From 500301f56c44a1acb5851721cdb7c9404d0ff8fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: John Wickerson <j.wickerson@imperial.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2020 22:12:02 +0000
Subject: Update on Overleaf.

---
 verilog.tex | 10 +++++-----
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

(limited to 'verilog.tex')

diff --git a/verilog.tex b/verilog.tex
index 0694b20..8cfeb85 100644
--- a/verilog.tex
+++ b/verilog.tex
@@ -15,28 +15,28 @@ A module can contain multiple always blocks, all of which run in parallel.  Thes
 
 As hardware designs normally describe events that will be executed periodically for an infinite amount of time, the top-level of the semantics is best described using small-step semantics, whereas the execution of one small step is described using big-step semantics. 
 \JW{I reckon that can be made clearer by talking about clock cycles. Maybe something like: ``The semantics combines the big-step and small-step styles. The overall execution of the hardware is described using a small-step semantics, with one small step per clock cycle; this is appropriate because hardware is routinely designed to run for an unlimited number of clock cycles and the big-step style is ill-suited to describing infinite executions. Then, within each clock cycle, a big-step semantics is used to execute all the statements.'' }
-An example of a rule in the semantics for executing an always block is shown below, where $\Sigma$ is the state of the registers in the module and $s$ is the statement inside the always block: \JW{Switch $\rightarrow$ for $\Downarrow$ in big-step semantics.}
+An example of a rule \JWcouldcut{in the semantics} for executing an always block is shown below, where $\Sigma$ is the state of the registers in the module and $s$ is the statement inside the always block:
 
 \begin{equation*}
   \inferrule[Always]{(\Sigma, s)\downarrow_{\text{stmnt}} \Sigma'}{(\Sigma, \yhkeyword{always @(posedge clk) } s) \downarrow_{\text{always}} \Sigma'}
 \end{equation*}
 
 \noindent which shows that assuming the statement $s$ in the always block runs with state $\Sigma$ and produces the new state $\Sigma'$, the always block will result in the same final state.  As only clocked always blocks are supported, and one step in the semantics correspond to one clock cycle, it means that this rule is run once per clock cycle \NRcouldcut{which is what it is defined to do}.
-\NR{The mention about small steps being one cycle and 'only clocked/synchronous \alwaysblock{} are supported' can move earlier.}
+\NR{The mention about small steps being one cycle and 'only clocked/synchronous \alwaysblock{} are supported' can move earlier.} \JW{Actually couldn't this rule be run multiple times per clock cycle in the case where you have multiple always blocks in your module all triggered on the same rising edge?}
 
-Two types of assignments are supported in always blocks: nonblocking and blocking assignment.  Nonblocking assignment modifies the signal at the end of the timestep and atomically.  Blocking assignment, on the other hand, assigns the variable \NRreplace{directly}{instantaneously?} in the always block for later signals to pick up.  To model both these assignments, the state $\Sigma$ has to be split into two \NRreplace{parts}{sets?}: $\Gamma$, containing the current values of all variables, and $\Delta$, containing the values that will be assigned to the variables at the end of the clock cycle, we can therefore say that $\Sigma = (\Gamma, \Delta)$.~\NR{Can we say that $\Gamma$ contains instantaneous (ephemeral) updates for the current cycle and $\Delta$ contains periodical updates for the next cycle? Will be good to distinguish those two updates with the same terms across the paper, which can tie in with small-step and big-step distinction maybe asynchronous vs synchronous updates. }  The nonblocking assignment can therefore be expressed as the following:
+Two types of assignments are supported in always blocks: nonblocking and blocking assignment.  Nonblocking assignment modifies the signal at the end of the timestep \JW{Assuming `timestep' and `clock cycle' are the same, I suggest we stick with `clock cycle' everywhere.} and atomically.  Blocking assignment, on the other hand, assigns the variable \NRreplace{directly}{instantaneously?} in the always block for later signals to pick up.  To model both these assignments, the state $\Sigma$ has to be split into two \NRreplace{parts}{sets?}: $\Gamma$, containing the current values of all variables, and $\Delta$, containing the values that will be assigned to the variables at the end of the clock cycle, we can therefore say that $\Sigma = (\Gamma, \Delta)$.~\NR{Can we say that $\Gamma$ contains instantaneous (ephemeral) updates for the current cycle and $\Delta$ contains periodical updates for the next cycle? Will be good to distinguish those two updates with the same terms across the paper, which can tie in with small-step and big-step distinction maybe asynchronous vs synchronous updates. }  The nonblocking assignment can therefore be expressed as the following:
 
 \begin{equation*}
   \inferrule[Nonblocking Reg]{\yhkeyword{name}\ d = \yhkeyword{OK}\ n \\ (\Gamma, e) \downarrow_{\text{expr}} v}{((\Gamma, \Delta), d\ \yhkeyword{ <= } e) \downarrow_{\text{stmnt}} (\Gamma, \Delta [n \mapsto v])}\\
 \end{equation*}
 
-\noindent where assuming that $\downarrow_{\text{expr}}$ evaluates an expression $e$ to a value $v$, then the nonblocking assignment $d\ \yhkeyword{ <= } e$ will update the future state of the variable $d$ with value $v$.  Finally, at the end of the clock cycle, the registers need to be updated with their future values in $\Delta$, which can be shown by the rule in the semantics that runs a whole module, $\vec{m}$ is a list of variable declarations and always blocks, and the $\down_{\vec{m}}$ evaluates these sequentially and obtains the final state $(\Gamma', \Delta')$.
+\noindent where assuming that $\downarrow_{\text{expr}}$ evaluates an expression $e$ to a value $v$, then the nonblocking assignment $d\ \yhkeyword{ <= } e$ will update the future state of the variable $d$ with value $v$.  Finally, at the end of the clock cycle, the registers need to be updated with their future values in $\Delta$, which can be shown by the rule in the semantics that runs a whole module, $\vec{m}$ is a list of variable declarations and always blocks, and the $\downarrow_{\vec{m}}$ evaluates these sequentially and obtains the final state $(\Gamma', \Delta')$. \JW{I'm a little torn. On the one hand, this is interesting stuff, and I almost want to suggest putting in the `Blocking Reg' rule alongside the one above, because seeing the rules side-by-side makes it really clear how they both work. But I'm conscious that talking about the distinction between non-blocking and blocking assignments is all a bit moot because Vericert never produces blocking assignments (right?). And this text is all just explaining Loow's work, not your own work. So, in short, I'm a bit torn. Probably best to keep it as-is for now, but bear this in mind as a candidate for chopping nearer the deadline. What do yout think?}
 
 \begin{equation*}
   \inferrule[Module]{(\Gamma, \epsilon, \vec{m})\ \downarrow_{\vec{m}} (\Gamma', \Delta')}{(\Gamma, \yhkeyword{module } \yhconstant{main} \yhkeyword{(...);}\ \vec{m}\ \yhkeyword{endmodule}) \downarrow_{m} (\Gamma' // \Delta')}
 \end{equation*}
 
-\noindent This rule dictates how the whole module runs in one clock cycle, from an initial state of all the variables $\Gamma$, to a final state $(\Gamma' // \Delta')$, where $//$ defines a merge between the two maps from variable names to values, where the right hand side values take priority if there is a conflict.  This rule correctly implements the behaviours for the blocking and nonblocking assignment by overwriting the assignments made through blocking assignment at the end of the clock cycle with the atomic assignments from the nonblocking assignments.
+\noindent \JW{On the top of that rule you have two occurrences of $\vec{m}$ -- is that right?} This rule dictates how the whole module runs in one clock cycle, from an initial state of all the variables $\Gamma$, to a final state $(\Gamma' // \Delta')$, where $//$ defines a merge between the two maps from variable names to values, where the right hand side values take priority if there is a conflict. \JW{Is $//$ a standard notation for this? If so, that's fine. It's just I haven't come across it before.} This rule correctly implements the behaviours for the blocking and nonblocking assignment by overwriting the assignments made through blocking assignment at the end of the clock cycle with the atomic assignments from the nonblocking assignments.
 
 When targeting a hardware description language such as Verilog, it is important to be consistent between simulating the hardware and the behaviour of the synthesised result on actual hardware.  In the target Verilog semantics, only clocked always blocks are supported as these ensure that there are not mismatches between simulation and synthesis, as combinational always blocks that trigger on any change of an internal signal may behave differently in simulation or synthesis based on the order of operations.  This limitation in the semantics therefore helps keep the Verilog correct and consistent.  In addition to that, only nonblocking assignment is used in signals that are used in multiple always blocks, which stops any race conditions from occurring as all the signal updates happen deterministically. \NR{So the semantics allows multiple drivers then?}  Finally, a specific order of evaluation for the always blocks is chosen, and because of the limitations listed before, choosing an order is guaranteed to have the same behaviour as executing the always blocks in any order.\NR{Order is not guaranteed if we have multiple drivers.}
 
-- 
cgit 

