ARM-Based Digital Design and Computer Architecture Curriculum

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

5-12-2020

Publication Title

17th International Conference on Information Technology–New Generations (ITNG 2020)

Publisher

Springer

Publisher Location

Las Vegas, NV

First page number:

363

Last page number:

369

Abstract

Many electrical and computer engineering and computer science students take an introductory digital design course followed by a computer architecture course. This paper describes a curriculum to support these courses that culminates in designing a simplified ARM® microprocessor on an FPGA. We also wrote a supporting textbook to help other instructors interested in teaching such a course. The textbook includes supplementary hands-on labs and exercises. Our experience is that enabling students to understand a microprocessor from the underlying gates and microarchitecture all the way up to the assembly and programming levels empowers them to fully understand both computer architecture as well as the design of complex digital systems.

Keywords

Engineering education; Digital design; ARM processor; Microprocessor; FPGA; Computer architecture

Disciplines

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Language

English

UNLV article access

Share

COinS