227-0116-00L VLSI I: From Architectures to VLSI Circuits and FPGAs
| Semester | Autumn Semester 2020 |
| Lecturers | F. K. Gürkaynak, L. Benini |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 227-0116-00 G | VLSI I: From Architectures to VLSI Circuits and FPGAs Lecture: Tue 8 - 10 h Execises: Wed 13 - 16 h or Thu 09 - 12 h The lecturers will communicate the exact lesson times of ONLINE courses. | 5 hrs |
| F. K. Gürkaynak, L. Benini |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | This first course in a series that extends over three consecutive terms is concerned with tailoring algorithms and with devising high performance hardware architectures for their implementation as ASIC or with FPGAs. The focus is on front end design using HDLs and automatic synthesis for producing industrial-quality circuits. |
| Learning objective | Understand Very-Large-Scale Integrated Circuits (VLSI chips), Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), and Field-Programmable Gate-Arrays (FPGA). Know their organization and be able to identify suitable application areas. Become fluent in front-end design from architectural conception to gate-level netlists. How to model digital circuits with SystemVerilog. How to ensure they behave as expected with the aid of simulation, testbenches, and assertions. How to take advantage of automatic synthesis tools to produce industrial-quality VLSI and FPGA circuits. Gain practical experience with the hardware description language SystemVerilog and with industrial Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. |
| Content | This course is concerned with system-level issues of VLSI design and FPGA implementations. Topics include: - Overview on design methodologies and fabrication depths. - Levels of abstraction for circuit modeling. - Organization and configuration of commercial field-programmable components. - FPGA design flows. - Dedicated and general purpose architectures compared. - How to obtain an architecture for a given processing algorithm. - Meeting throughput, area, and power goals by way of architectural transformations. - Hardware Description Languages (HDL) and the underlying concepts. - SystemVerilog - Register Transfer Level (RTL) synthesis and its limitations. - Building blocks of digital VLSI circuits. - Functional verification techniques and their limitations. - Modular and largely reusable testbenches. - Assertion-based verification. - Synchronous versus asynchronous circuits. - The case for synchronous circuits. - Periodic events and the Anceau diagram. - Case studies, ASICs compared to microprocessors, DSPs, and FPGAs. During the exercises, students learn how to model FPGAs with SystemVerilog. They write testbenches for simulation purposes and synthesize gate-level netlists for FPGAs. Commercial EDA software by leading vendors is being used throughout. |
| Lecture notes | Textbook and all further documents in English. |
| Literature | H. Kaeslin: "Top-Down Digital VLSI Design, from Architectures to Gate-Level Circuits and FPGAs", Elsevier, 2014, ISBN 9780128007303. |
| Prerequisites / Notice | Prerequisites: Basics of digital circuits. Examination: In written form following the course semester (spring term). Problems are given in English, answers will be accepted in either English oder German. Further details: https://iis-students.ee.ethz.ch/lectures/vlsi-i/ |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 6 credits |
| Examiners | F. K. Gürkaynak, L. Benini |
| Type | session examination |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | The performance assessment is offered every session. Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit. |
| Mode of examination | written 180 minutes |
| Additional information on mode of examination | Pruefungsaufgaben werden in Englisch vorgegeben, Antworten auf Deutsch oder Englisch akzeptiert. |
| Written aids | Student's own hand-written summary, 6 single-sided A4 papers. No electronic help, no photocopies or printouts of any form, for summary preparation. No calculators or communication devices. |
| This information can be updated until the beginning of the semester; information on the examination timetable is binding. | |
Learning materials
| Main link | Information |
| Only public learning materials are listed. | |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| There are no additional restrictions for the registration. |
