Using rapid prototyping to teach the design of complete computing solutions

Sound preparation for a career in computing systems design includes articulation in computer architecture and organization, compiler design, and operating systems. Contemporary instructional approaches towards this collective topic address each of the components in isolation. When taught in isolation, the interaction and trade-offs between the system hardware and the system software, while being critical factors for determining system performance, may not be adequately stressed. This paper presents a course structure which combines computer architecture, computer design, and system software design to convey the principals of constructing contemporary general-purpose computing solutions. Rapid prototyping technology is utilized in the laboratory component of the course for implementing full-custom processors, which are used as platforms for executing and evaluating prototype software.