• Synthesis is an automatic process that converts user’s hardware description into structural logic description.
• When we use VHDL as textual file, the process is called VHDL Synthesis.
• Synthesis is a means of converting HDL into real world hardware.
• Synthesis tools generate a gate-level netlist for the target technology.
• Synthesis is target device technology specific.
• Synthesizer will try to use the best architectural resource available with the target.
Several steps work out behind the scene!
• Translation ( language synthesis ) : Design at higher level of description is compiled into known language elements.
• Optimization : Algorithms are applied to make the design compact and fast.
• Design is mapped using architecture specific techniques.
Synthesis process – design flow
Synthesis process
• Translation : Inputs are transformed into a description based Boolean equations.
– If the input data consists of gate level netlist then it is necessary to extract Boolean equations to determine functionality of all used gates.
• Technology independent logic optimization: This process aims to improve structure of Boolean equations by applying rules of Boolean algebra . This removes the redundant logic and reduces the space requirement.
• Technology Mapping: This is the process of transforming technology independent netlist into technology dependent one. During mapping , timing and area information of all usable gates of the target technology must be available. It is split into two phases.
– Flattening
– Structuring
Flattening
• The aim is to generate Boolean equations for each output of module in such a way that the output value is a direct function of inputs. These equations reflect two level logic in SOP form.
• Resulting equations do not imply any structure.
• Good optimization results are obtained.
• Caution: In case of structured logic this process would destroy the characteristic structure and its associated properties . e.g. carry look ahead adder.
• Flattening cannot be applied to every logic circuit because the number of product terms may become very large.
Structuring
• New intermediate variables are inserted during the structuring process.
• E.g. If (A’.B’.C’) occurs 10 times then the tool may assign X= (A’.B’.C’) and use X everywhere.
• Finally , the sub-functions are substituted into original equations.
• Compared to the logic before structuring, the resulting area is reduced.
Synthesis process- review
• Translation process converts RTL to a Boolean form.
• Optimization is done on the converted Boolean equations.
• Optimized logic is mapped to technology library.
• Flattening is a process where all the design hierarchy is removed, the entire design is transformed into a flat , generic , SOP form.
• Structuring is the opposite of flattening, its adds structure to the generic design by extracting common logic factors and representing them as intermediate nodes to produce compact logic.
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