In order to
verify the functionality of your design must you create a Test
Bench. VHDL was originally created for the purpose of writing
simulations model and hence will it be easy to create clock
generators and stimuli for the inputs.
More advanced
Test Benches will be able read stimuli from files and compare
with the expected outputs (from a file as well)
In fact do you got all the features which can be found in a
"normal" high level program language like C++, Java etc.
The simulation
can either be:
Behavioural Simulation where
all logic ideal (no delays, only pure Boolean logic)
Post-Route Simulation where the
expected delays from the FPGA taken into account.