VHDL : Programming By Example

Rating:
Summary: Good book, poor proofing
Review: As an experienced C programmer I found this a useful introduction to VHDL but was worried by a number of obvious typos and missing/mislabelled diagrams - if I can catch the easy ones (starting with the cover and chapter 1!) with no knowledge of the subject what are the important ones I didn't get? At the very least the publishers need to put up an errata site unless there is one I couldn't find.

Rating:
Summary: Competent enough
Review: As another software deveoper coming to VHDL, I was reasonably satisfied with this book. It gives a strong description of the basic language features, including the ones usually skipped in intro texts. It skips the baby steps of logic design, and shows examples of most language constructs, including overloading.

I never thought I'd say it, but this VHDL book is actually a bit weak on the hardware side. It's description of processes and events seems incomplete, and the discussion of timing-related features is scant.

The description of synthesis is too brief to cover many of the common variations you'll come across. If you have scars from a few optimizing compilers, though, you'll be able to pick up what you need from your tools, co-workers, and experience. Place-and-route is worth understanding. Taking real control of it, though, is usually something done cautiously and within the context of specific tools and chip characteristics. A few chapters of the book focus on specific tools - naturally, not the ones I use. I found those missable.

On the whole, I find this book helpful. Perhaps other books are better, but lots of books are lots worse.

Rating:
Summary: Very Nice Book
Review: It is a very nice intro book on VHDL. And did a good job demonstrating VHDL on a simple CPU design.

A note to computer programmers:
Despite what most people thinks, VHDL is NOT a programming language. No more is Verilog HDL a programming language, and Verilog is somewhat like C. So don't read this book in the mindset of a computer science/software engineer view point.

Other than that, this is a great book for undergraduate computer engineers who have little or no background in VHDL.