Foreign Interfaces

VHDL allows the functionality of architecture bodies and subprograms to be described in a foreign language (e.g. C) and interfaced to a VHDL model. For example, foreign code may be used when it is difficult to implement the same functionality in VHDL, such as in cases where complex arithmetic functions not directly available in VHDL are required.

The interface between VHDL and foreign code is simulator implementation dependent. VHDL passes the parameters to the foreign code but has no further information about the foreign code. The use and structure of foreign code is largely up to the simulator implementation.