title: Verilog $signed(), what is this?
body: <p>I am just getting started with verilog.  I was looking at some example code for a floating multiply someone wrote and I came across this...</p>
  
  <pre><code>if ($signed(b_e == -1023) &amp;&amp; (b_m == 0)) begin
              z[63] &lt;= 1;
              z[62:52] &lt;= 2047;
              z[51] &lt;= 1;
              z[50:0] &lt;= 0;
              state &lt;= put_z;
            end
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am just wondering what the $signed is. I tried googling it but I just got a bunch of results about signed math (not about this function).  I thought functions that begin with a $ were only for test-bench code.  What does this function do?  Also is there a place where I can get a list of the verilog functions?</p>