[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8688]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 12, 1994]
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COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 940386-4086]
RIN 0693-AB22
Proposed Revision of Federal Information Processing Standard
(FIPS) 172, VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL)
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This proposed revision of Federal Information Processing
Standard (FIPS) 172, VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL), will
adopt the standard hardware description language of the ANSI/IEEE 1076-
1993, IEEE Standard VHDL Language Reference Manual. This proposed
revision is for use by computing professionals involved in high level
digital hardware specification, development and implementation.
Prior to submission of this proposed FIPS to the Secretary of
Commerce for review and approval, it is essential to assure that
consideration is given to the needs and views of manufacturers, the
public, and state and local governments. The purpose of this notice is
to solicit such views.
This proposed FIPS contains two sections: (1) An announcement
section, which provides information concerning the applicability,
implementation, and maintenance of the standard; and (2) a
specifications section which deals with the technical requirements of
the standard. Only the announcement section of the standard is provided
in this notice. Interested parties may obtain copies of the technical
specifications (ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993) from the IEEE Service Center, 445
Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331, telephone 1-800-
678-4333.
DATES: Comments on this proposed FIPS must be received on or before
July 11, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the proposed FIPS should be sent
to: Director, Computer Systems Laboratory, ATTN: Proposed FIPS 172-1,
VHDL, Technology Building, room B-154, National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
Written comments received in response to this notice will be made
part of the public record and will be made available for inspection and
copying in the Central Reference and Records Inspection Facility, room
6020, Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and
Constitution Avenues, NW., Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. William H. Dashiell, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, (301) 975-2490.
Dated: April 6, 1994.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
Proposed Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 172-1
(date) Announcing the Standards for VHSIC Hardware Description Language
(VHDL)
Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS)
are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 111(d)
of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as
amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 100-235.
1. Name of Standard. VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL)
(FIPS PUB 172-1).
2. Category of Standard. Software Standard, Hardware Description
Language.
3. Explanation. This publication is a revision of FIPS PUB 172 and
supersedes that document in its entirety.
This publication announces the adoption of the Federal Information
Processing Standard (FIPS) for VHDL. This FIPS adopts American National
Standard Hardware Description Language VHDL (ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993) as
stipulated in the Specifications Section. The American National
Standard specifies the form and establishes the interpretation of
programs expressed in VHDL. The purpose of the standard is to promote
portability of VHDL programs for use on a variety of data processing
systems. The standard is used by implementors as the reference
authority in developing compilers, interpreters, analyzers, simulators
or other forms of high level language processors, and is used by
digital hardware designers, and by other computer professionals who
need to know the precise syntactic and semantic rules of the standard
and who need to provide specifications for digital hardware
descriptions.
4. Approving Authority. Secretary of Commerce.
5. Maintenance Agency. U.S. Department of Commerce, National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Computer Systems
Laboratory (CSL).
6. Cross Index. ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993, IEEE Standard VHDL Language
Reference Manual.
7. Related Documents.
a. Federal Information Resources Management Regulations (FIRMR)
subpart 201.20.303, Standards, and subpart 201.39.1002, Federal
Standards.
b. Federal ADP and Telecommunications Standards Index, U.S. General
Services Administration, Information Resources Management Service,
April 1993 (updated periodically).
c. NIST, Validated Products List, NISTIR 5354 (republished
quarterly). Available by subscription from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS).
d. FIPS PUB 29-2, Interpretation Procedures for FIPS Software, 14
September 1987.
8. Objectives. Federal standards for high level digital design
information and documentation languages permit Federal departments and
agencies to exercise more effective control over the design,
production, management, and maintenance of digital electronic systems.
The primary objectives of this Federal hardware description language
standard are:
--To encourage more effective utilization of design personnel by
ensuring that design skills acquired under one job are transportable to
other jobs, thereby reducing the cost of programmer retraining;
--To reduce the cost of design by achieving increased designer
productivity and design accuracy through the use of formal languages;
--To reduce the overall life cycle cost for digital systems by
establishing a common documentation language for the transfer of
digital design information across organizational boundaries;
--To protect the immense investment of digital hardware from
obsolescence by insuring to the maximal feasible extent that Federal
hardware description language standards are technically sound and that
subsequent revisions are compatible with the installed base.
--To reduce Federal inventory of electronic digital replacement parts.
--To increase the sources of supplies which can satisfy government
requirements for mission specific electronic digital components.
Government-wide attainment of the above objectives depends upon the
widespread availability and use of comprehensive and precise standard
language specifications.
9. Applicability.
a. Federal standards for hardware description languages are
applicable for the design and documentation of digital systems
developed for government use. This standard is suitable for use in the
following digital system applications:
--Primary design and documentation of digital systems, subsystems,
assemblies, hybrid components, and components;
--Formal specifications of digital systems throughout the procurement,
contracting and development process;
--Test generation for digital systems, subsystems, assemblies, hybrid
components, and components;
--Re-procurement and redesign of digital systems, subsystems,
assemblies, hybrid components, and components.
b. The use of FIPS hardware description languages applies when one
or more of the following situations exist:
--When using a formal language for specifying a formal design
specification for a complex digital system.
--The digital system is under constant revision during the development
process.
--It is desired to have the design understood by multiple groups, or
organizations.
--The system under development is to be designed by multiple groups, or
organizations.
--Accurate unambiguous specifications are required in the bid and
contracting process.
10. Specifications. The specifications for this standard are the
language specifications contained in ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993, IEEE Standard
VHDL Language Reference Manual.
This FIPS does not allow conforming implementations to extend the
language. A conforming implementation is one that does not allow
inclusion of substitute or additional language elements in order to
accomplish a feature of the language as specified in the language
standard. A conforming implementation is one which adheres to and
implements all of the language specifications contained in ANSI/IEEE
1076-1993 except where the language standard permits deviations and
which specifies conspicuously in a separate section in the conforming
implementation documentation all such permitted variations. Also, such
conformance shall be with default language processor system option
settings.
The ANSI/IEEE 1076-1993 document does not specify limits on the
size or complexity of programs, the results when the rules of the
standard fail to establish an interpretation, the means of supervisory
control programs, or the means of transforming programs for processing.
11. Implementation. The implementation of this standard involves
three areas of consideration: acquisition of VHDL processors,
interpretation of FIPS VHDL, and validation of VHDL processors.
11.1. Effective Date. This revised standard becomes effective three
(3) months after the publication in the Federal Register announcing
approval by the Secretary of Commerce. Prior to that date the
requirements of FIPS PUB 172 apply to Federal VHDL procurements. This
delayed effective date is intended to provide sufficient time for
implementors of FIPS PUB 172 to make enhancements necessary for
conformance of products to FIPS PUB 172-1. No further transitional
period is necessary.
11.2. Acquisition of Ada Processors. Conformance to FIPS VHDL
should be considered whether VHDL processors are developed internally,
acquired as part of an ADP system procurement, acquired by separate
procurement, used under an ADP leasing arrangement, or specified for
use in contracts for hardware description services. Recommended
terminology for procurement of FIPS Ada is contained in the U.S.
General Services Administration publication Federal ADP &
Telecommunications Standards Index, chapter 4 part 1.
11.3. Interpretation of FIPS VHDL. The National Institute of
Standards and Technology provides for the resolution of questions
regarding the specifications and requirements, and issues official
interpretations as needed. All questions about the interpretation of
this standard should be addressed to: Director, Computer Systems
Laboratory, ATTN: FIPS VHDL Interpretation, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, Voice: 301-975-2490,
FAX: 301-948-6213.
11.4. Validation of VHDL Processors: The validation of VHDL
processors for conformance to this standard applies when NIST VHDL
validation procedures are available. At the present time NIST does not
have procedures for validating VHDL processors. NIST is currently
investigating methods which may be considered for validating processors
for conformance to this standard.
For further information contact: Director, Computer Systems
Laboratory, Attn: FIPS VHDL Validation, National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, (301) 975-2490.
12. Waivers.
Under certain exceptional circumstances, the heads of Federal
departments and agencies may approve waivers to Federal Information
Processing Standards (FIPS). The head of such agency may redelegate
such authority only to a senior official designated pursuant to section
3506(b) of Title 44, U.S. Code. Waivers shall be granted only when:
a. Compliance with a standard would adversely affect the
accomplishment of the mission of an operator of a Federal computer
system, or
b. Cause a major adverse financial impact on the operator which is
not offset by Government wide savings.
Agency heads may act upon a written waiver request containing the
information detailed above. Agency heads may also act without a written
waiver request when they determine that conditions for meeting the
standard cannot be met. Agency heads may approve waivers only by a
written decision which explains the basis on which the agency head made
the required finding(s). A copy of each such decision, with procurement
sensitive classified portions clearly identified, shall be sent to:
National Institute of Standards and Technology, ATTN: FIPS Waiver
Decisions, Technology Building, room B-154, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
In addition, notice of each waiver granted and each delegation of
authority to approve waivers shall be sent promptly to the Committee on
Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and shall be published promptly
in the Federal Register.
When the determination on a waiver applies to the procurement of
equipment and/or services, a notice of the waiver determination must be
published in the Commerce Business Daily as a part of the notice of
solicitation for offers of an acquisition or, if the waiver
determination is made after that notice is published, by amendment to
such notice.
A copy of the waiver, any supporting documents, the document
approving the waiver and any supporting and accompanying documents,
with such deletions as the agency is authorized and decides to make
under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), shall be part of the procurement documentation
and retained by the agency.
13. Where to Obtain Copies. Copies of this publication are for
sale by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650. (Sale of the
included specifications document is by arrangement with the American
National Standards Institute.) When ordering, refer to Federal
Information Processing Standards Publication 172-1 (FIPSPUB172-1), and
title. Payment may be made by check, money order, or deposit account.
[FR Doc. 94-8688 Filed 4-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-CN-M
