How to Loop Through a Large Array With the Or Function

Question

Problem

I have created a simple script which scans through a number of pins that I define in the top level (N). If the pins are dead, they will remain high or low usually, or do something unexpected. At the moment, a single pulse is sent down each pin, with a delay of a clock cycle between them.

My Attempt

These pulses are sent to an array named s_pulse. The size of this array is dynamically created upon synthesis like so:

<snip>
generic (N : natural);
<snip>

PulseGen : for I in 0 to N-1 generate
    begin
    FMC_IBUF : IBUFDS
   generic map (
        DIFF_TERM => TRUE,
        IOSTANDARD => "DEFAULT")
   port map (  
      O  => s_pulse (I) ,
      I => pulse_p (I) ,
      IB  => pulse_n (I) 
      );
end generate PulseGen;

Then I wish to send out the signal whenever there is one to a std_logic pin named pulse, this works but it doesn't work dynamically for obvious reasons like the above, but I can't figure out a way to do it:

if rising_edge(clk) then
    pulse <= s_pulse(0) or s_pulse(1) or s_pulse(2) or s_pulse(3)....
end if;

Any ideas on how I can quickly generate a large or function for each member of the array, or suggest some function I don't know of to make this shorter and more importantly, dynamic?

Answer 1

For the weary traveller, I found a solution:

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_misc.all;
<snip>

    if rising_edge(clk) then
        pulse <= or_reduce(s_fmc);

    end if;