science

MyHDL

MyHDL is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MyHDL rather than just read about it. In short: MyHDL is a Python-based hardware description language (HDL). Features of MyHDL include: The ability to generate VHDL and Verilog code from a MyHDL design.

Key takeaways

MyHDL belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MyHDL to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MyHDL from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MyHDL is a Python-based hardware description language (HDL). Features of MyHDL include:

The ability to generate VHDL and Verilog code from a MyHDL design. The ability to generate a testbench (Conversion of test benches) with test vectors in VHDL or Verilog, based on complex computations in Python. The ability to convert a list of signals. The ability to convert output verification. The ability to do co-simulation with Verilog. An advanced datatype system, independent of traditional datatypes. MyHDL's translator tool automatically writes conversion functions when the target language requires them. MyHDL is developed by Jan Decaluwe.

Conversion examples Here, you can see some examples of conversions from MyHDL designs to VHDL and/or Verilog. A small combinatorial design The example is a small combinatorial design, more specifically the binary to Gray code converter:

You can create an instance and convert to Verilog and VHDL as follows:

The generated Verilog code looks as follows:

The generated VHDL code looks as follows:

See also Comparison of Free EDA software Comparison of EDA Software Electronic design automation (EDA) C to HDL compilers

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MyHDL

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MyHDL claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MyHDL before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MyHDL ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MyHDL

In research: MyHDL appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MyHDL in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MyHDL is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Hardware description languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MyHDL outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MyHDL in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MyHDL means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MyHDL out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MyHDL in simple terms?

MyHDL is a Python-based hardware description language (HDL). Features of MyHDL include: The ability to generate VHDL and Verilog code from a MyHDL design.

Why does MyHDL matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MyHDL?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MyHDL.