Hello everyone,

I have a simple PLI question which I hope someone can help me with.
I have a data file that has lines like this (it is a long file) :

#2
a 2
b 5
c 7
#4
a 6
#3
b 8

The # numbers are simulation time and the rest are input port names with values
to be driven at that particular time.

Then, I have the following Verilog code, where I  call a user defined task:

always @(a) $mycode (a) ;
always @(b) $mycode (b);
always @(c) $mycode (c);


What I have currently in the .c file, which I hope is correct, is something like this:


typedef struct OBJ {
...
} *OBJp;

int mycalltf {
tf_getdelay(0);
return 0;
}

int mymisctf (int data, int reason, int paramvc) {
OBJp obj;
switch (reason) {
case REASON_ENDOFCOMPILE:
tf_setworkarea ((char *)obj);
long j=0;
FILE *f;
// open file using fopen
while (fgets(line, sizeof(line),f) !=NULL) {
strcpy(array[j],line); // copy in a data structure, i.e. 2D char array
j++
}
// close file
break;

case REASON_REACTIVATE:
obj = (OBJp) tf_getworkarea();
// search the data structure here to find signal name and value,  
// and if found , drive that value using acc_set_value()
break;

return 0;
}


What I am trying to do is whenever the task is called, it is going to find the value
of the input port passed (i.e. a or b or c) from within the data structure
(which I will create from parsing the data file) and then drive that value
onto that port at that intended time.

My questions are :
(1) How can I tell the misctf routine that I actually want to parse the data file only 1 time,
and not 3 times (which is happening since I am instantiating the task 3 times) ? I mean
I want to parse the data file just 1 time, put all of the contents inside a data structure,
and then traverse the data structure whenever the task is subsequently called.
(2) Are the routines I have set out above correct ? As you can see, what I am doing is that
everytime the user task instance is called, it would come inside
calltf, which has tf_setdelay(0), meaning it would then schedule a callback
with 0 delay, i.e. branch to the REASON_REACTIVATE case
inside misctf, and then I will do the search for the input port passed, if found, drive the
value on that port at that time.
(3) I don't know if I need to use tf_isetworkarea() and tf_igetworkarea(), 'cause I don't
really know if it makes a difference here.

Please help.

Thanks,
-Nasim