Verilog by Example: A Concise Introduction for FPGA Design

by Blaine Readler

A practical primer for the student and practicing engineer already familiar with the basics of digital design, the reference develops a working grasp of the verilog hardware description language step-by-step using easy-to-understand examples. Starting with a simple but workable design sample, increasingly more complex fundamentals of the language are introduced until all major features of verilog are brought to light. Included in the coverage are state machines, modular design, FPGA-based memories, clock management, specialized I/O, and an introduction to techniques of simulation. The goal is to prepare the reader to design real-world FPGA solutions. All the sample code used in the book is available online. What Strunk and White did for the English language with "The Elements of Style," VERILOG BY EXAMPLE does for FPGA design.

Genres: Programming

114 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2011

Reviews

[Chris Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's as concise a primer as it claims, which is exactly what I was looking for. There are only one minor thing I'd change:

Improve the typography. I don't mean "use nicer fonts," since the fonts are fine as-is. What I mean "typeset code in a code font within body text." The author or typesetter just keeps code in the text in the regular text font, only sometimes surrounding it with quotes. It'd be more readable if Verilog code and constructs were always in a monospace font distinct from body text.

[Dan Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

An approachable introduction to Verilog and FPGA design. Suitable for software developers with thin-to-no hardware experience if you read for detail and, ideally, use iVerilog and GTKWave to simulate the designs are you go.

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! I have twenty-plus-year experience with VHDL, and need to handle Verilog.
This book is exactly what I needed. It does not start with the basic concepts of digital coding, it biefly touch the items of simulation, but it gives you examples for the core items: assignments, blocks, finite state machines and so on.
The chapter on the FSM is expecially useful and shows the book was written by a real designer: the proposed design is a single process FSM, not the usual theoretical and sub-optimized design of a huge combinatorial block and a small synchronised one.

As the title stated: examples and concise introduction. That's a promise kept.

[Bill W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction. Readable, useful, interesting and brief, this book is a great starting point for learning Verilog. The author’s sense of humor is apparent on occasion as well, making the book that much more enjoyable.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for picking up on the syntax of Verilog. It does a good job of explaining the nuts and bolts of the language. It does not, however, delve into the underlying reasons for why a particular design is implemented in a particular way. That is left for other books on digital design. I found it interesting, but it left me hoping to read a more in depth book in the near future.