Verilog Designer's Library
Ready-to-use building blocks for integrated circuit design.
Why start coding from scratch when you can work from this library of pre-tested routines, created by an HDL expert? There are plenty of introductory texts to describe the basics of Verilog, but Verilog Designer's Library is the only book that offers real, reusable routines that you can put to work right away.
Verilog Designer's Library organizes Verilog routines according to functionality, making it easy to locate the material you need. Each function is described by a behavioral model to use for simulation, followed by the RTL code you'll use to synthesize the gate-level implementation. Extensive test code is included for each function, to assist you with your own verification efforts.
Coverage includes:
- Essential Verilog coding techniques
- Basic building blocks of successful routines
- State machines and memories
- Practical debugging guidelines
Although Verilog Designer's Library assumes a basic familiarity with Verilog structure and syntax, it does not require a background in programming. Beginners can work through the book in sequence to develop their skills, while experienced Verilog users can go directly to the routines they need. Hardware designers, systems analysts, VARs, OEMs, software developers, and system integrators will find it an ideal sourcebook on all aspects of Verilog development.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a ready-to-use set of Verilog building blocks and working testbenches you can drop into projects to save design and verification time. It gives both behavioral models for simulation and synthesizable RTL for implementation, so you can see the full path from test to gate-level.
Who Will Benefit
Intermediate FPGA/ASIC designers and verification engineers who already know basic Verilog and need practical, reusable IP snippets and testbench examples to accelerate RTL development.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic digital logic and familiarity with Verilog syntax and simulation; knowledge of synthesis constraints and FPGA toolflow is helpful.
Key Takeaways
- Integrate pre-tested Verilog modules (counters, FIFOs, shift registers, CRCs, etc.) into your designs
- Use provided behavioral models and testbenches to verify RTL quickly in simulation
- Adapt synthesizable RTL examples to target FPGA or ASIC synthesis flows
- Apply common RTL design patterns and interface handshakes from production-proven code
- Build and extend a personal library of reusable components to speed future projects
Topics Covered
- Introduction and design/use conventions
- Simulation models and testbench methodology
- Basic building blocks: counters, registers, and latches
- Shift registers, barrel shifters, and bit-slice utilities
- State machines and control logic templates
- Memory interfaces: simple RAM/ROM models and synchronous FIFOs
- Arithmetic modules: adders, subtractors, comparators
- CRC, parity, and simple error-checking circuits
- Serial and parallel interface examples (handshakes, FIFOs)
- Clocking, reset strategies, and synthesis considerations
- RTL coding examples with synthesizable and behavioral pairs
- Appendices: test vectors, synthesis notes, and usage tips
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Unlike tutorial books such as Palnitkar's Verilog HDL (which teach the language), Zeidman's book is a library of ready-made modules; for modern FPGA-focused, hands-on labs the more recent "FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples" (Pong P. Chu) provides fresher toolchain and board-specific guidance.
