{"title":"Experiences Teaching Functional Verification Techniques with Practical Designs","authors":"Tun Li, Yang Guo, Sikun Li, Wei Dong, Rangyu Deng","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.38","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.38","url":null,"abstract":"With the growing complexity of modern VLSI designs, functional verification has become one of the bottleneck meeting the time-to-market requirement. Despite the high number of courses offered in recent years in functional verification (FV), we could not find a course covering all aspects of FV, especially in training students gaining hands-on experience of both commercial and academic tools with industrial designs. In this paper, we describe the activities at the National University of Defense Technology (College of Computer Science & Technology) in providing a course for graduate students in FV. Our goal in designing this course is to provide a strong theoretically and practical background to students by covering all aspects of FV, and experience verification with practical designs.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"85 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124995986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Bercu, L. Montès, P. Morfouli, Nathalie Mathieu
{"title":"Simulation and 3D Characterization of Microsystems","authors":"B. Bercu, L. Montès, P. Morfouli, Nathalie Mathieu","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.75","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.75","url":null,"abstract":"To add more functionalities to microelectronic circuits, microsystems offer growing number of applications. An advanced practical work that combines simulation and optical characterization of microsystems is presented in this paper. It emphases through simulation and characterization results the different characteristics of some of the most utilized microsystems.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"146 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123738140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Capstone Design Project for a Ubiquitous Sensor Network","authors":"N. Chang, Younghyun Kim","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.27","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.27","url":null,"abstract":"Ubiquitous sensor networks (USNs) are one of the most important areas, and thus range of relevant research results have been introduced. Hands-on experiments of a ubiquitous sensor network prototype thus give a great opportunity for students to understand necessary theory and technology, covering embedded system design, network theory, RF (radio frequency) signal processing, and so on, which well exceed the scope of undergraduate study. However, implementation of only a part of functions using well-designed evaluation platforms is not generally appropriate to fulfill students' motivation and achievement. In this paper, we introduce a successful example of an undergraduate capstone design project that designs and implements ubiquitous sensor network base station controller and monitoring program. Our prerequisite courses provide substantial background for embedded system hardware design and implementation, wireless network, and embedded software, so that the students do not suffer from lack of implementation techniques rather than their creativity and challenges for the design goal. In addition, the capstone design project course has one-to-one mentor-mentee relation with companies, specifically with Samsung Data System for this project. As a result, the USN monitoring system is awarded Golden Prize from Korean Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy in 2006, through a national- wide competition.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123013391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Herruzo, J. Benítez, Ricardo Quislant, E. Zapata, O. Plata
{"title":"Simulating a Reconfigurable Cache System for Teaching Purposes","authors":"E. Herruzo, J. Benítez, Ricardo Quislant, E. Zapata, O. Plata","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.74","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.74","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a tool that simulates a reconfigurable cache whose parameters can be changed at runtime through a special instruction at the ISA level. The tool was developed through a series of laboratory exercises in computer architecture. The proposed tool simulates a cache system that can be reconfigured within a variety of 298 combinations of C, W and L (cache capacity, block size and number of blocks per set) without changing its architecture. The students are introduced to reconfigurable hardware architecture while refreshing their knowledge on computer architecture issues like digital design, register transfer level and computer system level.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128639315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Student-Specified versus Instructor-Specified Projects: A Comparison of Outcomes","authors":"E. Hughes","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.78","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.78","url":null,"abstract":"Microcomputer systems (EGRE 364) is an introductory level course that addresses basic concepts of computer organization, microprocessor instruction sets and architectures, assembly language programming, the function of computer memory and I/O subsystems. The course culminates in group design projects based on the Atmel family of microcontrollers. Historically, students propose and write the specifications for the projects that their self-selected group will implement. For the past two years, students have been given pre-specified \"canned\" projects from which to choose. This paper discusses course outcomes under two different formats.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"55 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127698096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Design and Implementation of a Minuscule General Purpose Processor in an Undergraduate Computer Architecture Course","authors":"A. Chidanandan, J. Mellor, L. Merkle","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.31","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes a project for an introductory computer architecture class. The project involves designing and implementing a \"miniscule\" processor that can run programs within certain boundaries. In this paper, we describe the goals of the project, the process, and the challenges faced by students in successfully completing the project.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"116 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134512192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Challenges and Innovations in Microelectronics Education in Developing Nations","authors":"N. Ekekwe, Chinyeaka Ekenedu","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.28","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.28","url":null,"abstract":"The microelectronics educational contents of schools in the developing nations lag behind those in the developed nations. From design synthesis to characterization of microchips, these schools lack the equipment and computer aided design (CAD) tools required for quality VLSI (very large scale integration) education. For sustainable economic prosperity, development of the semiconductor industry is important owing to its huge global impacts. The abilities of these nations to train 21st century ready workforce would not only help them but would increase the global pool of skilled manpower. This paper discusses the challenges faced by these nations and the innovative ways they can utilize industry standard freely available or low cost CAD tools to educate their students. An adder is designed using one of these CAD tools.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"45 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122388083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leveraging FPGA Technology for Digital Logic and Embedded Systems Education","authors":"Stephen Brown","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.61","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.61","url":null,"abstract":"Advances in technology create both opportunities and challenges in the evolution of the teaching curriculums for Electrical and Computer Engineering programs. This talk will focus on the topics of digital logic, microprocessors, and embedded systems. FPGA technology and the related CAD tools provide new opportunities to evolve these courses so that students obtain more hands-on experience, and learn about the design flows that are actually used for developing commercial products. However, while leveraging this technology it is also crucial to ensure that the curriculums retain solid coverage of the fundamental concepts. Without these concepts, students will be unlikely to develop an intuitive understanding of the nature of logic circuits or processors. Such students will lack the ability to develop robust, efficient circuits, or to make efficient use of processors and related peripherals. Furthermore, these students will lack the ability to debug any non-obvious problems that may occur in a design flow. We will examine these pedagogical issues and discuss whether it is possible to juxtapose the new technology with classical concepts to achieve the best of both worlds.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121219643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Educational Tool for Design Automation of CMOS Cells","authors":"A. Ziesemer, C. Lazzari, R. Reis","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.19","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a didactic tool that makes possible the automatic generation of full layouts of CMOS cells from its transistor level netlist in SPICE format. The tool allows the creation or modification of the netlist of a CMOS cell, including transistor sizing. It also let the user to quickly see the layout resulting after each modification. The tool does generate the cells in the linear matrix layout style and can automatically apply folding in the transistors when it is needed. Additionally, it is included a layout editor to allow the visualization of the generated layout.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116834522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rapid Prototyping Course on Mobile Computer Systems","authors":"A. Smailagic, D. Siewiorek","doi":"10.1109/MSE.2007.71","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/MSE.2007.71","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes a project based multi-disciplinary design course focusing on rapid prototyping of mobile computer systems. The class provides a unique experimental testbed, covering the full engineering design process. We built a novel input device integrated with a wearable computer system for aircraft technicians that combines training material and interactive electronic technical manuals. Integration of the input device and wearable computer with the application is also described.","PeriodicalId":129071,"journal":{"name":"2007 IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Systems Education (MSE'07)","volume":"60 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127048099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}