FIPS PUB 172-1

NIST

PUBLICATIONS

u.s. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

National Institute of Standards and Technology

FIPS PUB 172-1

FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION

(Supersedes FIPS PUB 172—1992 June 29)

VHSIC HARDWARE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE

(VHDL)

Category: Software Standard

Subcategory: Hardware Description Language

1995 JANUARY 27

JK

468

. A8A3

NO.172-1

1995
«I
FIPS PUB 172-1

FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION

(Supersedes FIPS PUB 172—1992 June 29)

VHSIC HARDWARE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE

(VHDL)

Category: Software Standard

Subcategory: Hardware Description Language

Computer Systems Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001

Issued January 27, 1995

U.S. Department of Commerce

Ronald H. Brown, Secretary

Technology Administration

Mary L. Good, Under Secretary for Technology

National Institute of Standards

and Technology

Arati Prabhakar, Director
Foreword

The Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Series of the National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the official publication relating to

standards and guidelines adopted and promulgated under the provisions of Section

111(d) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as amended by

the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 100-235. These mandates have given the

Secretary of Commerce and NIST important responsibilities for improving the utilization

and management of computer and related telecommunications systems in the Federal

Government. The NIST, through its Computer Systems Laboratory, provides leadership,

technical guidance, and coordination of Government efforts in the development of stan¬

dards and guidelines in these areas.

Comments concerning Federal Information Processing Standards Publications are

welcomed and should be addressed to the Director, Computer Systems Laboratory,

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

James H. Burrows, Director

Computer Systems Laboratory

Abstract

This publication announces the adoption of the Federal Information Processing

Standard (FIPS) for VHDL. This FIPS adopts American National Standard Hardware

Description Language VHDL (ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993) as stipulated in the Specifications

Section. The American National Standard specifies the form and establishes the interpre¬

tation of programs expressed in VHDL. The purpose of the standard is to promote

portability of VHDL programs for use on a variety of data processing systems. The

standard is used by implementors as the reference authority in developing compilers,

interpreters, analyzers, simulators, or other forms of high level language processors, and

is used by digital hardware designers, and by other computer professionals who need to

know the precise syntactic and semantic rules of the standard and who need to provide

specifications for digital hardware descriptions. This publication is a revision of FIPS PUB

172 and supersedes that document in its entirety.

Key words: computer systems design; configuration description; design entity; design

specification; Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS); generic; hardware ab¬

straction; hardware architecture; Hardware Description Languates (HDL); 1C model de¬

velopment; ports; VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL).

National Institute of Standards

and Technology

U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington: 1995

For sale by the National

Technical Information

Service

U.S. Department of Commerce

Springfield, VA 22161

FIPS PUB 172-1

7 pages (Jan. 27, 1995)

CODEN: FIPPAT
FIPS PUB 172-1

Federal information

Processing Standards Publication 172-1

1995 January 27

Announcing the Standard for

VHSIC HARDWARE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE (VHDL)

Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 111 (d) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services

Act of 1949 as amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 100-235.

1. Name of Standard. VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) (FIPS PUB 172-1).

2. Category of Standard. Software Standard, Hardware Description Language.

3. Explanation. This publication is a revision of FIPS PUB 172 and supersedes that document in its

entirety.

This publication announces the adoption of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) for

VHDL. This FIPS adopts American National Standard Hardware Description Language VHDL (ANSI/IEEE

1076-1993) as stipulated in the Specifications Section. The American National Standard specifies the form

and establishes the interpretation of programs expressed in VHDL. The purpose of the standard is to promote

portability of VHDL programs for use on a variety of data processing systems. The standard is used by

implementors as the reference authority in developing compilers, interpreters, analyzers, simulators or other

forms of high level language processors, and is used by digital hardware designers, and by other computer

professionals who need to know the precise syntactic and semantic rules of the standard and who need to

provide specifications for digital hardware descriptions.

4. Approving Authority. Secretary of Commerce.

5. Maintenance Agency. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST), Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL).

6. Cross Index. ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993, IEEE Standard VHDL Language Reference Manual.

7. Related Documents.

a. Federal Information Resources Management Regulations (FIRMR) subpart 201.20.303, Standards,

and subpart 201.39.1002, Federal Standards.

b. Federal ADP and Telecommunications Standards Index, U.S. General Services Administration,

Information Resources Management Service, April 1994 (updated periodically).

c. NIST, Validated Products List, NISTIR 5475 (republished quarterly). Available by subscription from

the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

d. FIPS PUB 29-3, Interpretation Procedures for FIPS Software, 29 October 1992.

8. Objectives. Federal standards for high level digital design information and description languages

permit Federal departments and agencies to exercise more effective control over the design, production,

management, and maintenance of digital electronic systems. The primary objectives of this Federal hardware

description language standard are:

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FIPS PUB 172-1

- to encourage more effective utilization of design personnel by ensuring that design skills acquired

under one job are transportable to other jobs, thereby reducing the cost of programmer retraining;

- to reduce the cost of design by achieving increased designer productivity and design accuracy

through the use of formal languages;

- to reduce the overall life cycle cost for digital systems by establishing a common description language

for the transfer of digital design information across organizational boundaries;

- to protect the immense investment of digital hardware from obsolescence by insuring to the maximal

feasible extent that Federal hardware description language standards are technically sound and that

subsequent revisions are compatible with the installed base;

- to reduce Federal inventory of electronic digital replacement parts by describing these parts in a form

which enable suppliers to quickly retool manufacturing facilities to meet Federal needs;

- to increase the sources of supplies which can satisfy government requirements for mission specific

electronic digital components.

Government-wide attainment of the above objectives depends upon the widespread availability and use of

comprehensive and precise standard language specifications.

9. Applicability.

a. Federal standards for hardware description languages are applicable for the design and description

of digital systems developed for government use. This standard is suitable for use in the following digital

system applications:

- primary design and description of digital systems, subsystems, assemblies, hybrid components, and

components;

- formal specifications of digital systems throughout the procurement, contracting and development

process;

- test generation for digital systems, subsystems, assemblies, hybrid components, and components;

- re-procurement and redesign of digital systems, subsystems, assemblies, hybrid components, and

components.

b. The use of FIPS hardware description languages applies when one or more of the following situations

exist:

- When using a formal language for specifying a formal design specification for a complex digital

system.

- The digital system is under constant revision during the development process.

- It is desired to have the design understood by multiple groups, or organizations.

- The system under development is to be designed by multiple groups, or organizations.

- Accurate unambiguous specifications are required in the bid and contracting process.

10. Specifications. The specifications for this standard are the language specifications contained in

ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993, IEEE Standard VFIDL Language Reference Manual.

This FIPS does not allow conforming implementations to extend the language. A conforming implemen¬

tation is one that does not allow inclusion of substitute or additional language elements in order to accomplish

a feature of the language as specified in the language standard. A conforming implementation is one which

adheres to and implements all of the language specifications contained in ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993 except

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FIPS PUB 172-1

where the language standard permits deviations and which specifies conspicuously in a separate section in

the conforming implementation description all such permitted variations. Also, such conformance shall be

with default language processor system option settings.

The ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993 document does not specify limits on the size or complexity of programs, the

results when the rules of the standard fail to establish an interpretation, the means of supervisory control

programs, or the means of transforming programs for processing.

11. Implementation. The implementation of this standard involves three areas of consideration: acquisi¬

tion of VHDL processors, interpretation of FIPS VHDL, and validation of VHDL processors.

11.1 Effective Date. This revised standard becomes effective May 1, 1995. VHDL processors ac¬

quired for Federal use after the effective date shall implement FIPS PUB 172-1. Prior to that date the

requirements of FIPS PUB 172 apply to Federal VHDL procurements. This delayed effective date is intended

to give implementations that conform to FIPS PUB 172 time to make the enhancements necessary to enable

conformance to FIPS PUB 172-1.

A transition period provides time for industry to produce VHDL language processors conforming to the

FIPS PUB 172-1. The transition period begins on the effective date and continues for 12 months thereafter.

The provisions of FIPS PUB 172-1 apply to orders placed after the effective date of this publication; however

a processor conforming to the FIPS PUB 172-1, if available, may be acquired for use prior to the effective

date. If, during the transition period, a processor conforming to FIPS PUB 172-1 is not available, a processor

conforming to FIPS PUB 172 may be acquired for interim use during the transition period.

11.2 Acquisition of VHDL Processors. Conformance to FIPS VHDL should be considered whether

VHDL processors are developed internally, acquired as part of an ADP system procurement, acquired by

separate procurement, used under an ADP leasing arrangement, or specified for use in contracts for

hardware description services. Recommended terminology for procurement of FIPS VHDL is contained in the

U.S. General Services Administration publication Federal ADP & Telecommunications Standards Index,

Chapter 4 Part 1.

11.3 Interpretation of FIPS VHDL. The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides for

the resolution of questions regarding the specifications and requirements, and issues official interpretations

as needed. All questions about the interpretation of this standard should be addressed to:

Director

Computer Systems Laboratory

ATTN: FIPS VHDL Interpretation

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Voice: 301-975-2490

FAX: 301-948-6213

dashiell@alpha.ncsl.nist.gov e-mail

11.4 Validation of VHDL Processors. The validation of VHDL processors for conformance to this

standard applies when NIST VHDL validation procedures are available. At the present time NIST does not

have procedures for validating VHDL processors. NIST is currently investigating methods which may be

considered for validating processors for conformance to this standard.

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FIPS PUB 172-1

For further information contact:

Director

Computer Systems Laboratory

Attn: FIPS VHDL Validation

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Voice: 301-975-2490

FAX: 301-948-6213

dashiell@alpha.ncsl.nist.gov e-mail

12. Waivers. Under certain exceptional circumstances, the heads of Federal departments and agencies

may approve waivers to Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). The head of such agency may

re-delegate such authority only to a senior official designated pursuant to section 3506(b) of Title 44, U.S.

Code. Waivers shall be granted only when:

a. Compliance with a standard would adversely affect the accomplishment of the mission of an oper¬

ator of a Federal computer system, or

b. Cause a major adverse financial impact on the operator which is not offset by Government-wide

savings.

Agency heads may act upon a written waiver request containing the information detailed above. Agency

heads may also act without a written waiver request when they determine that conditions for meeting the

standard cannot be met. Agency heads may approve waivers only by a written decision which explains the

basis on which the agency head made the required finding(s). A copy of each such decision, with procure¬

ment sensitive classified portions clearly identified, shall be sent to: National Institute of Standards and

Technology, ATTN: FIPS Waiver Decisions, Technology Building, Room B-154, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

In addition, notice of each waiver granted and each delegation of authority to approve waivers shall be

sent promptly to the Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the

Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and shall be published promptly in the Federal Register.

When the determination on a waiver applies to the procurement of equipment and/or services, a notice

of the waiver determination must be published in the Commerce Business Daily as a part of the notice of

solicitation for offers of an acquisition or, if the waiver determination is made after that notice is published,

by amendment to such notice.

A copy of the waiver, any supporting documents, the document approving the waiver and any supporting

and accompanying documents, with such deletions as the agency is authorized and decides to make under

5 U.S.C. Section 552(b), shall be part of the procurement documentation and retained by the agency.

13. Where to Obtain Copies. Copies of this publication are for sale by the National Technical Information

Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650. (Sale of the

included specifications document is by arrangement with the American National Standards Institute.) When

ordering, refer to Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 172-1 (FIPSPUB172-1), and title.

Payment may be made by check, money order, or deposit account.

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U.S. Department of Commerce

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300