Initializing Block RAM From an External Data File (VHDL) - 2024.2 English - 2024.1 English

Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Synthesis (UG901)

Document ID
UG901
Release Date
2024-11-13
Version
2024.2 English

Filename: rams_init_file.vhd

-- Initializing Block RAM from external data file
-- File: rams_init_file.vhd

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
use ieee.numeric_std.all;
use std.textio.all;

entity rams_init_file is
port(
clk : in std_logic;
we : in std_logic;
addr : in std_logic_vector(5 downto 0);
din : in std_logic_vector(31 downto 0);
dout : out std_logic_vector(31 downto 0)
);
end rams_init_file;

architecture syn of rams_init_file is
type RamType is array (0 to 63) of bit_vector(31 downto 0);

impure function InitRamFromFile(RamFileName : in string) return RamType is
FILE RamFile : text is in RamFileName;
variable RamFileLine : line;
variable RAM : RamType;
begin
for I in RamType'range loop
readline(RamFile, RamFileLine);
read(RamFileLine, RAM(I));
end loop;
return RAM;
end function;

signal RAM : RamType := InitRamFromFile("rams_init_file.data");
begin
process(clk)
begin
if clk'event and clk = '1' then
if we = '1' then
RAM(to_integer(unsigned(addr))) <= to_bitvector(din);
end if;
dout <= to_stdlogicvector(RAM(to_integer(unsigned(addr))));
end if;
end process;

end syn;
Note:

The external file initializing the RAM needs to be in bit vector form. External files in integer or hex format do not work.