My biggest complaint is there's no way to name a signal because a wire isn't a thing. You instance gates and give those names, but wires are anonymous connections between gate pins.
I think this is backwards. Knowing that a signal is the clock, reset, data valid, adder result is far more important than the gate that drove it. The gates barely need names. Sadly, I think starting with that concept leads to a rather different language.
Kind of a wild idea, but have you considered using this as a markup language for logic diagrams? I'm thinking something like mermaid - https://mermaid.js.org/ While this might not be super useful for chip design, it is a fully functional HDL, and since it is gate level, it would map nicely to diagrams.
That is a very interesting idea! Tbh, I have been thinking about something along those lines. I was messing around with gemini 3.0 back when it came out and made this program called Logic Lab (https://logiclab-227111532364.us-west1.run.app/). I was thinking of exporting/importing the components as SHDL, but as of rn they are just exported in some generic format gemini made.
If you removed the explicit declaration of every gate in a preamble and then their wiring as a separate step, you could reduce the boilerplate a lot. This example could look like this:
component FullAdder(A, B, Cin) -> (Sum, Cout)
{
A XOR B -> AxB
A AND B -> AB
AxB XOR Cin -> S
(AxB AND Cin) OR AB -> C
Sum: S
Cout: C
}
Not as a native functionality, not yet but it is something I have been wanting to do for a while. I want to make a complete simulation platform with useful tools such as that. For now you can make the python code call the step() function on your desired timing
I'm sure you didn't mean to, but this comes across as a shallow dismissal, which is against the site guidelines (https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html): "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something.", as well as the Show HN guidelines (https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html).
A comment like this could turn from a bad one to a good one if it were written more in the key of curiosity: what are the similarities or differences? what are some pointers for further development? and so on. If you know more than someone else does, that's great, but then please share some of what you know so we can all learn.
Telling somebody that their project which they've been pouring their passion and creativity into is merely reinventing some well-known thing that's been around for years is going to come across as a putdown even when it isn't intended that way. The effect is to shut down creativity and exploration, which is the opposite of what this place is supposed to be for.
I think this is backwards. Knowing that a signal is the clock, reset, data valid, adder result is far more important than the gate that drove it. The gates barely need names. Sadly, I think starting with that concept leads to a rather different language.
If you removed the explicit declaration of every gate in a preamble and then their wiring as a separate step, you could reduce the boilerplate a lot. This example could look like this:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dPj4XNby9iuAs-47U9k3xtYy9hJ...
honorary mention: https://www.funghisoft.com/mhrd
A comment like this could turn from a bad one to a good one if it were written more in the key of curiosity: what are the similarities or differences? what are some pointers for further development? and so on. If you know more than someone else does, that's great, but then please share some of what you know so we can all learn.
Telling somebody that their project which they've been pouring their passion and creativity into is merely reinventing some well-known thing that's been around for years is going to come across as a putdown even when it isn't intended that way. The effect is to shut down creativity and exploration, which is the opposite of what this place is supposed to be for.