An Introduction to PLDshell Plus

Prepared by Charles S. Tritt, Ph.D.
Version 3.2 (for PLDshell Plus V3.0 and up)
February 15, 1997

This document is intended to be a quick reference guide to using PLDshell Plus. See the PLDshell Plus/PLDasm User's Guide V3.0 for more details. User's Guides may be checked out from the EECS Technical Support Center (TSC). PLDshell Plus is a DOS program.

Source File Sections

Associated key words are shown in curly brackets. Semicolons indicate key words that follow the first key word in the list.

Declaration Section (required)

Header information {title, author, etc.}

Chip specification {chip}

Pin Names/Variable Declarations {pin}

Design Sections (at least one required)

Truth table(s) {t_tab}

Equation(s) {equations}

State Machine Diagram(s) {state; mealy_machine, moore_machine}

Simulation Section (Optional - but must be the last section) {simulation; setf, etc.}

Source File Format

Text ofter semicolons (;'s) is ignored.
Legal signal names are 1 to 14 characters long, must begin with a letter and may contain only A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and underscore (_).
Command lines may start in any column.

Important Keys

<F1>	Activates context sensitive help.
<F6>	Clears text from fields.
<F9>	Prints from the View and Databook menus. Be sure the printer is correctly configured on the Utilities/Options submenu.
<F10>	Accepts/executes submenus.
<ESC>	Backs up one menu level.
<ENTER>	Executes submenu options and accepts text in fields.
Space Bar	Toggles between options or opens lists of options.

Main Menu Choices

Edit

Starts the editor and loads the specified file. On the PC network the Saber editor(SE) is the default. Also allows the default editor to be changed.

Compile/Sim

Compiles, Simulates or Compiles and Simulates using the specified source file. Also allows changes to the compile and simulate options. Uses .PDS file to produces .JED, .RPT, .ERR and .HST files.

View

Displays the specied files. Also generates and print waves form (.WAV) files.

Program

Invokes Intel's APT chip programming software. Uses JEDEC (.JED) files.

Programming hardware must be connected to the PC.

Run

Runs user-defined programs.

Utilities

Among other things: lists the current directory, changes the current directory, shells to DOS and allows modification of PLDshell options. This is were the printer is configured. Don't load any TSR programs (including the DOS print program) while shelled out.

Databook

Provides on-line technical data for supported devices.

Quit

Exits the program.

Operators

/	Active-low in pin declarations, Boolean NOT everywhere else.
*	Boolean AND.
+	Boolean OR.
:+:	Boolean XOR.
=	Combinational ouput.
*=	Latched output.
:=	Registered output.

Signal Extensions

See page 4-10 in the PLDshell Plus/PLDasm User's Guide V3.0.

Supported Devices

See Chapter 9 in the PLDshell Plus/PLDasm User's Guide V3.0. The TCS has a supply of Intel DPLD910, P5C032, D5C032, P5C060, D85C060, P85C220, D85C224 and D85C508 chips and a PLD programmer.

Designs can not be compiled when the INTEL_ARCH is specified with the CHIP key word. Specifying INTEL_ARCH avoids problems with designs not fitting into the specified chip when all that is needed is a simulation.

See the PLDshell Plus/PLDasm User's Guide V3.0 for more information. User's guides may be checked out from the EECS Technical Support Center.