VHDL: assign new value to the specific element of 2D Array - vhdl

Question

I want to copy the Average Variable value to the specific location of 2d Array. For this code it is array_new_signal11(3,2).
Can anyone guide me how can I do this? This code gives me error while simulation.
architecture Behavioral of Correction is
type array_new is array (0 to 4, 0 to 4) of integer;
signal array_new_signal: array_new;
begin
array_new_signal11 <= ((1,2,3,4,5),
(4,5,6,7,8),
(7,8,9,0,1),
(1,3,6,5,9),
(2,3,5,4,5));
Process(kelvin)
variable Sum1: integer:= 0;
Variable Sum2: integer:= 0;
Variable Total_Sum: integer:= 0;
Variable Average: integer:= 0;
begin
for Row in 0 to 4 loop
for Column in 0 to 4 loop
if(Row = 1 and Column = 1) then
for Column in 1 to 3 loop
sum1 := array_new_signal11(Row, Column) + Sum1;
end loop;
end if;
if(Row = 2 and Column = 1) then
for Column in 1 to 3 loop
sum2 := array_new_signal11(Row, Column) + Sum2;
end loop;
end if;
end loop;
end loop;
Total_Sum := Sum1 + Sum2;
Average := Total_Sum / 8;
**array_new_signal11(3,2) <= Average;**
end Process;
end Behavioral;

Answer 1

Constructing a Minimal, Complete and Verifiable example from the question:
entity correction is
end correction;
architecture behavioral of correction is
type array_new is array (0 to 4, 0 to 4) of integer;
signal array_new_signal11: array_new := ((1,2,3,4,5),
(4,5,6,7,8),
(7,8,9,0,1),
(1,3,6,5,9),
(2,3,5,4,5));
signal kelvin: boolean;
begin
-- array_new_signal11 <= ((1,2,3,4,5),
-- (4,5,6,7,8),
-- (7,8,9,0,1),
-- (1,3,6,5,9),
-- (2,3,5,4,5));
process (kelvin)
variable sum1: integer:= 0;
variable sum2: integer:= 0;
variable total_sum: integer:= 0;
variable average: integer:= 0;
begin
for row in 0 to 4 loop
for column in 0 to 4 loop
if row = 1 and column = 1 then
for column in 1 to 3 loop
sum1 := array_new_signal11(row, column) + sum1;
end loop;
end if;
if row = 2 and column = 1 then
for column in 1 to 3 loop
sum2 := array_new_signal11(row, column) + sum2;
end loop;
end if;
end loop;
end loop;
total_sum := sum1 + sum2;
average := total_sum / 8;
report "sum1 = " & integer'image(sum1) & ", " &
"sum2 = " & integer'image(sum2) & ", " &
"average = " & integer'image(average);
array_new_signal11(3,2) <= average;
end process;
MONITOR_PROCESS:
process
begin
wait on array_new_signal11;
for row in 0 to 4 loop
report "row" & integer'image(row) & " = " &
integer'image(array_new_signal11(row,0)) & ", " &
integer'image(array_new_signal11(row,1)) & ", " &
integer'image(array_new_signal11(row,2)) & ", " &
integer'image(array_new_signal11(row,3)) & ", " &
integer'image(array_new_signal11(row,4));
end loop;
end process;
end behavioral;
We see the report statements tell us the average and report the new array values.
We see the Row 3 Column 2 was initialized to 6 and is now 4:
ghdl -a correction.vhdl
ghdl -e correction
ghdl -r correction
correction.vhdl:42:7:#0ms:(report note): sum1 = 18, sum2 = 17, average = 4
correction.vhdl:52:13:#0ms:(report note): row0 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
correction.vhdl:52:13:#0ms:(report note): row1 = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
correction.vhdl:52:13:#0ms:(report note): row2 = 7, 8, 9, 0, 1
correction.vhdl:52:13:#0ms:(report note): row3 = 1, 3, 4, 5, 9
correction.vhdl:52:13:#0ms:(report note): row4 = 2, 3, 5, 4, 5
as specified by the value of average.
As Renaud Pacalet notes you have two different processes driving array_new_signal11, which is not legal in VHDL, as it's element type integer is not a resolved data type.
The solution is to initialize the array in this case where it's declared.
Otherwise every assignment to an element of array signal must be in the same process. The concurrent signal assignment you had will be elaborated to an equivalent process statement and generate an error when elaborated as it was originally shown:
ghdl -r correction
for signal: .correction(behavioral).array_new_signal11(3,2)
./correction:error: several sources for unresolved signal
./correction:error: error during elaboration
(For the ghdl simulator part of elaboration (which consists of linking and loading) is done when invoking simulation (the -r command, the loading part, where the design network is created)).
Renaud Pacalet suggests assigning the array value inside the process, but without an intervening wait statement the values are not available for subsequent use in the same simulation cycle. The new signal values are not available in the same simulation cycle they are assigned.
Each signal assignment schedules a waveform update and only one entry for a particular simulation time is available. In this case it would guarantee array(3, 2) would be the average of eight values of integer'left (which would be incorrect, you should get errors causing simulation to end during the accumulation of sum1 in the unlabelled 3rd loop statement first loop iteration).
And that tells us you need the array initialized before being read.
The only reason the above example succeeds is that there are no array elements when added together won't violate the value range of type integer with the values you specified.
You can get around this sort of thing by using binary array equivalents of integers and paying attention to the needed accuracy.
There are several morals to this story. First, VHDL isn't a programming language, second it's strongly typed and third signals assignment values are never visible in the simulation cycle they are made in.
Note that kelvin has been added as boolean signal to trigger execution of the process once without changing it.

Answer 2

You are trying to drive the array_new_signal11 signal from two different processes. Yes, your first concurrent signal assignment:
array_new_signal11 <= ((1,2,3,4,5),
(4,5,6,7,8),
(7,8,9,0,1),
(1,3,6,5,9),
(2,3,5,4,5));
is a shorthand for a process. It models a hardware driver that continuously imposes these values to your array signal (which is just a bunch of wires, at the end).
Your second process also tries to impose a value to one cell of your array (cell array_new_signal11(3,2)). In electrical engineering, this situation is called a short-circuit: what would you expect when the two drivers disagree? This is also the reason why your simulator refuses this: it does not know what to do with this signal.
Solution: drive this signal from one single process:
process(kelvin)
...
begin
array_new_signal11 <= (
(1,2,3,4,5),
(4,5,6,7,8),
...
for Row in 0 to 4 loop
...
end process;
Notes:
Average being a variable you should have another error on:
Average <= Total_Sum / 8;
which should be:
Average := Total_Sum / 8;
You are using the same loop index (Column) in two nested loops. Not sure what you are trying to do but this is not very safe.
Even with my suggestion to fix your error you will hit another problem: the array_new_signal11 is both an input (you read it) and an output (you assign it) of your process. It should thus also be listed in the sensitivity list. In electrical engineering this is called a combinatorial loop and is usually highly undesirable, except if you want to create an oscillator or a kind of random generator.
Your process is sensitive to signal Kelvin but does not use it. Strange situation. Do you have a clear idea of what hardware you are trying to model?
You probably believe that your process variables are re-initialized to 0 each time the process resumes (that is, each time Kelvin changes). This is not the case: they retain the last value they were assigned. Probably not what you want. You should initialize them at the beginning of your process body.