Glossary

active window

 
The window in flowHDL or blockHDL that the user is currently working with.  The active window will have a highlighted title bar and it will always appear to be in front of all other windows.

alias

 
A symbolic name for an expression.

arbiter

 
A device that evaluates pending requests from agents for access to a common resource and grants this resource to a master based on a specific algorithm.

arrow

 
See transition arc

asynchronous register

 
A hardware construct which combines the properties of a latch and a register.  During states in which active assignments take place, the signal behaves asynchronously.  In other states, the last value if signal is held by a register.

behavioral model

 
A simulation model described in highly abstract terms and bearing no implementation details.

bi-directional

 
a signal that can be both read and written to.

bi-directional bus

 
A collection of read/write signals that can be driven by multiple state machines.  The signal must be of MVL type and  presently, the global "z" is assigned "1" or "0," and a contention yields "x."

BIST

 
A built-in self test.

block

 
a graphical construct which represents structural components of a system.

blockdiagram

 
a diagram, composed of interconnected blocks, which represents the structure of a digital system.

buffer

 
A built-ina write signal that can be read by the source block.

bus

 
A string of text in a flowdiagram which represents a collection of signals in a digital system.

bus bit

 
A single signal of a bus.

bus slice

 
Two or more consecutive signals of a bus.

canvas

 
The area in flowHDL used to create, edit, and display flowdiagrams.