This course gives you a complete insight into the modern design of digital systems fundamentals from an eminently practical point of view. Unlike other more "classic" digital circuits courses, our interest focuses more on the system than on the electronics that support it. This approach will allow us to lay the foundation for the design of complex digital systems.
You will learn a set of design methodologies and will use a set of (educational-oriented) computer-aided-design tools (CAD) that will allow you not only to design small and medium size circuits, but also to access to higher level courses covering so exciting topics as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) design or computer architecture, to give just two examples.
Course topics are complemented with the design of a simple processor, introduced as a transversal example of a complex digital system. This example will let you understand and feel comfortable with some fundamental computer architecture terms as the instruction set, microprograms and microinstructions.
After completing this course you will be able to:
* Design medium complexity digital systems.
* Understand the description of digital systems using high-level languages such as VHDL.
* Understand how computers operate at their most basic level (machine language).
This module is includes a number of general explanations about how the course will run and about the virtual machine you should install on your computer to answer the different quizzes.<br>This module presents a series of tests you can use to check your level of knowledge about numbering systems and the use of pseudocode to describe algorithms.
What's included
3 videos14 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 39 minutes
Course presentation•2 minutes
L0.1. Binary numeration system•19 minutes
L0.2. Algorithm representation in pseudocode•17 minutes
14 readings•Total 140 minutes
Course Organization•10 minutes
Syllabus and bibliography•10 minutes
CHANGES IN COURSERA•10 minutes
Grading policy•10 minutes
Certification•10 minutes
Solving doubts and technical issues•10 minutes
Free for the UAB community•10 minutes
FAQs•10 minutes
About the forums•10 minutes
README•10 minutes
How to install the virtual machine (VM)•10 minutes
FAQs about installing the VM•10 minutes
Table of contents•10 minutes
PDF file•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 44 minutes
Practice quiz 0.1: Numeration systems•30 minutes
Practice quiz 0.2: Pseudocode•14 minutes
What Digital Systems are?
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b>
<br/><br/>This module is an introduction to Digital Systems. Here you will find:<ol><li>A set of videos_L covering issue 1 and the corresponding exercises, </li><li>Two videos_P introducing the processor that we will design along the course, and</li><li>Some video-based explanations; a wiki and some FAQs about how VerilUOC_Desktop tool functions.<br/> You will have to use VerilUOC_Desktop in the next module</li></ol> Read the "Lesson Index" in the "Index and PDF files" section and the "README" in the VerilUOC_Desktop section for more information.
What's included
5 videos3 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 71 minutes
L1.1. Digital systems•12 minutes
L1.2 Digital system description •11 minutes
L1.3 Digital electronic systems•17 minutes
P1.1. Processor: Specification •12 minutes
P1.2. Examples of Programs •20 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
Solved exercises•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Practice quiz 1•30 minutes
Graded quiz 1•30 minutes
Combinational Circuits (I)
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b>
<br/><br/>This module introduces combinational circuits, logic gates and boolean algebra, all of them items necessary to design simple combinational circuits.<br/> Read the "Index of lessons" for more information. <br/><br/><b>To solve the exercises in this module you will need to use VerilUOC_Desktop. Look at the module "VerilUOC_Desktop tools" to learn how to use it.</b>
What's included
5 videos3 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 101 minutes
L2.1. Combinational circuits•23 minutes
L2.2. Boolean Algebra•26 minutes
L2.3. NAND, NOR, XOR, NXOR, TRI-STATE•27 minutes
P2.1. Functional specification •13 minutes
P2.2. Structural specification •11 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
Solved exercises•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Practice quiz 2•30 minutes
Graded quiz 2•30 minutes
VerilUOC_Desktop tools
Module 4•1 hour to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>From this module you will need to use VerilUOC_Desktop to do some of the exercises in the quizzes. VerilUOC_Desktop is a software package based on Logisim, enhanced with a number of modules to enable:<ul><li>Enter Boolean equations (BoolMin),</li><li>Enter digital circuits and check them according the problem statement (VerilCirc), and</li><li>Enter chronograms (time-charts) and check that they are correct (VerilChart).</li></ul>This section contains two videos explaining how these three tools work. By now you only need to use VerilCirc and BoolMin, so if you are pushed for time, you might postpone VerilChart for later. Obviously, it is impossible to cover in these two videos all eventualities you can find while working with VerilUOC_Desktop tools. In case of doubt, look at the VerilUOC_Desktop wiki, look at the FAQs or post your problems in the forums. There are specific forums for VerilCirc, BoolMin and VerilChart.
What's included
2 videos3 readings
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 33 minutes
Introduction to VerilUOC_Desktop (I). Logisim and VerilCirc•21 minutes
Introduction to VerilUOC_Desktop (II). BoolMin and VerilChart•12 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Table of contents•10 minutes
VerilUOC_desktop wiki•10 minutes
VerilUOC_desktop FAQs•10 minutes
Combinational circuits (II)
Module 5•3 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>We continue the study of combinational circuits. While in the previous module we were working on the classical design techniques of combinational circuits, this one is focused on other issues such as a brief introduction to computer aided design tools (CAD tools), or the direct synthesis of combinational circuits from its algorithmic description.<br/> Read the "Lesson index" for more information. <br><br/><b>To solve the exercises in this module VerilUOC_Desktop is needed. </b>Remember that the module "VerilUOC_Desktop tols" contains all the information you need about this tool.
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>Arithmetic circuits are an essential part of many digital circuits and thus deserve a particular treatment. <ul><li> The first part of this module presents some implementations of the basic arithmetic operations. Only operations with naturals (non-negative integers) are considered. </li><li>The second part of this module introduces the basics of VHDL with the goal of providing enough knowledge to understand its usage throughout this course and start developing basic hardware models.</li></ul>
What's included
10 videos9 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 167 minutes
L4.1 Arithmetic blocks•27 minutes
Lecture 4.2 (1outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Lexicon, syntax and structure•9 minutes
Lecture 4.2 (2outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Lexicon, syntax and structure•12 minutes
Lecture 4.3 (1outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Sequential sentences•11 minutes
Lecture 4.3 (2outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Sequential sentences•13 minutes
Lecture 4.4 (1outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Concurrent sentences•12 minutes
Lecture 4.4 (2outof2): Introduction to VHDL - Concurrent sentences•9 minutes
L4.2 Short introduction to VHDL I (OLD VERSION)•22 minutes
L4.3 Short introduction to VHDL II (OLD VERSION)•19 minutes
L4.4 Short introduction VHDL III (OLD VERSION)•33 minutes
9 readings•Total 90 minutes
IMPORTANT - README•10 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
Lesson index (OLD VERSION)•10 minutes
PDF files (OLD VERSION)•10 minutes
IMPORTANT - README•10 minutes
No lecture about the processor in this module . Next video will be P5.1.•10 minutes
About the exercises (README)•10 minutes
Solved exercises - Arithmetic circuits•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Practice quiz 4•30 minutes
Sequential circuits (I)
Module 7•2 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>This is the first module dedicated to Sequential Circuits (Digital Systems with Memory).<br/><b>To solve the quizzes you will need VerilUOC_Desktop</b>.
What's included
7 videos3 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 79 minutes
L5.1 Sequential circuits•11 minutes
L5.2 Explicit functional description•16 minutes
L5.3 Latches and flip-flops•16 minutes
L5.4 Synthesis from tables•9 minutes
L5.5 An example of synthesis•2 minutes
P5.1 Combinational blocks•13 minutes
P5.2 Sequential blocks•12 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
Solved exercises•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Practice quiz 5•10 minutes
Graded quiz 5•30 minutes
Sequential circuits (II)
Module 8•2 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>This second module dedicated to Sequential Circuits deals with particular sequential circuits that are building blocks of larger circuits, namely registers, counters and memory blocks.
What's included
4 videos3 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 59 minutes
L6.1. Registers•18 minutes
L6.2. Counters•16 minutes
L6.3. Memories•15 minutes
P6.1. Sequential blocks (continuation)•11 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
Solved exercises•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Practice quiz 6•30 minutes
Graded quiz 6•30 minutes
Sequential circuits III and Finite State Machines
Module 9•3 hours to complete
Module details
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>This module deals with two topics:
<ol><li>In previous lessons, the relation between algorithms (programming language structures) and combinational circuits has been commented. This relation also exists between algorithms and sequential circuits. We will explore this relation in the current module.</li><li>The second topic we will see is the definition and VHDL modelling of Finite State Machines.</li></ol>
What's included
5 videos4 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 81 minutes
L7.1. Sequential implementation of algorithms•15 minutes
L7.2. Finite state machines•16 minutes
L7.3. Examples of finite state machines•23 minutes
<b><font size=4 color=#B22222><b>Click on "v More" to read the purpose of this module</b></font> </b><br/><br/>This last module presents some basic information about manufacturing technologies, as well as about implementation strategies, and synthesis and implementation tools.
What's included
4 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 47 minutes
L8.1. Physical implementation •10 minutes
L8.2. Implementation strategies and synthesis tools •11 minutes
P8.1. Test •12 minutes
P8.2. Design methods•15 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Lesson index•10 minutes
PDF files•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 38 minutes
Practice quiz 8•8 minutes
Graded quiz 8•30 minutes
COURSE SUMMARY AND FAREWELL
Module 11•1 hour to complete
Module details
´´
What's included
3 readings
Show info about module content
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Farewell•10 minutes
What have we learned?•10 minutes
How can I go deeper into the topic?•10 minutes
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G
GK
5·
Reviewed on Sep 20, 2020
A very good discussion on fundamental considering the focus on application such as design of a processor
S
SA
4·
Reviewed on Jul 10, 2022
The most interesting part of this course, for me, was the graded quiz. It was challenging , but nice.I really learnt a lot.Thank you
S
SN
5·
Reviewed on Mar 20, 2020
Pretty awesome, the course gives you a good understanding of all basic concepts and the practice, extra and graded problems make you intimately familiar with its applications.
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