The microprocessor as a microcosm: a hands-on approach to VLSI design education

Introductory very large scale integration (VLSI) design courses face a tension between teaching good design practices by example and giving students the freedom to learn for themselves through open-ended team design projects. On one hand, guiding students through implementation of a well-planned chip is an efficient way to teach design and verification methods, CAD flow, and proper use of datapaths, arrays, and synthesized logic. On the other hand, permitting students to select and carry out a design project of their own choice through tapeout is very motivational and provides a deeper mastery. The author has developed a new undergraduate VLSI course at Harvey Mudd College that reconciles this conflict by packing a complete set of microprocessor design labs into the first five weeks, leaving the remainder of the semester for a major team-based design project.