[sv-bc] Can a function contain a fork/join/any/none?

Hi, All -

Just the sv-bc on this message (I'm tired of getting two of everyone 
of these messages)

Brad asked the question and I think Stu hinted around the question:

What is the use-model for adding fork-join to a function?

Are there any engineers doing this? (And has anybody slapped them for 
doing it?  :-) )

The engineers that ask this question, do they understand that no 
delays are allowed in a function (not even #0 delays or nonblocking 
assignments that cause events to be scheduled in later event regions 
within the same timestep) and that fork-join are generally not 
synthesizable and are really most useful when you add some form of 
delay to the forked paths within a testbench?

I can't say for sure, but I don't believe either Stu or I have ever 
shown engineers a fork-join in a function in training and I don't 
think we ever intend to teach this coding style.

I understand that it might be important to add some form of 
clarification to the LRM but whatever clarification we add should 
come with the strong editorial comment that this is/was a bad idea.

I will support whatever the group goes for on this and then I will 
never teach an engineer to add fork-join to a function (unless 
somebody can come up with some ultra-astonishing use-model that I 
have not heretofore recognized).

Regards - Cliff

----------------------------------------------------
Cliff Cummings - Sunburst Design, Inc.
14314 SW Allen Blvd., PMB 501, Beaverton, OR 97005
Phone: 503-641-8446 / FAX: 503-641-8486
cliffc@sunburst-design.com / www.sunburst-design.com
Expert Verilog, SystemVerilog, Synthesis and Verification Training