What do you mean by pli

Question

What do you mean by pli? Explain why it is used?

Answer 1

PLI (Programming Language Interface) of the Verilog HDL is a method to interface Verilog programs by programs written in the C language. It as well gives method to access the internal databases of the simulator from C program.

PLI is employed for implementing the system calls that would have been hard to do or else (or impossible) by using Verilog syntax. Or, in another words, you can take benefit of both the paradigms: parallel and hardware related characteristics of Verilog and sequential flow of C by using PLI.