Array OL Descriptions of Repetitive Structures in VHDL

With the continuing advances in semiconductor technology driving the rise in complexity of electronic embedded systems, there is a demand for the development of high level modelling environments for computer-aided design. The modelling of highly repetitive structures in graphical form poses a particular challenge if a hierarchical approach is not adopted. This paper proposes a mechanism for describing such component structures in a compact form based upon extensions of the Array Oriented Language (Array-OL). An example is given as to how the structure described is subsequently mapped into VHDL code. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.