What are the common HDL languages used in FPGA design?
Hardware Description Languages (HDLs) are specialized programming languages used to design and model digital circuits in FPGAs ( Field-Programmable Gate Arrays ) and ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). The two most common HDLs used in FPGA design are VHDL and Verilog . Additionally, SystemVerilog and newer languages like Chisel and HLS (High-Level Synthesis) tools are gaining popularity. Here's an overview of these languages: 1. VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) Overview : VHDL stands for Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense in the 1980s. Features : Strongly typed language with a rich set of data types. Emphasizes modularity and reusability through entities and architectures. Supports behavioral, dataflow, and structural modeling. Strengths : High level of abstraction and strict syntax, which reduces errors. Well-su...