Is SystemVerilog Catching on for Design

[Altera_Forum]

Hello, I'd like to know how how popular SystemVerilog is today, how many people are switching from Verilog to SV? I'm pretty much a AHDL guy but I've been trying to teach myself Verilog. One thing that bothers me is that I can find lots of books on Verilog for design but most books on SystemVerilog are for Verification or Testbenches. I thought it would be better to learn Verilog and try it out on a few designs and then try to learn SystemVerilog.  

 If anyone has some comments to share please do. Also if you have any good web sites on learning SV or Verilog please share them too.  Thanks, joe

[Altera_Forum]

Hi Joe - 

 I'm a former AHDL guy, now Verilog guy. I just started learning SystemVerilog a couple weeks ago. It is very much 'Verilog with some add-ons' rather than a new beast. The addons are GREAT if you find yourself wanting C-like structures / datatypes. There are some nice new features for doing constrained random simulation, and asserts. A couple of minor annoyances in the Verilog syntax are removed.  I started off with this link from some language buffs. It's a little bit out of date, but it sums up the Verilog / SV changes pretty well. http://www.sutherland-hdl.com/papers/2003-systemverilog_white_paper.pdf  The SV support in Modelsim and Quartus is pretty good. You can tell it isn't quite as polished as the straight Verilog, but pretty civilized.  -Gregg

[Altera_Forum]

Gregg, 

 Hello, thanks for the link and the encouragement.   joe306

[Altera_Forum]

If you are to use HDL language I recommand SystemVerilog. Learn verilog first then jump all in to system verilog. You just have more with SystemVerilog.  

Here is a book about SystemVerilog for design. It's not a great book,but it will do for now systemverilog for design second edition: a guide to using systemverilog for hardware design and modeling (hardcover) by stuart sutherland, simon davidmann, peter flake, and p. moorby (hardcover - jul 20, 2006) make sure you get the second edition

[Altera_Forum]

Hi guys, well i started directly on Verilog, and i have been doing it for 4 years now, i am also curious about SV, what will it really do for my designs? 

as far as i could see its a change to a more C-like structure of coding, but will it actually improve the code itself?

[Altera_Forum]

hi guys, 

actually SystemVerilog is not an HDL language for designing and synthesizing a circuit. it "adds" some system-level features to a lower-level language like verilog, which is good for describing a system or performing verification of the designs.   in contrast, a language like SystemC adds a lower-level features to higher-level language (C++) to accomplish the same thing.  adel

[Altera_Forum]

Thanks Adel, I bought a book of SV and yes, its focuse is towards verification and it will help a little to make the low level code more friendly and easy to understand for other programers

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Hi guys, well i started directly on Verilog, and i have been doing it for 4 years now, i am also curious about SV, what will it really do for my designs? as far as i could see its a change to a more C-like structure of coding, but will it actually improve the code itself?  --- Quote End ---    Man, I see a lot of miss-information, uninformed information in these forums.  SystemVerilog can have a huge effect on your designs, in a very positive way. It is not about "structures".   I have one word, repeated multiple times, interfaces, interfaces, interfaces.  Learn them, use them. They will single-handedly improve your design significantly. Quartus II supports them and they are a huge benefit.  I shudder to think how I would live without them now that I have learned to use them. My own question to Altera is.. well, that is a question for a different post.  I might have to post some examples or something.. it just seems like nobody knows that interfaces are.  Ed

[Altera_Forum]

ed, 

 do you have any texts you could recommend about SystemVerilog?

[Altera_Forum]

I have used the SystemVerilog Spec and "System Verilog for Design". 

 SV for Design is an execllent book. It is written for someone familiar with Verilog to be able to start using the new SystemVerilog capabilities. It takes a slow approach, and you can definitly take small steps into the world of SV. It isn't an all-or-nothing approach.. start using a few basic features, and add more as you find need.  Ed

[Altera_Forum]

thanks very much. is this the right spec to look at: 

 ieee standard for systemverilog- unified hardware design, specification, and verification language

[Altera_Forum]

Yes, that sounds correct. I have not been able to get the spec.. requires access to the IEEE library. Expensive,and my company does not pay for it.. 

 I have the SystemVerilog 3.1a Language Reference Manual (LRM) Accelllera's Extensions to Verilog.  http://www.vhdl.org/sv/systemverilog_3.1a.pdf  This seems to be very complete.  You need to keep in mind what is synthesizable and what is not. From the Altera documents - quartus handbook, page 405 (of current manual).  The best way to approach it is check it.. if you are not sure of a particular structure, then write a simple test and see if quartus will synthesize it..  Some things work, but take some figuring out.. Quartus supports "generic" interfaces, but it took me time to figure out HOW to do it.... they provide NO examlples (hint hint), just state they work...   Cheers.

[Altera_Forum]

this document looks excellent, there are many examples. 

 maybe you should take a study day at a local university with IEEE access. :)

[Altera_Forum]

Actualy, my current company is shutting down this design center. I have been offered (and accepted) a graduate assistant ship with Boise State University (go Broncos!).. I will be working on my MSEE for a couple of years... I guess I will have it then. 

 Ed

[Altera_Forum]

sorry to hear that, at least you have a plan. 

  i don't see much different between your document and the actual IEEE document.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Hi guys, well i started directly on Verilog, and i have been doing it for 4 years now, i am also curious about SV, what will it really do for my designs? as far as i could see its a change to a more C-like structure of coding, but will it actually improve the code itself?  --- Quote End ---    What, If Anything, In SystemVerilog Will Help Me With FPGA-based Design?  http://www.sutherland-hdl.com/papers.php