Each RTL construct maps to specific hardware. Combinational blocks become gates and multiplexers, a skipped assignment in a combinational block becomes a latch, and clocked blocks become flip-flops.
RTL construct | Hardware inferred | Generic cell |
|---|---|---|
| Gates and multiplexers, per the expression |
|
| Multiplexer |
|
| Latch |
|
Same shapes in a clocked block | Flop with enable |
|
| Flip-flop per bit |
|
Output driven to | Tri-state driver at pins | Tri-state buffer |
| Repeated hardware, one copy per iteration | Unrolled gates |
Lesson | What it covers |
|---|---|
Complete assignment in combinational blocks, proved with the tool. | |
If chains, parallel case selects, and their depth and area. | |
The missing-else latch, its fixes, and a latch-against-mux proof. | |
Clocked blocks, pin tri-states, unrolled loops, and a calculator. | |
Delays, testbench blocks, and types with no hardware mapping. |
A latch. The latch lesson proves one $dlatch with the tool and contrasts it with a mux.