VHDL software?

Question

What software do I use to design with VHDL?

Answer 1

Designing with VHDL generally requires 2 types of software :

1. An HDL simulator ( optional - but indispensable when dealing with complex designs ) :

Examples :

Modelsim
Questa-Sim
VCS
Active HDL
Riviera
Incisive
Vivado Simulator

2. An IDE :

"Integrated Design Environment" is a type of software that's able to synthesize a design , do placing and routing and generate a bit stream in the case of an FPGA.

Examples :

Quartus
Vivado
Diamond
Libero
Simplify

Answer 2

I use Text Editor, Simultor, and tools from vendors for FPGA design.

* Text Editor - Sublime Text
* Simulator - mostly Modelsim, sometimes either VCS or Aldec Active-HDL - it depends on customer/employer demands
* FPGA Tools - Quartus, Xilinx ISE in combination with Synplify, Xililnx Vivado, Lattice Diamond.