Synthesis tool

Definition

A synthesis tool is a software application that translates high-level hardware description languages like VHDL and Verilog into lower-level representations suitable for implementation on physical hardware. These tools optimize designs for various parameters such as area, speed, and power consumption, enabling designers to create efficient digital circuits and systems.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Synthesis tools take code written in VHDL or Verilog and convert it into a netlist, which is a detailed representation of the circuit's components and their interconnections.
2. These tools can apply various optimization techniques to improve the performance or reduce the area of the final design, making them essential for efficient hardware development.
3. Synthesis tools often include error checking and reporting features, helping designers identify and correct issues in their code before moving on to implementation.
4. Different synthesis tools may target different types of hardware platforms, such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits).
5. The choice of synthesis tool can significantly impact the final design's performance metrics, such as speed and power consumption.

Review Questions

• How do synthesis tools facilitate the transition from high-level design languages like VHDL and Verilog to physical hardware implementation?
  • Synthesis tools translate high-level descriptions written in languages like VHDL or Verilog into a netlist that details the components and connections needed for physical hardware. This process involves optimization strategies that enhance parameters like area, speed, and power. By streamlining this transition, synthesis tools allow designers to focus on higher-level abstractions while ensuring the designs are practical for real-world applications.
• What role do optimization techniques play in the function of synthesis tools when converting digital designs into hardware implementations?
  • Optimization techniques are crucial for synthesis tools as they enhance the efficiency of digital designs by reducing the area consumed by the circuit or increasing its operational speed. These techniques can include logic minimization, resource sharing, and retiming. By applying these optimizations, synthesis tools ensure that the final hardware implementation meets performance requirements while utilizing resources effectively.
• Evaluate how the selection of a specific synthesis tool might affect the design outcomes in terms of performance metrics like speed and power consumption.
  • The choice of a synthesis tool directly influences design outcomes since different tools use varied algorithms and optimization strategies tailored to specific hardware platforms. A well-chosen synthesis tool can lead to significant improvements in performance metrics such as speed by optimizing critical paths or minimizing delays. Conversely, using an inappropriate tool may result in increased power consumption due to inefficient resource usage or suboptimal design choices. Thus, understanding the capabilities and target platforms of synthesis tools is vital for achieving desired design specifications.

Related terms

VHDL:

VHDL, or VHSIC Hardware Description Language, is a hardware description language used to model electronic systems at various levels of abstraction.

Verilog:

Verilog is another hardware description language that enables designers to describe the structure and behavior of electronic circuits.

RTL (Register Transfer Level): RTL is an abstraction used in digital circuit design that describes the flow of data between hardware registers and the operations performed on that data.