VALID: custom ASIC verification and FPGA education platform

Abstract

Abstract

Innovative Teaching of IC Design and Manufacture Using the Superchip Platform

“…One route is to use an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based approach [4], and this is now pervasive in most, if not all, EE curricula at undergraduate level. Another popular approach is to develop a set of individual modules that cover the whole range of VLSI activities including IC layout, schematic design, simulation, synthesis and fabrication, for example in the Canadian Model [5] by Serra et al This approach has been adopted by numerous universities worldwide in some form or other [6], [7] with this university being no exception.…”

An FPGA-Based Daughtercard for TI’s C6000 family of DSKs

“…Originally designed to be a companion to the C6x DSK board, we are investigating the daughtercard's use in other courses where we will be targeting the heterogeneous environment it provides. The FPGA-daughtercard, synergistic with the recent VALID initiative at Rice [5], will also help teach students FPGA design. Together with Connexions [6], an opensource e-publishing and courseware platform, the project will make system-design curriculum more accessible and interesting for students.…”