JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 9(8): 795-812, doi: 10.3217/jucs-009-08-0795
Implementation of an Embedded Hardware Description Language Using Haskell
expand article infoNélio Muniz Mendes Alves, Sérgio de Mello Schneider
‡ Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Brazil
Open Access
Abstract
This paper describes an ongoing implementation of an embedded hardware description language (HDL) using Haskell as a host language. Traditionally, functional HDL s are made using lazy lists to model signals, so circuits are functions from lists of input values to lists of output values. We use another known approach for embedded languages, in which circuits are data structures rather than functions. This style of implementation permits one to inspect the structure of the circuit, allowing one to perform different interpretations for the same description. The approach we present can also be applied to other domain-specific embedded languages. We provide an elegant implementation of memories and a set of new signal types.
Keywords
domain-specific languages, embedded languages, hardware description