SystemVerilog Structure

A structure can contain elements of different data types which can be referenced as a whole or individually by their names. This is quite different from arrays where the elements are of the same data-type.

	// Normal arrays -> a collection of variables of same data type
	int array [10];         // all elements are of int type
	bit [7:0] mem [256];    // all elements are of bit type
	
	// Structures -> a collection of variables of different data types
	struct {
		byte    val1;
		int     val2;
		string  val3;
	} struct_name;

Syntax

	struct { 
		[list of variables]
	} struct_name;

Unpacked Structures

A structure is unpacked by default and can be defined using the struct keyword and a list of member declarations can be provided within the curly brackets followed by the name of the structure.

Structure Example

module tb;  
  	// Create a structure called "st_fruit"
	// which to store the fruit's name, count and expiry date in days.
  	// Note: this structure declaration can also be placed outside the module
	struct {
  		string fruit;
  		int    count;
  		byte 	 expiry;  
	} st_fruit;
  
  initial begin
    // st_fruit is a structure variable, so let's initialize it
    st_fruit = '{"apple", 4, 15};
    
    // Display the structure variable
    $display ("st_fruit = %p", st_fruit);
    
    // Change fruit to pineapple, and expiry to 7 
    st_fruit.fruit = "pineapple";
    st_fruit.expiry = 7;
    $display ("st_fruit = %p", st_fruit);
  end
endmodule

ncsim> run
st_fruit = '{fruit:"apple", count:4, expiry:'hf}
st_fruit = '{fruit:"pineapple", count:4, expiry:'h7}
ncsim: *W,RNQUIE: Simulation is complete.

What is the need to typedef a structure ?

Only one variable was created in the example above, but if there's a need to create multiple structure variables with the same constituents, it'll be better to create a user defined data type of the structure by typedef. Then st_fruit will become a data-type which can then be used to create variables of that type.

module tb;  
  	// Create a structure called "st_fruit"
	// which to store the fruit's name, count and expiry date in days.
  	// Note: this structure declaration can also be placed outside the module
	typedef struct {
  		string fruit;
  		int    count;
  		byte 	 expiry;  
	} st_fruit;
  
  initial begin
    // st_fruit is a data type, so we need to declare a variable of this data type
    st_fruit fruit1 = '{"apple", 4, 15};
    st_fruit fruit2;
    
    // Display the structure variable
    $display ("fruit1 = %p fruit2 = %p", fruit1, fruit2);
    
    // Assign one structure variable to another and print
    // Note that contents of this variable is copied into the other
   	fruit2 = fruit1;
    $display ("fruit1 = %p fruit2 = %p", fruit1, fruit2);
    
    // Change fruit1 to see if fruit2 is affected
    fruit1.fruit = "orange";
    $display ("fruit1 = %p fruit2 = %p", fruit1, fruit2);
  end
endmodule

ncsim> run
fruit1 = '{fruit:"apple", count:4, expiry:'hf} fruit2 = '{fruit:"", count:0, expiry:'h0}
fruit1 = '{fruit:"apple", count:4, expiry:'hf} fruit2 = '{fruit:"apple", count:4, expiry:'hf}
fruit1 = '{fruit:"orange", count:4, expiry:'hf} fruit2 = '{fruit:"apple", count:4, expiry:'hf}
ncsim: *W,RNQUIE: Simulation is complete.

Packed Structures

A packed structure is a mechanism for subdividing a vector into fields that can be accessed as members and are packed together in memory without gaps. The first member in the structure is the most significant and subsequent members follow in decreasing order of significance.

A structure is declared packed using the packed keyword which by default is unsigned.

Example

// Create a "packed" structure data type which is similar to creating 
// bit [7:0]  ctrl_reg;
// ctrl_reg [0]   represents en
// ctrl_reg [3:1] represents cfg
// ctrl_reg [7:4] represents mode
typedef struct packed {
  bit [3:0] mode;
  bit [2:0] cfg;
  bit       en;
} st_ctrl;

module tb;
  st_ctrl    ctrl_reg;
  
  initial begin 
    // Initialize packed structure variable
    ctrl_reg = '{4'ha, 3'h5, 1};
    $display ("ctrl_reg = %p", ctrl_reg);
    
    // Change packed structure member to something else
    ctrl_reg.mode = 4'h3;
    $display ("ctrl_reg = %p", ctrl_reg);
   
    // Assign a packed value to the structure variable
    ctrl_reg = 8'hfa;
    $display ("ctrl_reg = %p", ctrl_reg);
  end  
endmodule	

ncsim> run
ctrl_reg = '{mode:'ha, cfg:'h5, en:'h1}
ctrl_reg = '{mode:'h3, cfg:'h5, en:'h1}
ctrl_reg = '{mode:'hf, cfg:'h5, en:'h0}
ncsim: *W,RNQUIE: Simulation is complete.