CSCE 611: Conceptual Modeling Tools for CAD Course goals: –Design and verification methodologies for large-scale digital systems using industrial tools Hardware description language Graphical design environment for assisted HDL design and verification (test benches) –Micro-architecture design MIPS instruction set architecture / assembly language programming MIPS CPU architecture Memory subsystems Bus models / memory interface design Exceptions and interrupts Cache subsystems

Information Catalog Description: –611-Conceptual Modeling Tools for CAD. (3) (Prereq: CSCE 211, 245) Design techniques for logic systems; emphasis on higher-level CAD tools such as hardware description languages and conceptual modeling. Textbooks and Other Required Material: –Course webpage Guided tutorials, manuals, lecture slides, ISA/architecture specifications, and additional information –Chapters 4 and 5 from H&P architecture textbook

Outcomes 1.Design large-scale digital systems using VHDL 2.Perform behavioral verification using test benches and behavioral simulation 3.Write and simulate programs in MIPS assembly language using SPIM (an assembler and simulator) 4.Design a full microprocessor that implements the MIPS instruction set and interfaces a memory system

Topics  Topics Covered:  VHDL digital design flow  Design methodologies and techniques  MIPS instruction set architecture  Microarchitecture design  Test bench design  Memory models  Bus models and interface design  Exceptions and interrupts  Memory hierarchy and cache subsystems

Course Structure Series of 8 lectures spanning approximately ½ of classes Series of 16 custom online tutorials spanning approximately ¼ of classes Approximately ¼ of classes spent during project work with guidance from instructor Lab work: –Lab 1: ALU testbench design –Lab 2: MIPS assembly programming with SPIM assembler/simulator –Lab 3: Multi-cycle CPU design (tested against testbench) –Lab 4: Memory interface and bus design (tested against significant MIPS code) –Lab 5a: Exceptions and interrupts (undergraduate students) –Lab 5b: Primary cache design (graduate students) Final exam: –2 hour practicum, requires design of device given specifications –Involves FSM controller interconnected to registers, counters, logic, etc. –Tests knowledge of test of tools –This semester: packet checksum checker

Student Makeup 11 students –6 graduate All CSE students 2 were formally CIS undergrads (??) 5 masters, 1 Ph.D. –5 undergraduate 1 taking for graduate credit 2 from EE, 3 from CE 6 A’s, 2 B’s, 3 C’s

Student Performance

Goals Not Met The original course outline included an additional signficant project –Pipelined CPU and split primary cache Could not reach due to extra time needed to present basics of assembly language programming, ISA, archiecture, caches, etc. –Possible to move this to 212? FPGA implementation