Re-usable Functions

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Re-usable Functions

Let's turn our attention from re-usable code snippets to the coding of re-usable functions. We'll extend our parity process into a packaged function.

Remember that the parity generator was essentially coded as a for loop.

for i in a'RANGE loop
  y := y xor a(i);
end loop;

This code can serve as the core of a parity function. The function will be expected to allow parity generators of arbitrary size to be implemented. In VHDL, arbitrarily-sized inputs to the parity function are supported by unconstrained array parameters. In use, the function may be called like this:

-- in the same architecture, a and b are std_logic_vector objects
  p_out <= parity ("01101001"); -- a little odd, perhaps!
  process
    ...
    y := parity (a); -- a is 9 bits
    ...
  end process;
  -- b is 32 bits
  p_32 <= parity (b);

In these three cases, the same function, parity, is being called, but in each case the width of the std_logic_vector passed to parity is different. The input parameter will need to be an unconstrained array.

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
-- analyze into library IO_processor
package bus_functions is
  -- other subprogram declarations...
  function parity (a: std_logic_vector) -- unconstrained array
  return std_logic;
end bus_functions;

package body bus_functions is
  -- other subprogram bodies...
  function parity (a: std_logic_vector) return std_logic is
    variable y : std_logic := '0';
  begin
    for i in a'RANGE loop
      y := y xor a(i);
    end loop;
    return y;
  end parity;
end bus_functions;

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