This VHDL tutorial has been
prepared to acquaint the student with VHDL programming using the
student edition of the MAX+PLUS II Version 7.21 Student Edition
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE. The tutorial provides
a step by step procedure for implementing a simple VHDL program
in the Altera system.
Altera Corporation now provides a student edition of their powerful programmable logic development software through their University Program. Any university can apply to participate in the program The URL for the Altera University program is http://www.altera.com/html/univ/info.html .
This suite of tools provides an option for the development of complex digital systems using their VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) compiler. The student edition is very powerful and contains most of the features of the full version except the student version only compiles to a limited set of Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), these being the
The installation procedure for using the software is simple. It requires 33 MB of hard disk space and 8 MB or RAM. The student edition does require that the user registers on-line with Altera. Following software installation, the user is given a software guard ID number and instructed to register this number with Altera. The number is registered through the Altera WWW site at http://www.altera.com/maxplus2-student. Once this number is registered with Altera, the user is emailed an authorization code number. The user must enter the authorization code before using the software. Fig. 1 shows the Altera prompt for the registration number followed by the instructions for obtaining the authorization code, and acknowledgement of the request for registration and authorization code.
It may take up to ½ hour to get your authorization code from
Altera. Sometimes you will get your code number back in a few
minutes. Once you have the authorization code start your Max+plusII
software. Your software should prompt you that you have an invalid
authorization code as shown in Fig. 2. Click on OK and you
will get another screen as shown in Fig. 3 prompting you to
obtain a proper authorization code from Altera. Click on OK and
enter the authorization code. You can also change your authorization
code by selecting Options / Authorization Code. You will
get the screen shown below.
This tutorial assumes that the student has been briefly introduced to VHDL syntax. The tutorial contains a simple VHDL description of a TTL 7408 2-input AND gate. The VHDL program will run, as is, with the Altera package.
Altera VHDL Programming Procedure
Step 1. Select MAX+plus II / Text Editor to create the VHDL file.
Step 2. Type the VHDL listing as shown below. This is the VHDL listing for a
2-input AND gate comparable to one gate in a TTL7408 package. For this exercise,
the entity has been called ttltest.
entity ttltest is port -- The entity declaration is used to identity each Input / -- Output Signal. These are external pins only. Internal -- wiring is handled differently. ( a,b: in bit; -- Defines inputs "a" and "b" as a bit type. This means 1 and 0 values only. y: out bit -- This defines the output (y) as a bit type. ); end ttltest; architecture behavioral of ttltest is -- set of statements describing the -- function of the device begin process (a,b) -- this defines the process to be implemented -- (a,b) indicates that the process is sensitive to changes in -- either input a or b begin y <= a and b; -- y is assigned the value of the logical operation a and b end process; end behavioral;
Step 3. Once you have completed typing the file select File /Save As and select the .VHD extension as shown in Fig. 4.
Step 4. At this point you need to make this file the current project. You can do this by clicking on File / Project / Set Project to Current File.
Step 5. Compile your file by selecting File / Project / Save and Compile or you can press Ctrl L. You will get a screen that looks like the Fig. 5. Note: Make sure the entity name and the file name are the same for now. Altera expects matching names.
Step 6. In the menu bar, click on File / New. You will get a screen which looks similar to Fig. 6. Select the Waveform Editor file option. Press OK when done.
Step 7. Click on Node / Enter Nodes from SNF. You will get a Enter Nodes from SNF screen which looks like Fig. 8.
Click on the => button to move all of the selected values to the Selected Nodes and Groups window as shown below. Press OK when done. Your screen image will now look like Fig. 10. Notice that a list of Selected Nodes is now listed.
Step 8. Click on File / Save to make the Waveform Editor visible.
Step 9. In the next step, you will want to modify the input signals to some desired clocking sequence. The initial waveforms are shown in Fig. 11.
You can modify the inputs as needed to fit your needs. Fig. 12 shows some options that are avaiable.
These are the buttons available for altering the clocking.
Set inputs to a "0" Sets input to a "1" Overwrites a selected waveform with an "X" value For specifying a high impedance value Inverts waveforms Overwrites a node with a clock waveform For specifying a sepecific count sequence
Experiment with these options. Your waveform Editor should look like similar to the Fig. 13 when you are done.
Click on File / Save As to save your Waveform Editor files as shown in Fig. 14.
This creates the file name ttltest.scf. Click on OK when done.
Step 10 To run the simulation, click on Max + plus II / Simulator. Your screen will look like Fig. 15.
.
Change the desired starting and ending times as needed. Click on Start when you are ready to run your simulation. You will get a prompt on your simulation window to alert you of any problems. Fig. 16 shows the results of thof the simulation run.
This paper has presented a short tutorial for using the Altra VHDL option. The information presented provides a brief introduction. Additional VHDL Sample Routines are provided in this issue of the Technology Interface for those wishing to gain more experience with VHDL.
Skahill, K., VHDL for Programmable Logic Addison Wesley, 1996
Bhasker, J., A VHDL Primer, revised edition Prentice Hall, 1995
Ashenden, P., The Designer's Guide to VHDL, Morgan Kaufmann, 1996
Altra MAX+PLUS II VHDL, Altera Corporation, San Jose, CA, 1996
VHDL Made Easy, David Pellerin and Douglas Taylor, Prentice Hall PTR, 1997
VHDL Starter's Guide, Sudhakar Yalamanchili, Prentice Hall, 1998