A microprocessor design project in an introductory VLSI course

An introductory very large scale integration (VLSI) design course has been taught at the University of Michigan (USA) since 1980. In 1990, it was redesigned around a simple 8-bit microprocessor project in the format described in this paper; in 1996, the project was updated to a 16 bit reduced instru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on education 2000-08, Vol.43 (3), p.353-361
Main Authors: Brown, R.B., Lomax, R.J., Carichner, G., Drake, A.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Education
Integrated circuits
Microprocessors
Reduced instruction set
Spreads
Students
Very large scale integration
Workload
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Summary:An introductory very large scale integration (VLSI) design course has been taught at the University of Michigan (USA) since 1980. In 1990, it was redesigned around a simple 8-bit microprocessor project in the format described in this paper; in 1996, the project was updated to a 16 bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor. The authors describe the course philosophy, content, and the baseline architecture from which class projects begin. The key features of the course are: close coordination of lectures and project activity; prompt and regular feedback on design work; and a schedule which spreads the workload over the full term. In this course, students learn VLSI fundamentals and good design methodology that will be important throughout their careers.
ISSN:0018-9359
1557-9638
DOI:10.1109/13.865214