Import HDL Code and Generate Simulink Model

To import synthesizable HDL code into the Simulink^® modeling environment, use importhdl function. The function parses the input HDL file and generates a Simulink model. The model is a block diagram environment that visually represents the HDL code in terms of functionality and behavior. By importing the HDL code into Simulink, you can verify the functionality of the HDL code by compiling and running simulation on the model in a model-based simulation environment. You can also debug internal signals by logging the signals as test points.

Do not use importHDL function to import the HDL code that was previously generated from a Simulink model by using the HDL Coder™ software. The Simulink model that you create is typically at a higher abstraction level. The model generated by importHDL might be at a lower abstraction level. The HDL code you generate from this model might not be usable for production code.

To generate production HDL code, develop your algorithm by using Simulink blocks, MATLAB^® code, or Stateflow^® charts. Then, use HDL Coder to generate code.

Requirements

To generate a Simulink model, make sure that the HDL file you import:

Is free of syntax errors.
Is synthesizable.
Uses supported Verilog^® or VHDL^® constructs for the import. For more information, see Supported Verilog Constructs for HDL Import and Supported VHDL Constructs When Generating Simulink Models from VHDL Code.

Import HDL Code

To import the HDL code, in the MATLAB Command Window, run the importhdl function. The function parses the HDL input file that you specified and generates the corresponding Simulink model, and provides a link to open the model.

For example, consider a Verilog code of a comparator,

// File Name: comparator.v
// This module implements a simple comparator module 

`define value 12
module comparator (clk, rst, a, b);

input clk, rst;
input [1:0] a;
output reg [1:0] b;

parameter d = 2'b11;

always@(posedge clk) begin 
    if (rst) 
        b <= 0;
    else if (a < `value)
        b <= a + 1;
end

endmodule

To generate a Simulink model, run the importhdl function and specify the HDL input file name. The file name can be specified in different ways, see input argument 'FileNames' in importhdl.

importhdl('comparator.v')

The constructs that you use in the HDL code can infer simple Simulink blocks, such as Add and Product, to RAM blocks, such as Dual Rate Dual Port RAM. For more examples that illustrate various Simulink models that are inferred, see importhdl.

Model Location

The generated Simulink model is named after the top module in the input HDL file that you specify. The model is saved in the hdlimport/TopModule path relative to the current working folder. For example, if you input a file named bitselectlhs.v to the importhdl function that has bitselect as the top module name, the generated Simulink model has the name bitselect.slx, and is saved in the hdlimport/bitselect path relative to the current folder.

Folder structure of HDL Import

Errors and Warnings

When you run the importhdl function, the function verifies the syntax and semantics of the input HDL code. Semantic verification checks for module instantiation constructs, unused ports in the module definition, the sensitivity list of an always block, and so on. If HDL import fails, importhdl provides an error message and a link to the file name and line number.

For example, consider this Verilog code for a bitselect module:

Verilog code of bit select module that has input port A and output port C.

When you run the importhdl function, HDL import generates an error message:

Parser Error: bitselectlhs.v:6:2: error: Syntax Error near '['..

The error message indicates that there is a syntax error in line 6. To fix this error, change the syntax to an assignment statement.

assign c[0] = 0;

Limitations

HDL import does not support:

On Mac Platforms.
Importing HDL files from a read-only folder.
Generation of the preprocessing files in a read-only file system that parses the HDL code you input to the importhdl function.
More than one clock signal.
Modules that are multirate.
Multiport Switch inference with more than 1024 inputs. If you specify more than 1024 inputs to a Multiport Switch block that gets inferred from the HDL code, HDL import generates an error. The error is generated because the Simulink modeling environment does not support more than 1024 inputs for the block.
Importing of HDL files that use unsupported HDL constructs. See Supported Verilog Constructs for HDL Import and Supported VHDL Constructs When Generating Simulink Models from VHDL Code.