VHDL Books

I have the problem with the selection of a suitable book for learning
VHDL. I've Googled, looked at the Amazon reviews, checked out the FPGA
groups and still don't have a satisfactory answer.

I've done chip level work on mainframes, maintained microprogramed and
state machines (if you accept DEC LA180 printers), done some small
design work, like the Mick & Brick bit-slice text, have manufacturer's
data books, etc. Played with network protocols for some years so my
reference library has the standard Cisco texts, Stevens' TCP/IP
Illustrated, etc. Can write microcode if somebody twists my arm. I
don't need the standard introductory material that is required for the
target audience of some books. Alternatively I'm not looking for a
cookbook that has lots of fragments. I would not be approaching VHDL as
a 'computer' language for hardware but as a tool to implement logic if
that makes sense. Hence my problem of buying a book sight unseen is the
contradictory reviews.

Anyone have some thoughts?

Regards,
Garry

Unibus

Unibus wrote:

> I would not be approaching VHDL as
> a 'computer' language for hardware but as a tool to implement logic if
> that makes sense.

VHDL synthesis code is an implementable description of logic,
but it can only be produced efficiently while interacting with
a simulator program running non-implementable testbench code.
So consider getting a simulator first to try out examples.
Aldec, modelsim or sonata would be fine.

And you might need more than one book.

For synthesis code, consider Rushton
http://www.google.com/search?q=ISBN+047198325X

For a complete language reference, consider Ashenden
http://www.google.com/search?q=ISBN+1558606742

An interesting side-trip is Barnes on ADA,
the language that VHDL is based on.
http://www.google.com/search?q=ISBN+0201342936

-- Mike Treseler

Mike Treseler

"Unibus" <> wrote in message
news:cgcffk$...
>I have the problem with the selection of a suitable book for learning
> VHDL. I've Googled, looked at the Amazon reviews, checked out the FPGA
> groups and still don't have a satisfactory answer.
>
> I've done chip level work on mainframes, maintained microprogramed and
> state machines (if you accept DEC LA180 printers), done some small
> design work, like the Mick & Brick bit-slice text, have manufacturer's
> data books, etc. Played with network protocols for some years so my
> reference library has the standard Cisco texts, Stevens' TCP/IP
> Illustrated, etc. Can write microcode if somebody twists my arm. I
> don't need the standard introductory material that is required for the
> target audience of some books. Alternatively I'm not looking for a
> cookbook that has lots of fragments. I would not be approaching VHDL as
> a 'computer' language for hardware but as a tool to implement logic if
> that makes sense. Hence my problem of buying a book sight unseen is the
> contradictory reviews.
>
> Anyone have some thoughts?
>
> Regards,
> Garry
>

Have a look at confluence , may be of interest to you as well.
http://www.confluent.org/

Alex Gibson