An Fpga Based Embedded System Design Laboratory For The Undergraduate Computer Engineering Curriculum

The primary focus of this project is the development of FPGA-based materials and practices for an undergraduate embedded system design laboratory. FPGA-based devices are especially well suited for building application-specific systems in an undergraduate embedded system design course due to their comparatively low cost, shorter design cycles and reusability. The laboratory platform uses an FPGA as the hardware substrate onto which students configure and subsequently reconfigure IP core modules using modern embedded system development tools and processes. The course materials are based on exemplary materials presented in recent Xilinx XUP Professor Workshops on embedded system design and are engrained with state-of-the-art concepts and technology applied to emerging methodologies for embedded system design. Student assessments of the course and their own learning have been exceptionally positive.