Teaching digital systems in the South Africa context

This paper describes the structure of digital and computer system curricula at a university in South Africa and shows how programmable logic is successfully applied in an environment where ASIC designs are not yet feasible. Programmable logic is used in the courses for rapid prototyping of much more complex digital structures, much quicker and easier, than in the past. VHDL is used to describe digital and computer structures at algorithmic level. Stellenbosch University is the first university in Africa to introduce these concepts in engineering courses.