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Digital technology roadmap

Digital Circuits & Systems

Chapter 1: Combinational

circuits

The theory basics and the classic 74 series / CMOS (SSI

& MSI) Chapter 2: FSM

Chapter 3: Dedicated processors

Advanced optional subjects or research

Chapter 4: Microcontrollers

(µC)

Systems on Programmable

Chip (SoPC)

Systems on Chip (SoC) &

ASICS(GA)

The versatile GAL22V10

(500 logic gates)

Altera/Lattice/Xilinx CPLD and FPGA

(2,5k – 100k logic gates)

Large Altera/Lattice/Xilinx

FPGA

(>100k logic gates)

PIC16/18 family

of microcontrollers

Introductory circuits & FSM

Application specific digital systems

(Datapath + control unit)

Digital processors and subsystems (peripherals)

Large volume of production

Professional applications in

Telecommunications Systems and Telematics

Schematics

&

VHDL

VHDL & C

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2

Programmable logic devices and

VHDL

Microcontrollers

CSD competencies

EnglishEnglish

Oral and written communication

Oral and written communication

Team workTeam work

Self-directed learningSelf-directed learning

Project managementProject management

Lab skills

(Systematically design, analyse, simulate, implement, measure, report, present, publish on the web and reflect about … digital circuits and systems using state-of-the-art digital programmable devices, CAD/EDA software tools and laboratory equipment

And show all your achievements constructing your ePortfolio

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CSD systematic instructional design

Learning objectives and cross-curricular

skills

Activities and study time scheduling

After completing the course students have

to be able to …

Active methodologies

Continuous formative and summative

assessment

Course evaluation Coherence and

consistency

In and out of class timetable, problem-based learning, application project

Cooperative Learning, integrated learning of content and cross-curricular skills, Learning by doing

Individual and group assessing, every work sample counts and can be improved, group e-portfolio

Student questionnaires, and instructors processing

Repeated every term

Systematic procedures for solving assignments (plan, develop, simulate, prototype, measure, report)

No need of traditional exams

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Learning objectives

Chapter 1

Combinational circuits

Chapter 1

Combinational circuits

Chapter 2

Finite state machines

Chapter 2

Finite state machines

Chapter 3

Digital processor

Chapter 3

Digital processor

Chapter 4

Microcontrollers

Chapter 4

Microcontrollers

#6, #7, #8, #10

Cross-curricular objectives: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

#9, #10, #11

#10, #12

#13, #14, #15

http://epsc.upc.edu/projectes/ed/CSD/index_CSD.html

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Chapter 1

Combinational circuits

(35 h) – 1.4 ECTS

Chapter 1

Combinational circuits

(35 h) – 1.4 ECTS

• Proteus-ISIS (Labcenter)

• Minilog, IC prog

• WolframAlpha

• VHDL

• ModelSim (Mentor

Graphics), Active HDL (Aldec)

• ISim (Xilinx)

• Synplicity Synplify synthesis (Synopsys)

• Altera Integrated Synthesis

• XST (Xilinx Synthesis tools)

CSD specific contentChapter 2

Finite state machines

(FSM)

(23h) – 0.92 ECTS

Chapter 2

Finite state machines

(FSM)

(23h) – 0.92 ECTS

Chapter 3

Digital processor

(Datapath + control unit)

(23h) – 0.92 ECTS

Chapter 3

Digital processor

(Datapath + control unit)

(23h) – 0.92 ECTS

Chapter 4

Microcontrollers

(C)

(69h) – 2.76 ECTS

Chapter 4

Microcontrollers

(C)

(69h) – 2.76 ECTS

• Quartus II (Altera)

• ispLEVER Starter or Classic (Lattice Semiconductor)

• ISE (Xilinx)

• Proteus-VSM (Labcenter)

• MPLAB (Microchip)

• HI-TECH C Compiler for PIC10/12/16 MCUs (Lite mode) (Microchip)

• Classic IC’s

• sPLD GAL22V10• ispLEVER Classic

• Programmable logic devices (CPLD and FPGA) from Altera, Lattice, Xilinx

• Training boards (UP2, DE2, Spartan 3AN Starter Kit, MachXO USB Starter Kit, NEXYS 2, etc.

• PIC 16F/18F family of microcontrollers

• Training boards PICDEM2+, etc.

Laboratory skills: signal generators, oscilloscopes, logic analysers, debuggers/programmers, etc. …Laboratory skills: signal generators, oscilloscopes, logic analysers, debuggers/programmers, etc. …

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Oral and written communication

Oral and written communication

• Microsoft Office

• Visio 2010

• Thunderbird

• CMapTools

• Gantt diagrams

CSD generic tools

EnglishEnglish Self-directed learning

Self-directed learning

Team work

Team work

• Google docs

• Google sites

• Web editing tools

• Proofing tools

• Google translate

• etc.

Project management

Project management

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Planning activities and study time in and out of the classroom (6

ECTS – 150 h)Activities(~problem solving all

the time)

Exercises (EX1 .. EX4)

Exercises (EX1 .. EX4)

Application project

Application project

Individual test

(IT1 .. IT4)

Individual test

(IT1 .. IT4)

ePortfolioePortfolio

Weekly study planWeekly study plan

Problem solving teamwork session at classroom (2 h)

Problem solving teamwork session at classroom (2 h)

Problem solving teamwork session at classroom /

laboratory (1 h)*

Problem solving teamwork session at classroom /

laboratory (1 h)*

Student-conducted teamwork sessions

(>6h)

Student-conducted teamwork sessions

(>6h)

Extra individual workExtra individual work

Gu

ided

learnin

g

Gu

ided

learnin

g

11.5 h per

week

11.5 h per

week

6 ECTS 6 ECTS

Problem solving teamwork session at laboratory (2 h)

Problem solving teamwork session at laboratory (2 h)

Self-d

irected

learnin

gS

elf-directed

learn

ing

13 weeks

13 weeks

* Guided academic activities

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Exercises and calendar on the CSD web

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The CSD Blog

http://digsys.upc.es/wp/wordpress/

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Activities Design of real world applications

Design using PLD/VHDL

Design using microcontrollers

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The content on the CSD web (units) is focused on problem solving

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Course timetable

AP: project

IM: improvementA : assessmentEX : exercise/problem

eP: e-portfolio IT: Individual unannounced test

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Cooperative Learning as the instructional method

• Positive interdependenceTeam members are obliged to rely on one another to achieve their common goal

• Individual accountabilityAll students in a group are held accountable for doing their share of the work and for mastery of all of the content to be learned

• Face-to-face promotive interactionGroup members providing one another with feedback, challenging one another’s conclusions and reasoning, and teaching and encouraging one another

• Appropriate use of collaborative skills Students are encouraged and helped to develop and practice skills in communication, leadership, decision-making, conflict management, and other aspects of effective teamwork

• Regular self-assessment of group functioningTeam members periodically assess what they are doing well as a team and what they need to work on for functioning more effectively in the future

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A typical 2-hour group work session

Questions from previous sessions or exercises

Introduction of new concepts or materials (generally, the problem to be designed)

Group work for revising concepts and planning exercises

Questions, discussion and general orientations

Group work for developing exercises

Conclusions and planning for the student-directed sessions outside the classroom

Up to 15 minutes

Up to 15 minutes

30 minutes

Up to 15 minutes

30 minutes

15 minutes

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A semi structured group e-portfolio organised to show your learning process and results

Cooperative group ePortfolio and instructor’s feedback

16An excellent way for showing evidence of what you’ve learnt

An ePortfolio organised according the subject’s cross-curricular skills to show your achievements (http://electronicportfolios.com/balance)

Showcase ePortfolio

Table of contents 1. Course, purpose, audience and structure 2. A list of hardware/software tools and laboratory equipment and examples on the way you’ve been using them

3. Work samples and reflection for the cross-curricular skills 1. 3rd language (English) 1. An active reading of a paper or a book unit 2. A written assignment in English 3. Exam solution 2. Team work 1. Learning an electronic design automation (EDA) tool in group 2. An example of a group assignment 3. Oral and written communication 1. A concept prepared to learn the design flow for a digital circuit 2. A peer-reviewed written assignment 3. An oral presentation in class

4. Self-directed learning/project management 1. Example of a project organisation and development 2. Example of a unit or lesson studied autonomously. General reflection and conclusions

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Assessment is not a mechanism for verifying student knowledge, but an stimulus to guarantee that (motivated) students will do the group tasks which lead them to learn the content and skills

Student assessment

Every piece of work counts for the final grade

• Final exams are no longer needed

Assessment is another learning activity integrated in the course dynamics ePortfolio

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Assessment scheme

%AP%eP%AP%IT%EXQ 10&15202530

Exercises

+Individual

test

+ Application Project

+e-Portfolio

+

Participation and attitude

6 deliverables with optional improvement

4 individual “unannounced

” exams

Includes an oral presentation and a written report

Rubrics and examples from previous terms, facilitates assessing and giving fast feedback

Examples to demonstrate content

learning, cross-curricular skills

development and reflection

Continuous assessment: you’ll always know where you are and what you have to do to improve

Ep1: Week 9, 5%

Ep2: Week 14 , 10%

Oral: 12.5%

Written doc: 7.5%

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Assessment scheme

Exercises (30%)Individual Test (25%)

EX1A , EX1B, EX1C IT1

A remark on the Exercises assessment: There is a link between the IT and the EX:

EX2 IT2

EX3 IT3

EX4 IT4

The EX will have a preliminary group grade. In order to get its final grade, students have to pass the corresponding IT. If a given student fail its IT, its EX will be graded with a “4”.

At week 9 there will be another opportunity to pass or improve IT1 and IT2. IT3 and 4 can be assessed again at week 14.

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Course evaluation and processing

Learning objectives and cross-curricular

skills

Activities and study time scheduling

Active methodologies

Continuous formative and summative

assessment

Course evaluation Coherence and

consistencyStudent questionnaires, and instructors processing

This quality cycle has to be repeated every term

The evaluation’s aim is to prepare a plan with specific actions to improve teaching in upcoming courses (problems redesigning, timetable scheduling, workload, teaching materials, new software, demonstration exercises, etc.)

CSD WEB page