Modelsim - forcing signals to 'Z'

Hi,

I've got a simple problem with Modelsim.
The relevant connections of my system look like that:


------------ ------------
| | | |
| | | |
| A-----+----B |
| | | | |
| Module1 | | | Module2 |
| | | | |
------------ | ------------
|
input to Module3


A and B are declared as inout in Module1 and Module2 (it's a GPIO
pin).

Both Module1 and Module2 can drive the pin.
I can't change the code of Module2 and I can't tell it to stop driving
the pin (it drives it to '0').
But I want the pin to be driven only by Module1, so Module3 can see
the value driven by Module1.

What I tried is forcing (-freeze) signal B to 'Z', but it seems not to
work.
Any ideas why?
Can I do something else?

Thanks,
DonQ

DonQ

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 12:45:30 -0800, DonQ wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've got a simple problem with Modelsim. The relevant connections of my
> system look like that:
>
>
> ------------ ------------
> | | | |
> | | | |
> | A-----+----B |
> | | | | |
> | Module1 | | | Module2 |
> | | | | |
> ------------ | ------------
> |
> input to Module3
>
>
> A and B are declared as inout in Module1 and Module2 (it's a GPIO pin).
>
> Both Module1 and Module2 can drive the pin. I can't change the code of
> Module2 and I can't tell it to stop driving the pin (it drives it to '0').
> But I want the pin to be driven only by Module1, so Module3 can see the
> value driven by Module1.
>
> What I tried is forcing (-freeze) signal B to 'Z', but it seems not to
> work.
> Any ideas why?
> Can I do something else?
>
> Thanks,
> DonQ
Why don't you OR the signals from Module1 and Module2 to the input of
Module3?? If Module2 is always 0, then Module3 will see only the value of
the signal from Module1??

Chuck

Chuck Gales

DonQ wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got a simple problem with Modelsim.
> The relevant connections of my system look like that:
>
>
> ------------ ------------
> | | | |
> | | | |
> | A-----+----B |
> | | | | |
> | Module1 | | | Module2 |
> | | | | |
> ------------ | ------------
> |
> input to Module3
>
>
> A and B are declared as inout in Module1 and Module2 (it's a GPIO
> pin).
>
> Both Module1 and Module2 can drive the pin.
> I can't change the code of Module2 and I can't tell it to stop driving
> the pin (it drives it to '0').
> But I want the pin to be driven only by Module1, so Module3 can see
> the value driven by Module1.
>
> What I tried is forcing (-freeze) signal B to 'Z', but it seems not to
> work.
> Any ideas why?
> Can I do something else?
>
> Thanks,
> DonQ

This is your JOB to fix A or B to 'Z, not Modelsim JOB.
But your modules need to know when there are output or tristate. You
have to do a control with an 'output enable' or other control
signal(chip select + read signal), like

-- example: A and B are 8-bit vector
A <= "00110011" WHEN (A_OE = '1') ELSE (OTHERS => 'Z');
B <= "11001100" WHEN (B_OE = '1') ELSE (OTHERS => 'Z');
-- works if B_OE <= not(A_OE);

Just try.

Laurent
www.amontec.com

Amontec Team, Laurent Gauch