Teaching
Course Information
CSCE313 Embedded System Design
CSCE491 Capstone Computer System Project
CSCE790 Topics in information technology: an introduction to real-time embedded system design
CSCE818 Low Power Design Methodologies
CSCE513 Computer Architecture
CSCE211 Digital Logic Design
Course Material Development
Project:
CCLI: Novel Instruction Material Development for
Embedded System Education in Undergraduate Curriculum
Funding Source: NSF, $150,000, 3/1/2007 - 2/28/2010
Industrial Support: Xilinx University Program
PI: Dr. Gang Quan Co-PI: Dr. John Bowles
Project Summary:
The primary focus of this three-year project is the development of
laboratory materials for undergraduate students in embedded system design. The
primary goal in developing these materials is to provide the students with
extensive hands-on opportunities to enhance their knowledge and understanding of
advanced concepts and principles in designing current and next-generation
embedded systems using FPGA technology.
FPGA design has a
much short design cycle, lower cost, and a smoother learning curve. In
addition, FPGA devices are programmable and reprogrammable, which makes them
reusable throughout the lab practices and excellent devices to test and
investigate different design alternatives, which makes them much more suitable
to build Intellectual Property (IP) based application-specific systems in an
undergraduate embedded system design course. FPGA devices are also becoming
increasingly popular in industrial embedded system designs where they are often
used to develop a piece of “core” functionality which can then be sold as an IP
component. Therefore, learning to use the tools and design processes for FPGA
based embedded systems will provide students with skills and experiences that
can be readily applied when they begin to compete in the global labor force. We
are developing the instructional materials based on the exemplary materials
provided by Xilinx University Program (XUP). Our previous experiences have shown
that the original material cannot be effectively used in undergraduate embedded
system design course due to two major drawbacks: (1)
the fundamental concepts are usually buried among a plethora of technical
details in the commercial software and hardware environment; (2) the original
material is inadequate and insufficient in terms of scope and topic in
undergraduate embedded system design education. It is therefore our goal to
develop a series of systematic and comprehensive labs and support materials that
are suitable for an undergraduate embedded system design education.