Objectives

By the end of the lab, students will be able to:

  • Understand the differences between an FPGA and a microcontroller.
  • Develop a minimal computing system using a field-programmable gate array.
  • Program combinational logic circuits to integrate sensors and actuators.
  • Implement a digital system with basic perception and action capabilities.
  • Understand different communication methods/protocols for connecting digital systems.

Skills to Develop During the Semester

Throughout the lab, students will:

  • Design and implement digital systems using combinational logic circuits.
  • Design and develop digital systems that integrate sensors and actuators.
  • Implement digital systems using a hardware description language (HDL).
  • Analyze, identify, and resolve issues in digital systems using verification techniques.
  • Work collaboratively in teams to solve an engineering problem.