An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) device is a semi-custom integrated circuit (IC) that contains an array of programmable (configurable) logic blocks and programmable (configurable) interconnects that connect the logic blocks. FPGAs have undergone phenomenal advances in capacity and complexity during the past few years, and have transformed into most flexible and domain-specific platforms for many applications. Such advances, along with the skyrocketing costs of nano silicon processes and the ever-shrinking time-in-market window continue to successfully help FPGAs erode ASIC and ASSP market shares.
The objective of this course is to introduce students to advanced digital design using VHDL/Verilog for FPGAs. We start with fundamental concepts of FPGAs and focus on practical aspects of FPGA-based digital design later on. Students will learn various FPGA design approaches, such as HDL-, schematic-, and C/DSP-based methods. The final segment of the class covers special topics that identify current trends in FPGA technologies. The design and implementation tools used throughout the course include Quartus Prime and ModelSim. Hands-on experience is gained by implementing various designs and a comprehensive project on an Intel (Altera) FPGA development board. Please check the course schedule of topics for more details.