Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This coursework module is aimed at development of knowledge and skills for highly efficient with respect to power, performance and time to market implementation of signal processing, interfacing and control blocks. The aims of the:


Knowledge, skills and design experience on reconfigurable hardware platforms (FPGA chips) in the context of their Degree Programmes.

Needs of the modern electronics and comms industry following the major design trends outlined in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (current edition).

Consistency in preparation of the students to the Individual Project

Outline Of Syllabus

The module includes lectures, hands-on tutorials and a closely supervised design mini-project, where students work in the laboratory, implementing their designs on an FPGA development board while using industry standard tools. The design example covers an application in signal processing and advanced interfacing.

The lectures cover the basic design principles with VHDL, Intel/Altera development tool, a number of interfaces and signal protocols, FIR filter implementation with VHDL, debugging the design on the FPGA development board, writing a technical report.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Knowledge of reconfigurable hardware platforms (FPGA) in the context of the scope of the respective Degree Programmes.

Needs of the modern electronics industry following the major design trends as outlined in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. (M6)

FPGA architecture

Digital design with VHDL, design methodology (M6)

Industry-standard design tool for FPGA platforms (M12,M13,M16,M17,M18)

Principles of interfacing and standard I2C and MPU protocols

Design of the FIR filter including analysis and implementation of the arithmetic functions with a chosen method of number representation. Precision analysis (M1, M2, M4)

Intended Skill Outcomes

Skills and design experience (application, analysis synthesis and evaluation) on reconfigurable hardware platforms (FPGA) in the

context of the respective Degree Programmes.

Skills of design with VHDL, skills in design methodology

Skills in using the industry standard design tool for FPGA platforms

Skills in implementation of standard interfaces and protocols, simulation, debugging and testing on the development board. (M12,M13,M16,M17,M18)

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

•       Lectures (online materials) provide adequate overview, background, literature sources and introduce the
methodology
•       Hands-on tutorials speed-up the phase of familiarisation with complex software tools.
•       Supervised practicals – this is where the student make the key design decisions in their project
under facilitation and guidance of experienced staff.
•       Unsupervised time in the laboratory/online (included into the Private Study activity) – routine
implementation work.
•       Report writing (included into the Private Study activity) – written communication skill,
•       summarises and organises all learning outcomes. It is also used for assessment.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The written report must fulfil the SOLO criteria for the extended abstract type work. As such, it must contain the following parts: Aims and Objectives, Introduction, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and References. All the learning outcomes defined above must be reflected in the report. The adequate guidance on report writing will be provided by the academic staff.
Up to 50% of the report can be replaced with equivalent content in the form of tables, diagrams, equations and screen shots. Any illustrative material must be adequately integrated and discussed in the main text. The report must include the summary of the results of 3 hours reading of the current edition of ITRS document; the reading time is included into the private study article. The Demo is needed to verify the reported design and contribution by each student in the group.

General Notes

Original Handbook text:
The lecture notes are provided. A student is expected to write a short review of available
publications in the introduction.
J.O. Hamblen, M.D. Furman. Rapid Prototyping of Digital Systems – A Tutorial Approach. Second
Edition. 2001, Kluwer