General Information

Goals

This course is designed to further develop the skills needed to design mixed digital/computer systems. The objective is to develop a body of Verilog code integrated with a custom computer architecture, specifically making use of the capabilities of the Altera DE-2 board. Exercises in video control systems, the audio codec and network interface are also planned.

Topics

  1. Review of Altera DE-2 board, using the buttons, LEDs, and 7-segment displays.
  2. Review of Nios II processor, instantiation, C programming, NIOS console operation
  3. Building a custom CPU that executes Nios II machine code: instruction memory access, ALU instructions, shift instructions, comparison instructions, branch and jumps, data memory access.
  4. Multiplication/division units for custom CPU and associated instructions.
  5. Accessing digital I/O, program control of buttons, LEDs, and 7-segment displays.
  6. Serial communications: LCD display, PS2 keyboard interface, mouse interface.
  7. Video display system – we will be building this from scratch, although there are some Altera demonstrations and examples.
  8. Network programming on the DE-2 board, starting with Altera demos.
  9. Exercising the audio chip.
  10. Student projects

Background

ECE 501 or ECE 444. Some experience using Verilog, C-programming, and assembly language is expected, although these topics will be reviewed as necessary to assure a common body of knowledge.

Grading System

Grades will be based on assignments, class exercises, and projects.

Assignment Information

Assignments will be due on the scheduled day and accepted without penalty before the next regularly scheduled class. Late, unexcused, assignments receive a maximum 70% credit.

References

M. Morris Mano, Digital Design,Third Ed.
Prentice Hall, 2002. ISBN 0-13-062121-8. Mano web page (click on Digital Design book image)

James O. Hamblen and Michael D. Furman, Rapid Prototyping of Digital Systems, Second Edition
Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-7923-7439-8. book web pages

Maintained by John Loomis, last updated 31 May 2011