Provided by: drawtiming_0.7.1-10build3_amd64 
NAME
drawtiming — generate timing diagram from signal description
SYNOPSIS
drawtiming [--verbose] [--scale factor] [--pagesize WxH] [--aspect] [--cell-height H] [--cell-width W]
[--font-size pts] [--line-width W] --output target file ...
DESCRIPTION
This application provides a command line tool for documenting hardware and software designs through ideal
timing diagrams. It reads signal descriptions from a text file with an intuitive syntax, and outputs an
ideal timing diagram to an image file. Notation typical of timing diagrams found in the Electrical
Engineering discipline is used, including arrows indicating causal relationships between signal
transitions.
The options are as follows:
--help Show usage reminder.
--verbose Increase diagnostic output.
--scale factor
Scale the diagram by the given factor. The default scaling factor is 1.0.
--pagesize WidthxHeight
Scale the diagram to fit given image size.
--aspect Maintain fixed aspect ratio if --pagesize given.
--cell-height H
Height of the each signal in pixels. Default is 32.
--cell-width W
Width for the time unit in pixels. Defaults is 64.
--font-size pts
Font size in pts. Default is 18.
--line-width W
Line width for drawings in pixels. Default is 1.
--output target
The name and format of the output image is determined by target.
file ... The input files describe the signals to be diagrammed. See the “FILES” and “EXAMPLES”
sections for a description of their format.
FILES
The following is a technical description of the input file syntax and semantics. If you are reading this
for the first time, you may want to skip ahead to the “EXAMPLES” section.
The input file consists of a series of statements describing the signal transitions during each clock
period of the timing diagram. Whitespace and comments following a ‘#’ are ignored.
SIGNAL=VALUE This statement changes the value of a signal at the beginning of the current clock, and
adds it to the list of signal dependencies. The signal name may consist of one or more
words consisting of alphanumerics and underscores joined by periods, ‘signal.name’, for
example. The signal value format is described further on.
SIGNAL This statement adds a signal to the list of dependencies without changing its value.
Statements are separated by the following symbols:
, The comma separator is used to separate statements without affecting the dependency list or clock
(ie: the next statement will add to the dependency list).
; The semicolon separator resets the list of dependencies without incrementing the clock
. The period separator resets the list of dependencies and increments the clock.
=> The "causes" separator renders dependency arrows based on the current list of dependencies and then
resets the dependency list.
-tD> The "delay" separator renders a delay arrow from the last dependency with the annotation tD.
Signal values are rendered according to the following rules:
0, 1, true, false A binary high/low signal.
tick A clock pulse which repeats.
pulse A one-shot clock pulse.
X A don't care value.
Z A tristate value.
"ABC" Any other alphanumeric token, or text enclosed in quotes is rendered as a state. For
example, ‘"1"’, is rendered as a state, whereas, ‘1’, is rendered as a high signal.
EXAMPLES
Let's look at an example input file, and parse its meaning.
POWER=0, FIRE=0, ARMED=0, LED=OFF, COUNT=N.
POWER=1 => LED=GREEN.
FIRE=1.
FIRE => ARMED=1.
FIRE=0.
FIRE=1.
FIRE, ARMED => LED=RED;
FIRE => COUNT="N+1".
This input file describes the changes in five signals over a period of seven clock cycles. The end of
each clock cycle is indicated with a period. For example, the following line indicates a single signal,
named ‘FIRE’ became true during a clock cycle:
FIRE=1.
The first clock period of the input file provides the initial value for all signals to be diagrammed.
The signals will appear on the timing diagram in the order they first appear in the input file. Signals
are assumed to have the "don't care" value if their initial value is not given.
Independent signal transitions which occur simultaneously are normally separated by commas. Since signals
aren't normally expected to change simultaneously, the initial state is a good example of this:
POWER=0, FIRE=0, ARMED=0, LED=OFF, COUNT=N.
Dependencies can also be indicated for a signal transition. Dependencies are rendered as arrows on the
timing diagram from the last change in each dependency to the dependent signal transition. Here, the
previous change in the state of ‘FIRE’ causes a change in the ‘ARMED’ signal.
FIRE => ARMED=1.
To indicate that a change in one signal causes an immediate change in another signal, list both signal
changes in the same clock period:
POWER=1 => LED=GREEN.
For signal state changes with multiple dependencies, separate the dependencies with commas:
FIRE, ARMED => LED=RED.
Sometimes, a single dependency causes multiple independent signals to change. Use a semicolon to start a
new list of dependencies. Modifying the previous line to indicate that ‘FIRE’ also causes ‘COUNT’ to
increment yields:
FIRE, ARMED => LED=RED;
FIRE => COUNT="N+1".
You can find this example and others along with their generated timing diagrams on the homepage for
drawtiming at ‘http://drawtiming.sourceforge.net’.
DIAGNOSTICS
Exit status is 0 on success, and 2 if the command fails.
COMPATIBILITY
The drawtiming command has been tested on FreeBSD, Linux, and Cygwin.
AUTHORS
This software package was written by Edward Counce <ecounce@users.sourceforge.net> Additional
modifications by
Salvador E. Tropea <set@users.sourceforge.net>
Daniel Beer
BUGS
None reported.
Debian April 13, 2005 DRAWTIMING(1)