ALF meeting 10-6-98 at Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville OR

Attendees:

Ted Elkind      	Cadence
Kevin Grotjohn  	LSI Logic
Archie Lachner  	Mentor Graphics
Mike Andrews    	Mentor Graphics
Tim Jennings    	Motorola
Vassilios Gerousis	Motorola (per phone)
Arun Balakrishnan	NEC
Wolfgang Roethig	NEC
Yatin Trivedi   	SEVA
Shir-Shen Chang      	Synopsys
Tim Ehrler      	VLSI Technologies

Next meeting: Nov. 17, 18, 19 hosted by NEC

* Review of ALF 1.0.6

Minor corrections (spelling etc.) were done per Yatin on the fly.
More significant corrections are listed as action items (AI) below.
Owners of AI who are indicated per "->"  need to provide input to
Yatin per email

AI:	Correct Verilog and VHDL example -> Shir-Shen

AI:	page 2-8: move footnote from ALF code example to text 

AI:	general issue: avoid smart quotes in ALF code examples

AI:	amend lexical definition for escaped_identifier -> Wolfgang

AI:	remove redundant definitions "integer_digit", "digit",
	since they are identical to "digit"

AI:	ch. 3.2.7 change "integer_literal", "number_literal", "real_literal"
	to "integer", "number", "real".

AI:	remove description column from table 3-3
	since lexical definitions are already explained

AI:	fill in description column in table 3-4 page 3-26, 3-27 -> Mike

AI:	fill in description column in table 3-4 page 3-28, 3-29 -> Wolfgang

AI:	elegant plural explanation in table 3-4: item(s) = (one or more) item

AI:	make BNF 100% conform to IEEE

AI:	propose 1.1 feature to have all library-specific objects
	optionally terminated with ";" -> Wolfgang

AI:	make all bold BNF items in larger font

AI:	define ALF concurrent assignments inside "sequential assignments"
	equivalent to VHDL "signal" and VERILOG "nonblocking".
	Make it clear that "sequential" means "storage"
	Change term "sequential assignment" into "sequential logic" -> Wolfgang

AI:	ch. 3.3 better wording in introduction -> Yatin

AI:	check compatibility of 3.5.7 to IEEE 1164 -> Ted E.

AI:	define enumeration of 9 values -> Wolfgang

AI:	modifications to chapter 3.9, put BEHAVIOR and STATETABLE
	keywords around ALF code -> Tim E.

AI:	put the example for assigning X to the whole memory into 4.9 -> Wolfgang

AI:	requirement for signal initialization in characterization -> Tim E.

AI:	put pin capacitance for bus example into ch. 4.9 -> Wolfgang

AI:	ch. 4.9.2 extend example to VIOLATION -> Tim E.

AI:	provide IEEE guidelines for standards to work group,
	how to include application notes, how to define semantics -> Yatin

AI:	Change 4.15.2 example, eliminate LIMIT, provide additional picture -> Wolfgang

AI:	ch. 4.15.3 split SKEW diagram into two to avoid misinterpretation as bidirectional
	erase "supposed to be simultaneously switching" -> Wolfgang

AI:	softcopy of SDF -> Ted E.


* review of ALF 1.1

New status of feature enhancement items:

3.4.1	approved
3.4.2	approved
3.4.3	preliminary approved
3.4.4	prelim. approved
3.4.5	prelim. approved
3.4.6	prelim. approved
3.4.7	prelim. approved
3.5	prelim. approved

3.6.1	prelim. approved
3.6.2	prelim. approved
3.6.3	approved
3.6.4	approved
3.6.5	rejected
3.6.6	approved
3.6.7	approved
3.6.8	approved
3.6.9	to be further discussed in OLA work group

AI:	explain and enumerate semantics of LIMIT, MIN, MAX in different context	-> Wolfgang
	3 basic contexts:
		MIN, MAX in arithmetic model itself specify a model for MIN/MAX calculations
		MIN, MAX in context LIMIT specify the design limit
		MIN, MAX in context HEADER of arithmetic model specify data validity limit
	
AI:	clarification of calculation modes (MIN, TYP, MAX versus EARLY, LATE) in DCL
	-> Archie, Shin Sher, OLA work group


* Conclusion

Conference call will be necessary to continue review of ALF 1.1, item 3.6.10 through 3.6.15
and item 5.1, 5.2 prior to next meeting.

AI:	set up conference call -> Wolfgang