OL4.NOV–RP
Standard analog HDL is near
The move toward the development of an IEEE-standard Analog Hardware
Description Language (AHDL)–which describes the physical design,
electrical behavior, logical structure, and system annotation information
for analog circuits–is gaining momentum. Recently, news has been made on
two fronts: the U.S. Air Force Rome Laboratory's awarding of an AHDL
development contract to a consortium led by MTL Systems, Inc. (Dayton,
OH), and the formation of Analog VHDL International (AVI). The
development of an industry-standard AHDL is seen as clearly benefiting the
electronic design industry. According to Jim Solomon, senior vice
president and general manager of Cadence Design Systems's IC Design Group
and chairman of AVI, “The lack of a standard analog hardware description
language has delayed the wide usage of analog behavioral modeling and
simulation and slowed the growth of the analog EDA market.” The existence
of such a language would provide the benefits–currently experienced by
digital designers–of using a high-level description language for analog
model description and simulation. In addition, it would address mixed-mode
and mixed-signal simulation in concert with the existing IEEE 1076 VHDL
standard. According to Herb Hirsch, director of Advanced Technology
Programs at MTL Systems, “Mixed-signal simulation is a big requirement for
this. The notion of being able to interact in the analog and digital world
easily and efficiently is a goal of the development.” Also important, says
Hirsch, is that the analog HDL not be a radical departure for VHDL users
wishing to use it. Core team members of the consortium led by MTL Systems
include Analogy, Inc. (Beaverton, OR), and Compass Design Automation, Inc.
(San Jose, CA). The consortium will be supported by Raytheon Corp., which
is active in MHDL (MMIC hardware description language) development; by the
University of Cincinnati, which originated AnaVHDL and is actively
involved in VHDL research; and by Alternative Systems Concepts, which has
developed the specification for a prototype analog HDL. The approach
taken by the MTL-led team is organized to operate cooperatively with the
IEEE standards development process and consists of several particular
tasks. These include requirements rationale development, an analysis of
other efforts in Analog HDL development, language design, language
reference manual development, validation to ensure AHDL/VHDL compatibility
for mixed-signal and mixed-mode devices and boards, and language rationale
development. According to MTL's Hirsch, “The result of our project will
be a balloted, accepted language reference manual (LRM). Once that is
completed, the actual development of an analog hardware description
language can occur.” MTL Systems expects to deliver the LRM in late 1995.
Analog VHDL International is a consortium comprising electronic design
automation vendors and users and is chartered with accelerating the
development and standardization of the IEEE 1076.1 analog hardware
description language (VHDL-A). The initial members of the organization
include ANACAD EES, Analogy, BNR/Northern Telecom, Cadence Design Systems,
Compass Design Automation, Hewlett-Packard, Mentor Graphics Corp.,
Meta-Software, Microsim, SGS-Thomson, and Viewlogic Systems. “AVI has the
resources to develop such items as a validation suite, a user's guide, and
a core parts library in parallel to the creation of VHDL-A,” says Stan
Krolikoski, chairman of the IEEE 1076 standards committee and chair of the
AVI Technical Coordinating Committee. He sees these items as crucial to
the success of VHDL-A as the standard analog HDL. AVI is seeking
additional representatives from the analog and mixed-signal user
community, EDA vendors, and universities. For more information, contact
Shawn Hailey at Meta-Software at 408-369-5400 or . For more information on
the MTL-led AHDL development project, contact Wendy Zhou of MTL Systems,
Inc., at 513-426-3111 or . –Richard Pell Jr.
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