Personal-computer based digital and analog VLSI design laboratories

A goal in the Electrical Engineering Division at Alfred has been to expand the VLSI curriculum to a pyramid of courses structured to teach the students VLSI design from several aspects. Emphasis of the new VLSI design curriculum is on design methodologies and specific applied design paradigms. The VLSI tools are used solely on personal computers, and the courses are designed so the instructor can teach the laboratories with little or no computer technical assistance. The laboratories are designed so that 1-2 faculty can be used with help from workstudy students. The introductory course is offered to both juniors and seniors. Students taking the course in their junior year have the advantage of more detailed VLSI design experience in their senior year. Expansion of VLSI design increases the student's proficiency in analog design using full custom design and digital design using synthesis tools and Verilog HDL. In the VLSI special topics course, student work as a single group on a design problem and emphasis is on design methodologies, time to market strategies, design for testability and design for quality.