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Developing the VLSI laboratory for the computer architecture course

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Published:01 March 1996Publication History
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Abstract

The paper presents an alternative way of having a hardware laboratory for the computer architecture course that is taught in every computer science curricula. For institutions like CSUSB, with no College of Engineering, having an actual hardware laboratory will be cost prohibitive. An alternative way is to have a set of computer-aided design (CAD) tools where students can design hardware and then test their designs using simulation. This has been done at CSUSB. By using MAGIC (a VLSI layout design tool) and IRSIM (a functional logic simulator) the VLSI Design Laboratory was developed for the computer architecture course in the Department of Computer Science. The VLSI Design Laboratory was implemented using the machines obtained from a matching equipment grant from IBM which consists of five IBM RS/6000s and 15 XStations. The paper presents how the laboratory complements the lecture and how the students learn the hierarchical design methodology of VLSI circuits. Future directions of the VLSI Design Laboratory are also presented.

References

  1. 1 O.G. Burkes and R.W. Williams, "Magic as a PC Layout Tool for Small Budget VLSI Circuit Design Laboratories," Technical Report, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Vermont, Oct 1990.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  2. 2 E.D. Fabricius, "Introduction to VLSI Design," McGraw- Hill Pub. Co., New York, NY, 1990.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  3. 3 W.S. Scott et. al., "1986 VLSI Tools: Still More Works by the Orional Artists," Tech. Rep.#UCB/CSD 86/272, EECS, UC Berkeley, CA, Dee 1985. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  4. 4 N. Weste and K. Eshraghian, "Principles of CMOS VLSI Design: A Systems Perspective," 2nd Ed., Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., Reading, MA, 1993. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  5. 5 R.W. Williams, "An Undergraduate VLSI CMOS Circuit Design Laboratory," Technical Report, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Vermont, Oct 1990.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

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  1. Developing the VLSI laboratory for the computer architecture course

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      • Published in

        cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
        ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 28, Issue 1
        March 1996
        379 pages
        ISSN:0097-8418
        DOI:10.1145/236462
        Issue’s Table of Contents
        • cover image ACM Conferences
          SIGCSE '96: Proceedings of the twenty-seventh SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
          March 1996
          447 pages
          ISBN:089791757X
          DOI:10.1145/236452

        Copyright © 1996 ACM

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        Association for Computing Machinery

        New York, NY, United States

        Publication History

        • Published: 1 March 1996

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