27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most used book in my library., November 1, 2002
Simply put, this is an excellent book. I have five books on my bookshelf covering HDL, and this book is by far the most informative and practical. The number of examples containing Verilog code, a test bench, a synthesized netlist, and simulation results is incredible. It covers some very important topics in detail that my other books don't even mention (design partitioning, clock domain synchronization, and proper gating of clocks immediately come to mind). I especially like the in-depth treatment the book gives to writing sythesizable code. Synthesis isn't an after thought; it is a primary focus exactly as it should be. The index is sufficient and larger than most books, but this book deserves more.
As an experienced engineer and engineering manager, I have used the text to provide examples, algorithms, and to instruct my engineering staff. This book is not only my main Verilog book, but it is my digital design reference as well.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best book for Verilog synthesis, March 2, 2005
This is the best book that I have found for Verilog synthesis. There are many good books on Verilog, but most of them focus on simulation. This book is specifically useful for synthesis.
The book seems intended to be used for a course on digital logic design. The first few chapters deal with digital logic design generally, and can be ignored. The discussion of Verilog begins after 100 pages in chapter 4.
The core of the book is chapters 4 through 7, which describe how to define digital logic with Verilog. This is approximately 300 pages of description, discussion, and examples. The examples are well written, and very useful. The examples show, in a simple and straightforward manner, how to write Verilog that synthesizes well.
Chapter 8 covers programmable logic devices, such as CPLDs and FPGAs. Unfortunately, the focus of the chapter is on specific device families, and is only of historical interest. For example, none of the Xilinx FPGAs discussed would be recommended in a new design. If the chapter had covered the basic concepts of device categories of interest, it might remain useful.
The last few chapters cover some advanced topics, such as digital signal processing. A few of the topics covered are interesting. Most are too incomplete to be useful, and I believe that some of them (such as FIR filters) will not synthesize in a realistic case.
The appendicies are extensive, and provide a reference for Verilog.
The strength of the book is that it is the only one I have found that covers Verilog synthesis clearly. That portion of the book is a pleasure to use. The weakness of the book is that large sections are essentially irrelevant. It is a 1000 page book that would make a good 400 page book.
The book would be significantly improved by an update, especially to Verilog 2001. In the current edition, Verilog 2001 is mentioned only in an appendix.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good book for advanced classes on Logic design, February 10, 2003
I am using this book for my graduate level classes on "Digital System Design Automation (From HDL to FPGA)". The book is very useful - It has, from one hand a very reasonable methodology behind. From the other hand it is an excellent collection of design examples. Especially important is the fact that the book is bundled with Xilinx ISE Student edition tools. The book is fully supported by presentation slides available from the author.
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