# VHDL: Signal assignment question

TLDR: The specific ordering question I'm asking is:

1. Suppose the output depends on some intermediate signals
2. Suppose the intermediate signals depend on some input signals
3. Suppose an input signal changes
4. This may make more than one intermediate signal change
5. The timing of signal assignment is not stringently specified
6. If the output signal generation function observes one of the intermediate signals as having changed before the other intermediate signals having changed, a "transient" output may be generated until the change in the second intermediate signal is observed.
7. Does VHDL guarantee that this does not happen? If so, how?

Reading through the Free Range VHDL book, on page 37, there is a code snippet that is claimed to be equivalent to the code snippet on page 36:

-- library declaration
library IEEE;
use IEEE.std_logic_1164.all;
-- entity
entity my_ckt_f3 is
port ( L,M,N : in std_logic;
F3 : out std_logic);
end my_ckt_f3;
-- architecture
architecture f3_2 of my_ckt_f3 is
begin
F3<=((NOT L)AND(NOT M)AND N)OR(L AND M);
end f3_2;


versus:

-- library declaration
library IEEE;
use IEEE.std_logic_1164.all;
-- entity
entity my_ckt_f3 is
port ( L,M,N : in std_logic;
F3 : out std_logic);
end my_ckt_f3;
-- architecture
architecture f3_1 of my_ckt_f3 is
signal A1, A2 : std_logic; -- intermediate signals
begin
A1 <= ((NOT L) AND (NOT M) AND N);
A2 <= L AND M;
F3 <= A1 OR A2;
end f3_1;


But! The description in the text claims that signals are delayed assignment ("some time" after) and timing or ordering is not guaranteed.

In my mind, this translates to approximately something like "the right side is sampled on clock-rising, and the left side is written on clock-falling," although I'm sure different implementations are actually used in reality.

Now, assuming that each <= operator in a logic chain introduces a time delay of undetermined amount, why are these two snippets equivalent? Couldn't it be that the second implementation, with temporary signals, temporarily outputs some logic value that is not actually the result of any combination of the inputs that it has seen?

I guess I'd like a more formal understanding of what the "signal assignment" really means for timing and outputs. Are compilers guaranteed to "optimize" or "short circuit" temporary signal assignments so that the end result will always be the same as if I wrote the logic expression on a single line?

• I searched the book for "delayed assignment" but didn't find it. Where does it say this? BTW, the entities are functionally equivalent, and clock has nothing to do with it (this is purely combinational). – apalopohapa Oct 28 '13 at 20:40
• You are questioning beyond the scope of the particular book. In general you shouldn't try to manufacture scenarios where the poorly conveyed description can be rationalized. Try googling for "VHDL simulation cycle". VHDL uses delta simulation cycles to emulate concurrency which do not involve the advancement of simulation time. See 31_DeltaTime_Concept.pdf for example. Note it's likely your simulator has a maximum number of delta cycles before incurring simulation time advance, blocking it's use from general purpose parallel computing. – user8352 Oct 28 '13 at 21:19
• @Koontz: This seems like a good answer -- or, to answer the baser question I have; is this a resaonable statement? "Yes, the tools will forward signal assignment in an optimal fashion to make the two cases equivalent." There is still a question on ordering, though -- see clarification at the bottom. – Jon Watte Oct 28 '13 at 21:25
• @apalopohapa: At the bottom of page 24, it says this: 'A variable changes its value soon after the variable assignment is executed. Instead, a signal changes its value "some time" after the signal assignment expression is evaluated.' – Jon Watte Oct 28 '13 at 21:27
• There's a difference in the number of delta cycles between the two versions based on having more signal targets resulting in more signals on the right hand side of signal assignments. They are guaranteed to be the equivalent when simulation time advances. And no, compilers don't play games with signal assignments. Concurrent statements are translated into equivalent processes for simulation, optimization is generally not possible across process boundaries - every signal can be visible to a waveform display. Neither Free Range VHDL nor this forum are a replacement for authoritative references. – user8352 Oct 28 '13 at 23:00