An Undergraduate Digital Systems Laboratory With Emphasis OnVLSI

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9351291 Vrudhula The aim of this project is to establish an undergraduate digital systems design laboratory with emphasis on VLSI. This laboratory is part of a new two- course sequence offered to seniors in computer engineering. The primary objectives of this project are: (1) to expose the students to all aspects of systems design, starting from the behavioral level down to the layout level; and (2) to teach the fundamental engineering discipline involved in evaluation, testing and redesign. These primary objectives are being achieved by addressing the following important aspects of systems design: (1) use of multiple levels of abstraction; (2) methods of evaluating a design in terms of performance, area, design time and cost at each level; (3) examining tradeoffs among the possible choices that are available at each level; (4) understanding the limits of fabrication technology, causes and effects of failures and fault models; and (5) understanding that design and test cannot be separate activities by introducing design for testability. The purpose of the laboratory is to provide hands on experience through the use of the latest CAD tools and a computing environment that reflects the state-of-the-art in industry. The tools eliminate much of the mundane aspects of the design and allow the students to focus on the important high level design issues. Theoretical knowledge and practical design experience are carefully balanced through a set of realistic design projects that involve the students in all aspects of systems design. In addition, the laboratory provides for rapid prototyping of the designs through the use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays. This allows students to build, exercise, and re-evaluate designs. ***