Variable length std_logic_vector initialization in VHDL

Question

I have a variable length vector std_logic_vector(X downto 0). Now I'm trying to define a constant in my package for reset, such that the lower X/2 bits are ones, and the others zero.

For example, a 3 bit vector (X=3) would make the constant "011" and a 4 bit vector would give the constant "0011".

How can I do this in a VHDL package? The code below explains what I am trying to do.

type Entry_Type is record
  state : std_logic_vector(X-1 downto 0);
end record;
constant Entry_Constant : Entry_Type := <???>;

Answer 1

There are at least two choices to initialize your record type as you want. One is using an initialization function, and the other is using the value of N in an aggregate.

Functions are a nice way to initialize custom data types. In your case, you could create a function default_entry_from_width(n), returning an entry_type value:

type entry_type is record
    state: std_logic_vector;
end record;

function default_entry_from_width(width: natural) return entry_type is
    variable return_vector: std_logic_vector(width-1 downto 0);
begin
    for i in return_vector'range loop
        return_vector(i) := '1' when i <= width/2 else '0';
    end loop;
    return (state => return_vector);
end;

constant ENTRY_1: entry_type := default_entry_from_width(3);  -- return 011
constant ENTRY_2: entry_type := default_entry_from_width(4);  -- return 0011

The other alternative is to initialize the constant with an aggregate, using the previsouly defined value of N:

constant N: natural := 4;
constant ENTRY_3: entry_type := (
    state => (
        N-1 downto N/2 => '1',
        N/2-1 downto 0 => '0'
    )
);

Answer 2

You mean something like this:

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
package vector_length is
    constant X:    natural := 3;  -- Entry_Type.state length
    type Entry_Type is
        record 
            state : std_logic_vector(X-1 downto 0);
        end record;
    constant entry_default: Entry_Type := 
             (state => 
                 (X-1 downto NATURAL(REAL((X-1)/2) + 0.5) =>'0', others => '1')
             );
end package vector_length;

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
use work.vector_length.all;

entity fum is
end entity;

architecture foo of fum is
    signal entry:   Entry_Type := entry_default;
    signal default: std_logic_vector (X-1 downto 0);
begin
TEST:
    process
    begin
        default <= entry.state;
        wait for 100 ns;  -- so it will show up in a waveform display
        wait;
    end process;
end architecture;

Which fulfills your conditions for X=3 the default value is "011", for X=4 the default value is "0011".

Note that the default value is assigned where the subtype (entry) is declared and not in the type declaration.

(It was a pain to round up).