Mixed-Abstraction HDLs and A Discussion on Other Aspects of HDL Design
summary
Argues that mixed-abstraction HDLs should compose multiple levels and demonstrates three Scala/Chisel EDSLs: a testbench DSL with an interpreter that schedules cooperative threads and achieves 10–20x faster runs than cocotb/chiseltest; a hybrid imperative/declarative stimulus generator that uses chisel-based constraints and can mark bytes for parametric mutation; and a cycle-level control-flow “recipe” EDSL that compiles to RTL with source instrumentation. Implementation uses Scala for-comprehensions and magnetic composition and shows concrete performance and traceability wins.
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