XST Warning 790: What does it mean?

[agatha]

Hello to all of you,
I'm new to VHDL and I'm trying to understand how it works but I get to
have a little problem. I'm trying to make the data memory for a
processor. The ADDRESS consists of 32 bits but only 12 of them are
used. When I write this code:

addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 0) ;
MEMORY(TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);

everything is all right. But when I try to align the address and write:

addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & "00" ;
MEMORY( TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);

I keep getting this warning:
Warning: 790: Index value does not match array range, simulation
mismatch

Can anyone explain what happens and it doesn't work?
Thank you in advance

 

[Mark Norton]

Hello to all of you,
I'm new to VHDL and I'm trying to understand how it works but I get to
have a little problem. I'm trying to make the data memory for a
processor. The ADDRESS consists of 32 bits but only 12 of them are
used. When I write this code:

addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 0) ;
MEMORY(TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);

everything is all right. But when I try to align the address and write:

addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & "00" ;
MEMORY( TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);

I keep getting this warning:
Warning: 790: Index value does not match array range, simulation
mismatch

Can anyone explain what happens and it doesn't work?
Thank you in advance

Hi,

Could you post your declarations for addr, ADDRESS, MEMORY, and DATA_W?
I think that would shed some light on the situation.

Best regards,
Mark Norton

 

[agatha]

First of all thank you for your instant reply!

This is a part of the code:
entity MEMORY4 is
port( DATA_A: out STD_LOGIC_VECTOR (31downto 0);
DATA_W: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR (31downto 0);
ADDRESS: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(31downto 0);

ENABLE_A: in STD_LOGIC;
ENABLE_W: in STD_LOGIC;
W_LEN: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(1 downto 0);

REQ: in STD_LOGIC;
ACK: out STD_LOGIC;
CLK: in STD_LOGIC);
end MEMORY4;
....
architecture synthesis of MEMORY4 is

type MEM is array ((2**12 - 1) downto 0) of STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(7downto
0);
signal MEMORY:MEM ;

process (CLK)

variable addr: STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(11 downto 0);

begin
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & "00";

if ENABLE_W = '1' then
MEMORY( TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);
.....

The memory consists of 2**12 positions and every position is one byte.
When I get the address that is 32 bits I must consider only the lower
12 (11 downto 0) and save the data, that is also 32 bits, to 4
positions of the memory, one byte at a time. That's why I must align
the address so that the data is written in positions 0,1,2,3 or 4,5,6,7
and so on.

Maybe the situation is more clear now.

 

[Phoenix]

First of all thank you for your instant reply!

This is a part of the code:
entity MEMORY4 is
port( DATA_A: out STD_LOGIC_VECTOR (31downto 0);
DATA_W: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR (31downto 0);
ADDRESS: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(31downto 0);

ENABLE_A: in STD_LOGIC;
ENABLE_W: in STD_LOGIC;
W_LEN: in STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(1 downto 0);

REQ: in STD_LOGIC;
ACK: out STD_LOGIC;
CLK: in STD_LOGIC);
end MEMORY4;
...
architecture synthesis of MEMORY4 is

type MEM is array ((2**12 - 1) downto 0) of STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(7downto
0);
signal MEMORY:MEM ;

process (CLK)

variable addr: STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(11 downto 0);

begin
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & "00";

if ENABLE_W = '1' then
MEMORY( TO_INTEGER(UNSIGNED(addr))) <= DATA_W(7 downto 0);
.....

The memory consists of 2**12 positions and every position is one byte.
When I get the address that is 32 bits I must consider only the lower
12 (11 downto 0) and save the data, that is also 32 bits, to 4
positions of the memory, one byte at a time. That's why I must align
the address so that the data is written in positions 0,1,2,3 or 4,5,6,7
and so on.

Maybe the situation is more clear now.

Hello

Maybe it is something wrong with concatenation use in variable assign and
maybe You should try:

addr(11 downto 2) := ADDRESS(11 downto 2);
addr(1 downto 0) := "00";

 

[agatha]

I tried it now but the warning is still there!! The thing is I don't
know any possible reason for it's appearance and I don't know if I
should ignore it or not.

 

[Phoenix]

I tried it now but the warning is still there!! The thing is I don't
know any possible reason for it's appearance and I don't know if I
should ignore it or not.

This is warning, that you may try ignore it and, if simulation works then
check what the memory behaviour is.
Or maybe try change variable addr to signal and then use the "<=" assign?

 

[Paulo Dutra]

Is it because you did not specify the base designator
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & B"00" ;

Otherwise, I believe it's assumed to be hex.
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & X"00" ;

 

[agatha]

You were right!! I changed the variable to a signal and put it out of
the process and the warning was gone!
Thank you very much!!!

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you very much!!!

No problem

 

[Mark Norton]

Is it because you did not specify the base designator
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & B"00" ;

Otherwise, I believe it's assumed to be hex.
addr := ADDRESS(11 downto 2) & X"00" ;

No, for most instances, "00" would be just two bits.

However, I think the issue is that array indices need to be locally
static. So the solution of changing it to a signal that operated
outside the process solved that. The prior example that worked would
probably have synthesized the variable right out of the process since it
was a 1-to-1 assignment to the input (my best guess right now).

Best regards,
Mark Norton

 

[Andy]

I use non-static indices on arrays all the time (variables and/or
signals) with no problem. I don't usually do it with synopsys since
they don't infer ram from arrays anyway (for fpgas).

Which tool was being used to compile this (that gave the error)?
Sounds like a bug to me... especially if it worked as a signal and not
as a variable (with no other changes).

Perhaps you could have tried something like:

memory(4 * to_integer(unsigned(address(11 downto 2)))) <= data_w(7
downto 0);

Andy

 

[Mark Norton]

I use non-static indices on arrays all the time (variables and/or
signals) with no problem. I don't usually do it with synopsys since
they don't infer ram from arrays anyway (for fpgas).

Which tool was being used to compile this (that gave the error)?
Sounds like a bug to me... especially if it worked as a signal and not
as a variable (with no other changes).

Well, subject line says XST, so Xilinx? I dunno, I'm just guessing at
what the issue is. You'd have to read the whole thread to see what did
work and what didn't work.

Best regards,
Mark Norton

 

[agatha]

Yes, you're right, I am using Xilinx 7.1i. I'll also try the other
option now to see if it works
{ memory(4 * to_integer(unsigned(address(11 downto 2)))) <= data_w(7
downto 0); }
but now with the signal eveerything is all right!
Thanks to all of you!!

 

[agatha]

No, neither this solution works { memory(4 *
to_integer(unsigned(address(11 downto 2)))) <= data_w(7 downto 0); }
Only the change from a variable to a signal!!
Who knows....