If you haven't got the faintest idea how you system should look like, you properly won't be able to write a VHDL solution for it either.

To be continued