Abstract :
Describes the benefits of synthesizing from a hardware description language (HDL). The features of an HDL which make it suitable as a front-end for a synthesis tool are also illustrated using a simple circuit which has been coded up in the HDL ELLA. Comparisons are made between declarative languages, in particular ELLA, and imperative languages, particularly C-based HDLs. This paper gives an up to data appreciation of the most advanced commercially available synthesis systems and highlights the factors involved in choosing between them
