vim plugins - seriously

I don't like indentation for Verilog (or VHDL), so I've decided to try and fix it. The best way to do that would be to understand how it works. I opened the ftplugin file verilog.vim and started reading. That's the why. Hopefully someone else will get something from the few useful gems I've gleaned.

DISCLAIMER: I do not know that I'm even understanding this correctly. I'm reading and gleaning as best as I can. It's strange code. Comments with corrections are appreciated.

s: (s colon) - script variables
a: (a colon) - argument variables
b: (b colon) - buffer variables
g: (g colon) - global variables
v: (v colon) - ... maybe it's the visual mode variables

=~ (equal tilda) - type match
: (colon) - type of dictionary or list
%( (percent open-parenthesis) - start of match that doesn't store in back-reference variables
%5c, %<5c, %>5c, %5l, %<5l, %>5l (percent number c), (percent number less-than c), (percent number greater-than c), (percent number l), (percent number less-than l), (percent number greater-than l) - search modifier to find at specific column (c) or line (l) with optional less-than or greater-than specified column or line.

Look at this guy's page, finally stumbled onto it:
http://briancarper.net/blog/vim-regexes-are-awesome
and this page:
http://www.adp-gmbh.ch/vim/searching.html
and this one too:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-vim-script-1/index.html

Build gvim 7.2 x64 and create installer for Windows 7, Vista, XP

Update with new installer and changes for building 7.3:
http://ionipti.blogspot.com/2010/08/gvim-73-64-bit-x64-windows-7-vista-xp.html

I've been getting kinda tired of not having a decent installer for gvim 7.2 on my Vista x64 system. I have figured out all of these steps, and I'm sharing them with you. You can download the actual installer from:

http://nkcorner.com/gvim72.exe (64 bit only, includes all patches up to and including 7.2.411)

This version is built exactly as I've shown below. The printing works in Windows, and so do the context menus. It also installs to the Program Files directory as it should. This is only tested on Vista x64.

Here are the steps: (I'm sure they can be somewhat simplified and I'd be happy to hear about that.)


Create a folder called building, eg c:\building

Download these files:
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/unix/vim-7.2.tar.bz2
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/extra/vim-7.2-extra.tar.gz
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/extra/vim-7.2-lang.tar.gz
Unzip them using 7-zip or alternative program.
Each of these archives contain a vim72 folder, extract them all into c:\building\vim72 folder.

Download these files, and extract them to c:\building\patches
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.001-100.gz
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.101-200.gz
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.201-300.gz
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.301-400.gz

Download these files into c:\building\patches
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.401
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.402
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.403
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.404
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.405
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.406
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.407
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.408
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.409
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.410
ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/patches/7.2/7.2.411

Download and install these programs:
http://cdnetworks-us-2.dl.sourceforge.net/project/gnuwin32/sed/4.2-1/sed-4.2-1-setup.exe
http://cdnetworks-us-2.dl.sourceforge.net/project/nsis/NSIS%202/2.46/nsis-2.46-setup.exe
http://hivelocity.dl.sourceforge.net/project/gnuwin32/patch/2.5.9-7/patch-2.5.9-7-setup.exe
Optionally install make, although we will be bypassing the make with a manual command due to incorrect syntax in the Makefile when running on Windows.
http://cdnetworks-us-2.dl.sourceforge.net/project/gnuwin32/make/3.81/make-3.81.exe

Add "C:\Program Files (x86)\GnuWin32\bin\" to your path variable and reopen any command prompts.

Download and extract diff.exe from:
http://hivelocity.dl.sourceforge.net/project/unxutils/unxutils/current/UnxUtils.zip
Copy diff.exe to c:\building\

Download and install Windows SDK for AMD64:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/E/9/2E911956-F90F-4BFB-8231-E292A7B6F287/GRMSDKX_EN_DVD.iso
If this link doesn't work, then go to
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=71deb800-c591-4f97-a900-bea146e4fae1&displaylang=en
and download the GRMSDKX_EN_DVD.iso (which is the AMD64 version)

Download this package and copy upx.exe to c:\building\vim72\nsis
http://upx.sourceforge.net/download/upx304w.zip

Open a command prompt and run
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /E:ON /V:ON /T:0E /K "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0\Bin\SetEnv.cmd" /release
Use this command prompt for building as it is now set to 64 bit release.

Install patches by changing directory to c:\building\vim72 and running these commands in this order:
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.001-100
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.101-200
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.201-300
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.301-400
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.401
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.402
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.403
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.404
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.405
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.406
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.407
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.408
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.409
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.410
patch --binary -p0 < ..\patches\7.2.411

Change directory to c:\building\vim72\src, and build using this command:
nmake -f Make_mvc.mak OLE=yes
and
nmake -f Make_mvc.mak OLE=yes GUI=yes
(First command produces vim.exe and second one produces gvim.exe)

Change directory to c:\building\vim72\runtime\doc and run
sed -e "s/[ \t]*\*[-a-zA-Z0-9.]*\*//g" -e "s/vim:tw=78://" uganda.txt | uniq >uganda.nsis.txt
This is the line that should be run from the Makefile in this directory, but Windows make.exe has trouble with it.

Change directory to c:\building\vim72\nsis and open gvmi.nsi in a text editor (preferably not notepad or wordpad...)
At line 22 change (comment out)
!define HAVE_NLS
to
#!define HAVE_NLS
(I don't have a 64-bit libintl.dll)

Replace all instances of PROGRAMFILES with PROGRAMFILES64
(Forces the default installation directory to be the Program Files directory instead of Program Files (x86).)

At line 248 change
   File /oname=vim.exe ${VIMSRC}\vimd32.exe
to
   File /oname=vim.exe ${VIMSRC}\vimw32.exe
(The check for WINNT isn't working on my Vista x64 system... so I force it)

Copy all files and directory from c:\building\vim72\runtime to c:\building\vim72

Rename these files:
c:\building\vim72\src\gvim.exe -> c:\building\vim72\src\gvim_ole.exe
c:\building\vim72\src\vim.exe -> c:\building\vim72\src\vimw32.exe
c:\building\vim72\src\install.exe -> c:\building\vim72\src\installw32.exe
c:\building\vim72\src\uninstal.exe -> c:\building\vim72\src\uninstalw32.exe

Copy and rename this file:
c:\building\vim72\src\xxd\xxd.exe -> c:\building\vim72\src\xxdw32.exe

Change directory to c:\building\vim72\nsis and run:
"c:\Program Files (x86)\NSIS\makensis.exe" gvim.nsi


Enjoy!
Nachum Kanovsky
http://nkcornerconsulting.com
FPGA & Embedded Software Expert

Modelsim, scripts getting locked?

So I was working a lot with Modelsim yesterday simulating DDR2 cores, but I kept having to change the script. But Modelsim wouldn't let me!!! So here's the key, when Modelsim is running a script and you interrupt it while it's running, it may show:
VSIM(paused)
and then you're just screwed! OK OK, type 'abort' and hit enter. This will finally end the script and allow you to modify your script without closing down Modelsim. Shockingly 'quit -sim' doesn't work, nor are there any menu options that help.

Perhaps this'll save someone else problems.

Lattice DDR2 cores - read_data_valid doesn't come up...?

So as is usual, I'm suspicious of crummy simulation models and that's of course the reason why Lattice's ECP3 DDR2 (6.7 and 7.0 beta) cores don't give read_data_valid during simulation... They output the data, but not the read_data_valid signal.

After 2 hours of debugging, I found that it was all in the module hookup. read_tap_delay! The signal that they don't bother documenting, or explaining was causing the problem. I accidentally hooked up read_tap_delay to 2'b0 instead of 6'b0 (shame on me). This killed it. I guess I learn 2 things here, first that lack of documentation doesn't indicate lack of importance! and second that 2'b0 doesn't translate in all situations to fill the port with zeroes!

On the other hand, I finally took the plunge and hooked up Micron's DDR2 model. I have to say that it was the easiest model ever to hook up! Just define sg3 and x16 and voila, it's done. OK OK, there were two small snafus...

Lattice provides their cores with a simulation model, if you try to swap out their DDR2 model (also Micron's), then there is at least one problem. They have a file where they define x8 for all cores. I don't know why, I'd guess it's got something to do with Micron's old model. Anyhow for those of you swapping models for simulation, be aware of that. It will explain why Micron's model suddenly insists on a data bus of incorrect size even though you defined everything properly!

Lattice doesn't include negative differential ports in their top level definition, so if you have a clk_p and clk_n, all that appears in the top level netlist is clk_p, and the lpf file (constraints file) indicates the differential nature and automatically connects the differential pair. (Yes, pairs are fixed in the ECP3 and many other Lattice FPGAs.)

So now I have a DDR2 model requiring clk_n and dqs_n. clk_n is simple, just:
wire clk_n;
assign clk_n = ~clk_p;
easy shmeezy

On the other hand, dqs_n is an experience in learning. To save you the time that you've probably already spent trying to figure this out, here it is:
wire dqs_n;
assign dqs_n = (dqs_p === 1'bz) ? 1'bz : ~dqs_p;

Yes yes, the 3 equal signs are necessary. Shockingly a part of the language I'd never needed to use before, now comes in handy.

Live to learn another day,

DNS issues with Netgear WGR614v5

Sooo... here's the story.

I keep getting stuck on "Resolving host" when browsing the web. I developed a simple test. Open 9 tabs at the same time and see which get through and which don't. My Godaddy sites never come through, and most of the time neither do Twitter and Blogger.

What's really going on? Since it was stuck on "Resolving host" I reverted to some manual nslookup debugging. Even nslookup showed "DNS request timed out", and "timeout was 2 seconds".

I then updated my local LAN card to use Comcast's server instead of relying on the router's ability to do lookups. No change.

Solution:
Convert UDP DNS requests to TCP!! It seems that this router gets overwhelmed by routing the DNS requests and drops them.

When this happens, the WGR614v5 loses the ability to resolve DNS for about 5 - 10 seconds. During this time, I tested a custom DNS lookup using both UDP and TCP. The UDP lookup failed, and the TCP lookup worked. This prompted me to write a simple server which listens for DNS requests, wraps the data with the customary 2 byte size header and sends it on as a TCP request. Once the response comes back, I remove the 2 byte size header from the response, and I send it back to the requester.

The router may have a general UDP problem, as opposed to a UDP DNS problem, but all I care about at the moment is my ability to get to my webpages. As HTTP is TCP and it just relies on the DNS requests to get the address, this solves my problem well enough for now.

A new router is being purchased in the next few days...

HTML stuff...

Never put a block-level element inside a paragraph :

...

! This is illegal in HTML 4.01 (http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/text.html#h-9.3.1)

"The P element represents a paragraph. It cannot contain block-level elements (including P itself)."

---

IE8 - JSON works, but only if you have:

otherwise IE8's JSON object is undefined...

---

IE8 - eval function - Accepts string only, and should be enclosed in parenthesis! So if you are eval'ing an object then the object name is put in quotes. For example:

parse(jsonString) {
return eval('(' + jsonString + ')');
//return eval(jsonString); -- Illegal!
}

---

PHP - isset should be used to see if variable exists, also variable indexes and the like.
ie: isset(myObj['testExist'])); will return true if testExist exists and is non-null

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Chrome and Safari (guessing it's a webkit issue) won't keep the text selected if you just use an onFocus callback with a text.select() call. You must cancel the mouseup event otherwise the text most of the time gets deselected. Argh

Downloaded NVIDIA driver? Screensaver may still turn on when playing a movie in full screen

I'm running Vista x64 SP2 and Windows Media Player 11. I have an NVIDIA GeForce 8600 graphics card. I also make sure that the "Allow screen saver during playback" is unchecked in WMP -> Tools -> Options. After 20 minutes my screen saver kicks in.

Anyhow I've solved the problem with the screen saver. I like to keep my system as updated as possible, so I install NVIDIA's drivers directly from their website. Yesterday I removed NVIDIA's drivers, and I let Windows install it's own drivers for the graphics card. Of course Microsoft is just packaging a form of NVIDIA's drivers, but now my screen saver stays disabled when I play a movie.