lab4: what is the idle signal?

plin@ece.ubc.ca Sat, 26 Feb 2000 16:51:01 -0800 

From: plin@ece.ubc.ca
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 16:51:01 -0800
Subject: lab4: what is the idle signal?



I am having some problems with lab4, the serial output port.

1. What exactly is the idle signal? Also, since we already create an
idle state, can't we figure out the current status of the input from the
idle state instead of the idle signal or we have to assign the following
statement:

            idle_signal <= '1' when state = idle else '0';

2. Also, for the data bus, is it an inout signal instead of an input
signal? From the description of the lab, it seems that we are reading
and writing values into the data bus.

Thanx in advance for any help.

regards,

Peter Lin