Integrating electronics in computer science under curricula constraints, a comparative study

Abstract

With the increasing popularity of Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Hardware Description Languages, and software synthesis tools, on one end of the spectrum one can complete the design of a CPU at a behavioral level in a first course in digital design. Much of the intricate design decisions are left for the synthesis tools and minimal knowledge is gained by the student. On the other end, the design of the CPU is done using MSI chips that require detailed knowledge gained from several courses in electronics.