VHDL Motivation

The goals of the very high speed integrated circuit (or VHSIC) program are to reduce IC design time and effectively insert VHSIC technology into military systems. These goals, indicating the need for a standard means of communication to stream-line advanced digital design and documentation, motivated the development of a hardware description language. Requirements were analyzed during 1981; program organization was formulated during 1982; and the VHSIC hardware description language (or VHDL) program was launched in August, 1983. Acting as a standard design automation interface, VHDL will simplify complex digital system design. Acting as design documentation agent, it will facilitate design insertion into electronic systems. Organization of the VHDL program is detailed elsewhere.1 We will discuss elements motivating hardware description language use (VHDL in particular) and examine its impact on governmental, industrial, and academic participation in electronic research, business, and education.