vVHDL: a visual hardware description language

Complex hardware systems design demands the effective use of organized approaches to design. The VHSIC hardware description language (VHDL) was developed for use in the design process. Traditionally, engineers have developed hardware descriptions based on schematic circuit diagrams, which are a visual notation. When using VHDL, designers are hampered by the cumbersome nature of the language syntax. The authors have developed a visual hardware description language, Visual VHDL (vVHDL), that incorporates the major features of VHDL. This paper presents the syntax of vVHDL and the design system used for developing vVHDL programs