How can I timing in verilog from ns to s? - verilog

How can I change a number per second on a digital display in verilog?
Before the header appear "timescale 1ns / 1ps ".
So when I write "#1 ... " this is 1ns.
How I could write to appear the number per second without write "#1000000000"?
always #(*)
begin
if(binary_input==0)
begin
seg=8'b10011111; /*1*/
#100 seg=8'b00001001; /*9*/
#100 seg=8'b00001101;

Delays such as #10 and #1us are not synthesizable. These delays are used for test benches and non-synthesizable behavioral models (a.k.a. reference models) such as clock generators.
In a synthesizable design, time is measured in number of clock cycles. To has your design wait a specific amount of time, a counter that can store a value of desired time divided by the clock period. For example, 1 second on a 100 nano-second clock requires a counter that can store a value of 10,000,000.

Related

Verilog module generates impossible data when running on FPGA

I’m developing a boolean data logger on a ZYNQ 7000 SoC. The logger takes a boolean input from GPIO and logs the input’s value and the time it takes to flip.
I use a 32-bit register as a log entry, the MSB bit is the boolean value. The 30:0 bits is an unsigned integer which records the time between last 2 flips. The logger should work like the following picture.
Here's my implementation of the logger in Verilog. To read the logged data from the processor, I use an AXI slave interface generated by vivado and inline my logger in the AXI module.
module BoolLogger_AXI #(
parameter BufferDepth = 512
)(
input wire data_in, // boolean input
input wire S_AXI_ACLK, // clock
input wire S_AXI_ARESETN, // reset_n
// other AXI signals
);
wire slv_reg_wren; // write enable of AXI interface
reg[31:0] buff[0:BufferDepth-1];
reg[15:0] idx;
reg[31:0] count;
reg last_data;
always #(posedge S_AXI_ACLK) begin
if((!S_AXI_ARESETN) || slv_reg_wren) begin
idx <= 0;
count <= 1;
last_data <= data_in;
end else begin
if(last_data!=data_in) begin // add an entry only when input flips
last_data <= data_in;
if(idx < BufferDepth) begin // stop logging if buffer is full
buff[idx] <= count | (data_in << 31);
idx <= idx + 1;
end
count <= 1;
end else begin
count <= count + 1;
end
end
end
//other AXI stuff
endmodule
In the AXI module, the 512*32bit logged data is mapped to addresses from 0x43c20000 to 0x43c20800.
In the Verilog code, the logger adds a new entry only when the boolean input flips. In simulation, the module works as expected. But in the FPGA, sometimes the logged data is not valid. There are successive 2 data and their MSB bit is the same, which means the entry is added even when the boolean input stays the same.
The invalid data appear from time to time. I've tried reading from the address programmatically (*(u32*)(0x43c20000+4*idx)), and there are still invalid data. I watch idx in a ILA module and idx is 512, which means the logging finishes when I read the data.
The FPGA clock is 10 MHz. The input signal is 10 Hz. So the typical period is 10e6/10/2=0x7A120, which most of the data is close to, except the invalid data.
I think if the Verilog code is implemented well, there should be no such invalid data. What may be the problem? Is this an issue about timing?
The code
First off, are you absolutely sure you are not issuing an accidental write on the AXI bus, resetting the registers?
If so, have you tried inserting a so-called double-flop on data_in (two flip-flops, delaying the signal two clock ticks)? I suppose that your data_in is not synchronous to the FPGA clock, which will lead to metastability and you having bad days if not accounted for. Have a look here for information by NANDLAND.
Citing the linked source:
If you have ever tried to sample some input to your FPGA, such as a button press, or if you have had to cross clock domains, you have had to deal with Metastability. A metastable state is one in which the output of a Flip-Flop inside of your FPGA is unknown, or non-deterministic. When a metastable condition occurs, there is no way to tell if the output of your Flip-Flop is going to be a 1 or a 0. A metastable condition occurs when setup or hold times are violated.
Metastability is bad. It can cause your FPGA to exhibit very strange behavior.
In that source there is also a link to a white paper from Altera about the topic of metastability, linked here for reference.
Citing from that paper:
When a metastable signal does not resolve in the allotted time, a logic failure can result if the destination logic observes inconsistent logic states, that is, different destination registers capture different values for the metastable signal.
and
To minimize the failures due to metastability in asynchronous signal transfers, circuit designers typically use a sequence of registers (a synchronization register chain or synchronizer) in the destination clock domain to resynchronize the signal to the new clock domain. These registers allow additional time for a potentially metastable signal to resolve to a known value before the signal is used in the rest of the design.
Basically having the asynchronous signal routed to two flip-flops might for example lead to one FF reading a 1 and one FF reading a 0. This in turn could lead to the data point being saved, but the counter not being reset to 0 (hence doubling the measured time) and the bit being saved as 0.
Finally, it seems to me, that you are using the Vivado-generated example AXI core. Dan Gisselquist simply calls it "broken". This might not be the problem here, but you might want to have a look at his posts and his AXI core design.

How to create a pos-edge Write pulse into a neg-edge pulse?

I have a data source signal that transitions high on the positive edge of its clock when it has data ready to be written.
I also have ram memory (running from the same clock) but expects it's write request signal to transition on the negative edge of the clock (and stay high until the following negative edge of the clock).
If I try driving the memory's wr_req directly from the data source then both the clock and wr_req transition at the same time and the memory doesn't get
the data.
How can I delay the write pulse such that it goes high (for one cycle) starting on the next negative edge of the clock?
If I understand correctly, this should do what you want:
reg blah;
always #(negedge clk) begin
blah <= !foo;
end
Or even:
reg blah;
always #* begin
if (!clk) begin
blah = !foo;
end
end
Simulated:

Dividing and Modulus in verilog

I'm creating an ALU in verilog just for the purpose of simulation. But I can't figure out how to divide two 16 bit inputs. A regular A=B/C doesn't work (where B,C is a input[15:0] and A is output reg[15:0]). Similarly with A=B%C.
Would I have to separately implement a division circuit module? I understand division is a very complex operation and that would be the actual way to do it but I'm only doing it for simulation. Is there no shorter way to divide two 16bit inputs?
Your code currently does this:
initial begin
out1=in1/in2; out2=in1%in2;
end
This doesn't do anything - the initial block runs through once at the start of simulation, when in1 and in2 are X's, setting out1 and out2 to X, and then stopping. Change your logic to:
always
#* begin
out1=in1/in2;
out2=in1%in2;
end
This executes every time in1 or in2 changes.

What is always followed by #(...) pound mean in Verilog?

In a simple clock generator example, I see the following code:
always #(cycle/2) clk ~= clk;
I've seen always #(*) before but not pound (#). I tried to find it in the documentation, but all I could find was some reference to "real-valued ports" with no further elaboration.
It's a delay operation. It essentially just reads
always begin
#(cycle/2) //wait for cycle/2 time
clk ~= clk;
end
You might sometimes see this used with raw values, like #5 or #10, which means to wait 5 or 10 units of your timescale.

Verilog: Setting a constant value on clock even

I am new to Verilog, so this question might be quite dumb.
What I am trying: I have a component that has a clk, an 8 bit input and an 8 bit output. What it should do, is:
If the clock event is negative edge, it should set the output to 0
If the clock event is positive edge, it should set the output to whatever input is at this moment of the edge event. During the high phase of the clock, the output should NOT change, regardless changes on the input.
What I tried so far:
always #(negedge clk)
_ledOut <= 0;
always #(posedge clk)
_ledOut[RowSize-1:0] <= ledIn[RowSize-1:0];
This tells my, that it can't resolve multiple constant drivers for net _ledOut.
However, putting this together in an always #(negedge clk, posedge clk) tells me, it can't test for both conditions.
So I tried to make just one always #(clk) block and then used an if statement:
always #(clk) begin
if(clk == 0)
_ledOut <= 0;
else if(clk == 1)
_ledOut[RowSize-1:0] <= ledIn[RowSize-1:0];
end
But this didn't just switch on a clk event. During the high phase of the clock, it links _ledOut with ledIn, so that changes on ledIn do also have effect on _ledOut. What am I doing wrong here?
Best regards,
Michael
This tells my, that it can't resolve multiple constant drivers for net
_ledOut.
For synthesis you cannot assign reg types from multiple always blocks.
However, putting this together in an always #(negedge clk, posedge
clk) tells me, it can't test for both conditions.
This essentially describes a DDR register. While many FPGA devices have these they typically cannot be synthesized. Xilinx uses ODDR2 and IDDR2 primitives if you really need this functionality.
If the clock event is negative edge, it should set the output to 0 If
the clock event is positive edge, it should set the output to whatever
input is at this moment of the edge event. During the high phase of
the clock, the output should NOT change, regardless changes on the
input.
If this is all you need then you can use a D flip flop with an AND gate on the output. The flip-flop will sample ledIn on each rising edge of clk and the AND gate will mask the output whenever the clock is zero. This is not ideal as you generally do not want clocks to touch non-sequential logic but avoiding this would likely mean changing your requirements.
As toolic indicated, the code you posted will work but you should understand that code will synthesize to a multiplexer controlled by clk.
Ok, here is my working solution now. Maybe it's not the best verilog code you have seen out there. ;) This is, however, my first thing I do with it, as a project at my university. So as long as it does what I want it to do, this is a great success to me! ;)
Here is the code I used now, thanks to Adam12:
parameter RowSize = 8;
input clk;
input [RowSize-1:0] ledIn;
output [RowSize-1:0] ledOut;
reg[RowSize-1:0] _ledOut;
assign ledOut = _ledOut & {RowSize{clk}};
always #(posedge clk) begin
_ledOut[RowSize-1:0] <= ledIn[RowSize-1:0];
end
Consider the following stimulus:
module tb;
parameter RowSize = 8;
reg clk;
reg [7:0] ledIn, _ledOut;
always #(clk) begin
if(clk == 0)
_ledOut <= 0;
else if(clk == 1)
_ledOut[RowSize-1:0] <= ledIn[RowSize-1:0];
end
initial begin
$monitor($time, " clk=%b ledIn=%h _ledOut=%h", clk, ledIn, _ledOut);
ledIn = 0;
#22 ledIn = 8'h55;
#20 $finish;
end
always begin
#5 clk <= 0;
#5 clk <= 1;
end
endmodule
It produces this output:
0 clk=x ledIn=00 _ledOut=xx
5 clk=0 ledIn=00 _ledOut=00
10 clk=1 ledIn=00 _ledOut=00
15 clk=0 ledIn=00 _ledOut=00
20 clk=1 ledIn=00 _ledOut=00
22 clk=1 ledIn=55 _ledOut=00
25 clk=0 ledIn=55 _ledOut=00
30 clk=1 ledIn=55 _ledOut=55
35 clk=0 ledIn=55 _ledOut=00
40 clk=1 ledIn=55 _ledOut=55
Notice at time 22, when ledIn changes, the _ledOut output does not change. _ledOut only changes at the next posedge of clk at time 30. Therefore, the always #(clk) solution is doing what you want: the output only changes at the clock edge, as you specified.
This is a pretty unusual question, and it makes me advise you need to give more information about what you are actually trying to achieve, since it may well impact the timing performance and clock constraints if this is targeting an FPGA. Synthesis has been mentioned, but what will you be feeding the clock-gated output into? If it's a pin-pad, then you should read the DDR pad buffers in the device specifications and infer the specific primitive to be able to drive a DDR signal.
If you are keeping this signal within the chip then this is a very bizarre request. If I needed to generate that waveform, I would probably use a PLL to generate a phase-locked clock at twice the base frequency and put the gated data into that domain, with a toggle to apply the mast, so that the tooling will be able to properly analyse the clock crossings and the resulting data path is still effectively transitioning on a single edge.
The answers above to infer a register with a combinatorial multiplexer forced on the output is interesting, but whatever you feed this into will have to deal with awkward setup/hold conditions, and if on-chip, would only be sampling one edge anyway, so this is kind of redundant.

Resources