[sv-ac] $past - number_of_ticks proposal

From: Clifford E. Cummings <cliffc_at_.....>
Date: Thu Mar 08 2007 - 23:33:42 PST
Hi, All -

A clarification question came up in one of my SystemVerilog classes 
regarding the $past number_of_ticks argument. A student questioned 
whether the argument could be an expression and I believe the answer 
is no, but LRM does not definitively make a precise definition. There 
is no BNF to describe the $past arguments.

I did a SVDB search on number_of_ticks and only found Mantis item 
1591, which did not cover the topic.

Proposal (if my assumption is correct):

17.7.3 Sampled value functions
Bottom of page 247

WAS:
number_of_ticks must be 1 or greater. If number_of_ticks is not 
specified, then it defaults to 1. $past returns the sampled value of 
the expression that was present number_of_ticks prior to the time of 
evaluation of $past. A clock tick is based on clocking_event. If the 
specified clock tick in the past is before the start of simulation, 
the returned value from the $past function is a value of X.

PROPOSED:
number_of_ticks must be an integer constant of 1 or greater. If 
number_of_ticks is not specified, then it defaults to 1. $past 
returns the sampled value of the expression that was present 
number_of_ticks prior to the time of evaluation of $past. A clock 
tick is based on clocking_event. If the specified clock tick in the 
past is before the start of simulation, the returned value from the 
$past function is a value of X.

Regards - Cliff



----------------------------------------------------
Cliff Cummings - Sunburst Design, Inc.
14314 SW Allen Blvd., PMB 501, Beaverton, OR 97005
Phone: 503-641-8446 / FAX: 503-641-8486
cliffc@sunburst-design.com / www.sunburst-design.com
Expert Verilog, SystemVerilog, Synthesis and Verification Training

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Received on Thu Mar 8 23:34:09 2007

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