VHDL is a powerful and versatile language and offers numerous advantages:
-
Design Methodology:
-
VHDL supports many different design methodologies
(top-down, bottom-up, delay of detail) and is very flexible in its
approach to describing hardware.
-
Technology Independence:
-
VHDL is independent of any specific
technology or process. However, VHDL code can be written and then
targeted at many different technologies.
-
Wide Range of Descriptions:
-
VHDL can model hardware at various
levels of design abstraction. VHDL can describe hardware from the
standpoint of a "black box" to the gate level. VHDL also allows
for different abstraction-level descriptions of the same component
and allows the designer to mix behavioral descriptions with gate
level descriptions.
-
Standard Language:
-
The use of a standard language allows for easier
documentation and the ability to run the same code in a variety of
environments. Additionally, communication among designers and
among design tools is enhanced by a standard language.
-
Design Management:
-
Use of VHDL constructs, such as packages and
libraries, allows common elements to be shared among members of a
design group.
-
Flexible Design:
-
VHDL can be used to model digital hardware as well
as many other types of systems, including analog devices.