Using the WWW in advanced digital design courses

Modern digital design requires a knowledge of programmable logic devices (PLDs). PLD technology is changing so fast it is difficult to keep up with new PLD architectures and devices. Companies are continually changing their products and buying other companies. It has been difficult to keep up-to-date data books for students to use in design. It is also important to be using PLDs that have not been discontinued. The World Wide Web (WWW) has helped solve the problem in the advanced digital system design course (ECE 487) at Utah State University. Last Fall I noticed that some PLD companies had developed home pages on the WWW. I decided to use the WWW as the major resource for finding information about PLD companies and trends. Up to this point I personally kept current in the field of PLDs and had a large collection of data books. The WWW dramatically changed the class. Students were using it to find all of their information. This paper describes how the WWW was used in the digital design class and the results of how well it worked. It also suggests how it could be used for other courses.