Entry requirements

120 credits including basic course in digital electronics (especially state machines) and programming.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• account for the syntax and behaviour of the VHDL language
• use modern development tools to design complex digital circuits
• simulate and make a synthesis of extensive designs in so called "Field Programmable Gate Array" (FPGA:er).

Content

• Introduction: Overview of different design styles and abstraction methods.
• VHDL: The program language aspects for modelling and specification. The abstraction levels of the VHDL language. Components. Instantiation. Parallel expressions (if, case wait and loops). Functions and Procedures.
• Design tools: From simple VHDL editors to graphical editors, simulators and tools for synthesis of VHDL descriptions for FPGA circuits.
• Laboratory work: Related to basic components that are used for example in so called embedded systems.
• Projects: A relatively extensive project in simulation and synthesis to achieve a non-trivial (industry relevant) design in a FPGA. Final exercise: How completed design blocks (so called IPs) can be used to achieve extensive circuit solutions in FPGAs and how to put together a so-called System On a Programmable Chip where an advanced processor is put together and is tested using the C programming language.

Instruction

Lectures, lab-exercises and a project.

Assessment

Project Work with report and individual review in examination form through a simple VHDL-design.

Other directives

The number of course participant is restricted to 20 persons per course period. Selections: Grades on qualifying courses.