ELPE1400 Digital Technology Course description

Although many physical processes in daily life have continuous analog nature, information is mostly digitized, processed and almost entirely stored using digital format in electronic systems. Digital technology has been transforming all aspects of life for decades, and this trend will continue in the foreseeable future. It is almost impossible to find an electronic device or even a machinery in the present day that does not embody digital technology.

This course introduces digital number systems, Boolean algebra and logic principles, which are the basis of modern digital systems. Combinational and sequential logic design flows are covered in detail, from problem definition to design verification. Familiarity with design and application of digital building blocks is obtained, including gates, multiplexers, code converters, arithmetic units, registers, counters, finite state machines, and at an introductory level, memory technologies. In-class discussions on digital design establish an introductory framework for basic electronic engineering metrics such as cost, performance, and power dissipation. Theory is reinforced with lab exercises, through which simple to complex digital systems are progressively designed, verified, implemented, and tested in the lab using Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) tools and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Lab examples present concepts associated with hardware modeling and design of common constituents in neural network accelerators in Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, recurring in automation, medical technology, and many other fields.

No requirements over and above the admission requirements.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• Has knowledge of number systems and Boolean algebra;
• has knowledge of methods for analysing and designing combinational and sequential digital circuits,
• has knowledge of the most commonly used small- and medium-sized digital building blocks and knows how to use them,
• is familiar with interaction of design decisions with common design metrics such as cost, performance and power dissipation,
• has knowledge of digital design flow using FPGAs.

Skills

The student is capable of:

• Reading and understanding a logic circuit diagram and performing troubleshooting;
• discussing a logic circuit solution and explaining how it works,
• using manufacturer manuals and datasheets,
• designing digital circuits of medium complexity and verifying the solution.

General competence

The student:

• has knowledge of the structure and functioning of digital circuits;
• is capable of analysing a problem of digital nature, and specifying a logic solution method,
• is capable of discussing different solution methods to logic design,
• is capable of executing a full design flow on FPGA (design, entry using schematic and hardware description language (HDL), verification using testbenches, basic timing analysis, basic power dissipation analysis, programming, testing).

Lectures, homework, CAD exercises and laboratory work, including a project report.

It is necessary to satisfy the following requirement before the student can take the final written exam:

• A passing aggregate lab score collected from 5 lab experiments that include one term project (in total 30-40 pages, approximately 50 hours of total work load);
• five compulsory hand-in exercises (2-4 pages, approximately 4 hours on each exercise).

Individual written exam, 3 hours.

The exam result can be appealed.

In the event of a resit or rescheduled exam, an oral examination may be used instead. In case an oral exam is used, the examination result cannot be appealed.

None.

Grade scale A-F.

One internal examiner. External examiners are used regularly.