Title :
Teaching top-down design using VHDL and CPLD
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Comput. Sci., Illinois Inst. of Technol., Chicago, IL, USA
Abstract :
The paper presents a teaching experience in using VHDL and CPLD in the senior digital design course. The course focuses on teaching the top-down design methodology through hands-on experiments. The industrially available tools-Maxplus2, made possible through Altera´s University Program, provide students with a smooth transition from academic concepts to industrial practice. VHDL, the industrial standard language (IEEE-1076), is used as the design entry. Thus the students are forced to learn the practical aspect of writing a synthesizable VHDL code. The hands-on weekly projects are exercised on the integrated CPLD design tool which has VHDL, compiler, logic synthesizer, functional and timing simulator, floor plan editor and programmer. With the help of programmable devices, students can bypass the timing period for IC fabrication and obtain ASIC designs after the devices have been programmed. The VHDL design entry in Maxplus2 is ideal for teaching top-down design methodology. Translating from a given algorithmic state machine (ASM) chart to a synthesizable and efficient VHDL code is presented. Exploiting the VHDL constructs to make a design reusable is demonstrated through examples. In this course, students learn how to partition a complex design into small components and focus on higher level of abstraction and hierarchy in design description which have become desirable to digital systems designers
Keywords :
PLD programming; circuit layout CAD; educational courses; electronic engineering education; hardware description languages; logic CAD; microprogramming; programmable logic devices; teaching; timing; ASIC designs; CPLD; IC fabrication; Maxplus2; VHDL; algorithmic state machine chart; compiler; complex programmable logic devices; floor plan editor; functional simulator; hands-on experiments; hands-on weekly projects; industrial practice; integrated CPLD design tool; logic synthesizer; programmer; reusable design; senior digital design course; synthesizable VHDL code writing; teaching experience; timing simulator; top-down design teaching; Design methodology; Education; Fabrication; Logic design; Logic devices; Program processors; Programming profession; Synthesizers; Timing; Writing;
Conference_Titel :
Frontiers in Education Conference, 1996. FIE '96. 26th Annual Conference., Proceedings of
Conference_Location :
Salt Lake City, UT
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3348-9
DOI :
10.1109/FIE.1996.572899