The Verilog PLI Handbook

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

   PDF

2. Introduction: The VPI and TF/ACC Parts of the Verilog PLI Standard

   1. Introduction: The VPI and TF/ACC Parts of the Verilog PLI Standard

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 1-9

3. The VPI Portion of the Verilog PLI Standard

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11

      PDF

   2. Creating PLI Applications Using VPI Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 13-28

   3. Interfacing VPI based PLI Applications to Verilog Simulators

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 29-54

   4. How to Use the VPI Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 55-96

   5. Details about the VPI Routine Library

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 97-138

   6. Reading and Modifying Values Using VPI Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 139-182

   7. Synchronizing to Verilog Simulations Using VPI Callbacks

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 183-226

   8. Interfacing to C Models Using VPI Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 227-257

4. The TF/ACC Portion of the Verilog PLI Standard

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 259-259

      PDF

   2. Creating PLI Applications Using TF and ACC Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 261-274

   3. Interfacing TF/ACC based PLI Applications to Verilog Simulators

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 275-299

   4. How to Use the TF Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 301-327

   5. Reading and Writing Values Using TF Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 329-388

   6. Synchronizing to Verilog Simulations Using Misctf Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 389-415

   7. Interfacing to C Models Using TF Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 417-443

   8. How to Use the ACC Routines

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 445-472

   9. Details on the ACC Routine Library

      • Stuart Sutherland

      Pages 473-521

   10. Reading and Modifying Values Using ACC Routines

       • Stuart Sutherland

       Pages 523-589

The Verilog Programming Language Interface, commonly called the Verilog PU, is one of the more powerful features of Verilog. The PU provides a means for both hardware designers and software engineers to interface their own programs to commercial Verilog simulators. Through this interface, a Verilog simulator can be customized to perform virtually any engineering task desired. Just a few of the common uses of the PU include interfacing Veri log simulations to C language models, adding custom graphical tools to a simulator, reading and writing proprietary file formats from within a simulation, performing test coverage analysis during simulation, and so forth. The applications possible with the Verilog PLI are endless.

Intended audience: this book is written for digital design engineers with a background in the Verilog Hardware Description Language and a fundamental knowledge of the C programming language. It is expected that thereader:

• Has a basic knowledge of hardware engineering, specifically digital design of ASIC and FPGA technologies.
  
• Is familiar with the Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL), and can write models of hardware circuits in Verilog, can write simulation test fixtures in Verilog, and can run at least one Verilog logic simulator.
  
• Knows basic C-language programming, including the use of functions, pointers, structures and file I/O. Explanations of the concepts and terminology of digital
  

• Hardware
• Interface
• Verilog
• programming
• simulation

• Sutherland HDL, Inc., USA

  Stuart Sutherland

Mr. Stuart Sutherland is a member of the IEEE Verilog standards committee, where he is co-chair of the PLI standards task force and technical editor for the PLI sections of the IEEE 1364 Verilog Language Reference Manual. 

Mr. Sutherland has more than 14 years of experience in hardware design and over ten years of experience with Verilog. He is the founder of Sutherland HDL Inc., located in Portland Oregon. Sutherland HDL provides expert Verilog HDL and Verilog PLI design services, including training, modeling, design verification and software tool evaluation. Verilog training is one of the specialties of Sutherland HDL. Prior to founding Sutherland HDL in 1992, Mr. Sutherland was as an engineer at Sanders Display Products Division in New Hampshire, where he worked on high speed graphics systems for the defense industry. In 1988, he became a senior applications engineer for Gateway Design Automation, the founding company of Verilog. AtGateway, which was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 1989, Mr. Sutherland specialized in training and support for logic simulation, timing analysis, fault simulation, and the Verilog PLI. Mr. Sutherland has also worked closely with several EDA vendors to specify, test and bring to market Verilog simulation products. 

Mr. Sutherland holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, with an emphasis in Electronic Engineering Technology, from Weber State University (Ogden, Utah) and Franklin Pierce College (Nashua, New Hampshire). He has taught Verilog engineering courses at the University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Clara extension), and has authored the popular "Verilog HDL Quick Reference Guide" and "Verilog PU Quick Reference Guide". He has presented tutorials and papers at the International Verilog Conference and at the International Cadence User's Group Conference, and has won awards for best speaker and best tutorial.

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