Auto module instantiation cannot handle module with parameters correctly

[yiancar]

I dont know if this is relevant but I am using the forced fast indexing else the indexing never finishes. The workspace is very large.

Using v0.13 of the extension.

First lets start with a simple module:

module simple (
  input wire  logic clk,
  output wire logic a
  );

This works correctly:

simple u_simple (
    .clk        (clk),
    .a          (a)
);

However I do get in the output log:

-: <stdin>:3325:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3351:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3381:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3415:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3441:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3467:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3493:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3519:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3545:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3571:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3597:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3627:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3657:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3687:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3721:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3751:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3793:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3823:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3853:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3887:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3917:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3947:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3977:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4007:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4041:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4071:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4137:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4171:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4201:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).

Now if the module has a parameter:

module simple_parameters 
 #(
    parameter TEST_PARAM=10
  ) (
  input wire  logic clk,
  output wire logic a
  );

Incorrectly the hookup is:

simple u_simple (
    .10        (10)
);

and the output log is:

-: <stdin>:240:6: syntax error, rejected "10" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3322:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3348:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3378:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3412:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3438:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3464:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3490:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3516:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3542:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3568:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3594:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3624:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3654:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3684:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3718:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3748:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3790:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3820:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3850:104: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3884:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3914:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3944:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:3974:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4004:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4038:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4068:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4134:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4168:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).
<stdin>:4198:105: syntax error, rejected ")" (syntax-error).

If the parameter list of the module is empty #(), this produces a module instantiation without ports.

[joecrop]

Thanks for pointing this out. I have confirmed the bug and found a fix. The parameter detection is off. I'll merge the fix shortly.

[yiancar]

Hey @joecrop thank you!
Also a suggestion for 2 enhancements:

1. Inherit the parameters as well.
2. Inherit any package imports.

I understand 2 is a bit of a weird one so feel free to ignore the suggestion:)
Possibly 1 could be easier to do?

Cheers,
Yiangos

[joecrop]

Can you give me examples about what you are proposing?

[yiancar]

Hello!
Thank you for your amazing work:D
Ok the parameter passthrough is correct already :D
However I found another small bug

lets say we are trying to instantiate:

module a_with_parameters #(
    `include "design_settings.sv",
    parameter PARAM2 = 3
) (
    input  logic clk,
    output logic valid
);

The result should be:

a_with_parameters #(
    `include   "design_settings.sv",
    .PARAM2    (3)
) u_a_with_parameters (
    .clk       (clk),
    .valid     (valid)
);

However incorrectly the `include is parsed like a parameter:

a_with_parameters #(
    ."design_settings.sv" ("design_settings.sv"),
    .PARAM2               (3)
) u_a_with_parameters (
    .clk                  (clk),
    .valid                (valid)
);

I understand that not everyone might be using this includes so if it too much trouble to fix please dont worry.

Cheers,
Yiangos

[joecrop]

I agree that the result from the instantiator is definitely wrong when there is an include in the definition. But are you sure that copying that include will work? I imagine that the contents of the include would look like this:

parameter PARAM_3 = 5,
parameter PARAM_4 = 0,
parameter PARAM_5 = 40,

So if you tried to put that in the module instantiation, it would effectively look like this after compilation:

a_with_parameters #(
    parameter PARAM_3 = 5,
    parameter PARAM_4 = 0,
    parameter PARAM_5 = 40,
    .PARAM2               (3)
) u_a_with_parameters (
    .clk                  (clk),
    .valid                (valid)
);

This wouldn't compile, would it?

[yiancar]

Hello!
Yes you are correct that would NOT work.
However if the include file had:

.PARAM_3 (PARAM_3),
.PARAM_4 (PARAM_4),
.PARAM_5 (PARAM_5),

Then it would work.

In the end its up to the user to make sure that the include files are correct in my opinion.

In multiple projects I have worked we have an include file with setting parameters and then a second one which just has parameter connections.
The setting one is used in top modules and then then connection one is used on children modules. This way we dont repeat the connection code all the time.

[angelo558]

Hi @joecrop
The fix does not seem to work for me, I have the exact same issue as described while running on v 0.13.3, any idea why?

Thanks in advance!