Every student makes his own microprocessor
Dirk Jansen, Benjamin Dusch · 2014
This paper presents the actual curriculum and goals of education in digital system design at the University of Applied Sciences, Offenburg, Germany. In a master course, following a seminar style, students are guided in their own development of a tiny microprocessor in 6 concluding tasks during no more than 10 weeks, using modern design tools. They follow a top down flow from specification via VHDL programming, simulation, synthesis to FPGA and final emulation on hardware. The students are getting deep insight into actual computer architecture, how processors are working, the interdependence of hard- and software as well as into the software tool chain, used to program this device via C-Language. The course is running now the 5th time with increasing interest and number of students.