Verischemelog: Verilog embedded in Scheme

  • Authors:

  • James Jennings;Eric Beuscher

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, LA;Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, LA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 2nd conference on Domain-specific languages
  • Year:
  • 1999

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Abstract

Verischemelog (pronounced with 5 syllables, veruh-scheme-uh-log) is a language and programming environment embedded in Scheme for designing digital electronic hardware systems and for controlling the simulation of these circuits. Simulation is performed by a separate program, often a commercial product. Verischemelog compiles to Verilog, an industry standard language accepted by several commercial and public domain simulators.Because many design elements are easily parameterized, design engineers currently write scripts which generate hardware description code in Verilog. These scripts work by textual substitution, and are typically ad-hoc and quite limited. Preprocessors for Verilog, on the other hand, are hampered by their macro-expansion languages, which support few data types and lack procedures. Verischemelog obviates the need for scripts and preprocessors by providing a hardware description language with list-based syntax, and Scheme to manipulate it.An interactive development environment gives early and specific feedback about errors, and structured access to the compiler and run-time environment provide a high degree of reconfigurability and extensibility of Verischemelog.