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FPGA Capstone: Building FPGA Projects

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FPGA Capstone: Building FPGA Projects

This course is part of FPGA Design for Embedded Systems Specialization

Instructor: Timothy Scherr

9,003 already enrolled

Included with Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

26 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

26 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Create a working FPGA design using Quartus Prime and run it on an evaluation board
Understand and practice all aspects of FPGA development, including conception, design, implementation, and debugging.
Create in the FPGA a working system on a chip design with Nios II soft processor, RAM and FLASH memory, and several peripherals.
Become familiar with the FGPA development flow, particularly in the case of a SoC with software development flow included.

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

Build toward a degree

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the FPGA Design for Embedded Systems Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This course will give you hands-on FPGA design experience that uses all the concepts and skills you have developed up to now. You will need to purchase a DE10-Lite development kit. You will setup and test the MAX10 DE10-Lite board using the FPGA design tool Quartus Prime and the System Builder.

You will: Design and test a Binary Coded Decimal Adder. Design and test a PWM Circuit, with verification by simulation. Design and test an ADC circuit, using Quartus Prime built-in tools to verify your circuit design. Create hardware for the NIOS II soft processor, including many interfaces, using Qsys (Platform Designer). Instantiate this design into a top-level DE10-Lite HDL file. Compile your completed hardware using Quartus Prime. Enhance and test a working design, using most aspects of the Quartus Prime Design Flow and the NIOS II Software Build Tools (SBT) for Eclipse. Create software for the NIOS II soft processor, including many interfaces, using Qsys (Platform Designer) and the SBT. Compile your completed software using the SBT. Use Quartus Prime to program both the FPGA hardware configuration and software code in you DE10-Lite development kit. Record all your observations in a lab notebook pdf. Submit your project files and lab notebook for grading. This course consists of 4 modules, approximately 1 per week for 4 weeks. Each module will include an hour or less of video lectures, plus reading assignments, discussion prompts, and project assignment that involves creating hardware and/or software in the FPGA. This course includes specific hardware and software requirements. Please review the FAQ below for complete details.

In this module you will begin your hands-on exploration of FPGA design by setting up a target board, the DE10-Lite based on the MAX10 Intel Altera FPGA. In this module you will  Setup and test the MAX10 board using the FPGA design tool Quartus Prime and the System Builder.  Design and test a Binary Coded Decimal Adder Record all your observations in a lab notebook pdf.  Submit your project files and lab notebook for grading. Completing this module will help prepare you for the work to be done in the modules that follow.

What's included

5 videos7 readings1 assignment6 programming assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

5 videosTotal 15 minutes

FPGA Capstone: Building FPGA Projects Course Introduction3 minutes
Capstone Project: Starting FPGA Design2 minutes
Board Setup and Test2 minutes
Expected Outcomes for Module 15 minutes
Tips for Success4 minutes

7 readingsTotal 91 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support1 minute
Non-Credit Students: Welcome and Where to Find Help10 minutes
Hardware & Software Requirements10 minutes
How to Purchase the DE10-Lite Development Kit10 minutes
FPGA Captstone: Building FPGA Projects Assessment Strategy10 minutes
Module 1 Project Guide30 minutes
Lab Notebook Template20 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 1 Quiz30 minutes

6 programming assignmentsTotal 390 minutes

Module 1 Project: Altera MAX10 Hardware Setup90 minutes
C4M1P160 minutes
C4M1P290 minutes
C4M1P360 minutes
C4M1P460 minutes
C4M1P530 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Module 1 Lab Notebook60 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Introduce Yourself10 minutes

The goal of this module is to develop a mixed-signal system. You will construct hardware that uses the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) inputs and Pulse Width Modulate (PWM) outputs to make a voltage measuring instrument. In this module you will  Create a working design, using most aspects of the Quartus Prime Design Flow.  Design and test a PWM Circuit, with verification by simulation.  Design and test an ADC circuit, using Quartus Prime built-in tools to verify your circuit design.  Record all your observations in a lab notebook pdf.  Submit your project files and lab notebook for grading. Completing this module will help prepare you for the work to be done in the modules that follow.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment2 programming assignments1 peer review

The goal of this module is to develop the hardware for a System on a Chip (SoC). You will construct hardware that creates a NIOS II soft processor along with several interfaces to devices on the DE10-Lite development kit. In this module you will  Create a working design, using most aspects of the Quartus Prime Design Flow.  Create hardware for the NIOS II soft processor, including many interfaces, using Qsys (Platform Builder). Instantiate this design into a top-level DE10-Lite HDL file.  Compile your completed hardware using Quartus Prime.  Record all your observations in a lab notebook.  Submit your project files and lab notebook for grading. Completing this module will provide a platform for the work to be done in the module that follows.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment1 programming assignment1 peer review

The goal of this module is to develop the software for a System on a Chip (SoC). You will build software for a NIOS II soft processor you built in Module 3, using several interfaces to devices on the DE10-Lite development kit as well. In this module you will  Enhance and test a working design, using most aspects of the Quartus Prime Design Flow and the NIOS II Software Build Tools (SBT) for Eclipse.  Create software for the NIOS II soft processor, including many interfaces, using Qsys (Platform Builder) and the SBT.  Compile your completed software using the SBT.  Use Quartus Prime to program both the FPGA hardware configuration and software code in you DE10-Lite development kit. You will then test your new embedded system.  Record all your observations in a lab notebook pdf.  Submit your project files and lab notebook for grading. Completing this module will finish your work for this course.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment1 programming assignment1 peer review

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Build toward a degree

This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(11 ratings)

Timothy Scherr

University of Colorado Boulder

5 Courses120,621 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Reviewed on Jan 25, 2022

In general a good course structure and content. It lacks support on question and exercises.

Reviewed on Nov 1, 2024

It is a great course to learn everything about FPGA, VHDL and Verilog.

Reviewed on May 28, 2021

Requires knowledge of FPGA design flow (make sure to take 3 courses before this one), great practical tasks that complete the whole specialization.

View more reviews

Frequently asked questions

System Requirements

● Computer capable of running the required FPGA development tools

● Supported operating systems

● Windows 10 or 11

● Recent Linux OS (for example RHEL 6.5, CentOS 6.5 or later), either native or in a virtual machine under Windows 8 or 10

● At least 8 GB of RAM

● At least 20 GB of free disk space to download and install Quartus Prime Lite 16.1, ModelSim 16.1, programmer tools, and course project files

Hardware Requirements

The DE10-Lite board is required because this course includes hardware-based implementation and testing that cannot be completed through simulation alone.

Recommended Hardware Board

● Terasic DE10-Lite

● Terasic DE10-Lite product page (Academic price ~$82)

Software Requirements

Ability to install the following FPGA development tools provided in the course (Windows versions):

● Quartus Prime Lite Edition 16.1

● ModelSim Intel FPGA Edition 16.1

● Quartus Programmer and device support files (MAX 10 and Cyclone device families)

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.