Category: DHD

Digital Hardware Design

Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) Fundamentals: What Every Digital Designer Should Know

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In today’s complex digital systems, multiple clock domains are the norm rather than the exception. Whether you’re designing an FPGA, ASIC, or SoC, it’s almost guaranteed that different parts of your chip will operate on different clocks. This creates a critical design challenge known as Clock Domain Crossing (CDC). In this first post of our CDC…

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Digital Electronics, SoC

How to Design a Clock Divider in Verilog?

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In digital design, clocks are the heartbeat of your system. But sometimes, the clock frequency you get from your oscillator or PLL is too fast for certain parts of your design. That’s where a clock divider comes in handy. It helps you generate slower clock signals by dividing down a faster input clock. In this blog…

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Digital Electronics, Verilog

How to Avoid Latch Inference in Verilog?

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Writing clean and reliable Verilog code is essential for designing predictable and efficient digital circuits. One common pitfall that many designers encounter is unintended latch inference. This subtle issue can cause your design to behave unexpectedly, leading to timing problems and simulation mismatches. In this post, we’ll explain what latch inference is, why it happens, and…

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Digital Electronics, Verilog

Standard‑Cell Libraries 201: Advanced Optimization Techniques for PPA and Silicon Success

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Standard-Cell Libraries 101 taught you what they are; this 201 guide will teach you how to use them like a silicon pro. From achieving timing closure to shaving off nanowatts of leakage power, advanced knowledge of standard-cell libraries can make the difference between a passable design and a top-tier, power-optimized chip. In this article, we…

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Digital Electronics, SoC

Why Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) Dominates Dynamic Power Consumption in VLSI Designs

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In VLSI design, power consumption is a critical concern, especially as chips become more complex and operate at higher frequencies. One of the biggest culprits behind dynamic power consumption is the Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) process. But why does the clock tree consume so much power compared to other parts of the chip? In this post, we’ll…

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Digital Electronics, SoC

Understanding the define Directive in Verilog: Purpose, Usage, and How It Differs from parameter

Posted on By vlsifacts No Comments on Understanding the define Directive in Verilog: Purpose, Usage, and How It Differs from parameter

When writing Verilog code, you’ll often come across the terms define directive and parameter. Both are used to define constants, but they serve different purposes and behave quite differently. Understanding these differences is crucial for writing clean, maintainable, and efficient hardware description code. In this post, we’ll explore the purpose of the define directive, how it works, and highlight the key…

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Verilog

Standard‑Cell Libraries 101: What They Are & How They Shape Your VLSI Design

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Every modern chip—whether in your smartphone, laptop, or car—is built using one fundamental building block: the standard cell. While these cells operate in the background of every VLSI project, understanding them is essential to mastering digital design. In this article, we break down what standard-cell libraries are, how they impact power, performance, and area (PPA),…

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Digital Electronics, SoC

Understanding Pipeline Design in Verilog: How to Stage Data Across Clock Cycles for High Performance

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In modern digital design, achieving high performance and throughput is essential. One of the most effective techniques to accomplish this is pipelining. Whether you’re designing CPUs, signal processors, or custom hardware accelerators, understanding how to model a pipeline can significantly improve your system’s efficiency. In this post, we’ll explore what a pipeline is, why it matters,…

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Digital Electronics, Verilog

Intermediate Verilog Questions for Designers (Part – 2) : Strengthen Your Coding and Design Skills

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1. What is the difference between synthesis and simulation? 2. How to prevent race conditions in simulations? 3. Difference between ifdef and ifndef? Example of ifdef: Example of ifndef: ifdef and ifndef directives help control conditional compilation, enabling flexible and reusable code for different environments such as simulation, synthesis, debugging, or different target platforms. 4. What is…

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Question Bank, Verilog

How to Implement a Priority Encoder in Verilog: Step-by-Step Guide

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In digital design, efficiently managing multiple input signals and prioritizing them is crucial. This is where a priority encoder comes into play. Whether you’re designing interrupt controllers, multiplexers, or resource arbitration logic, understanding how to implement a priority encoder is essential. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a priority encoder is, why it’s important, and walk…

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Digital Electronics, Verilog