Hands-on teaching of embedded systems design using FPGA-Based tPad development kit

Modern embedded systems design relies on heavy use of Intellectual Property (IP) and involves both hardware and software design. Moreover, three is an increasing unitization of a diverse set of I/O ports in embedded systems including video, audio, Ethernet, etc. In order to reflect these trends in education in a hands-on manner, a platform is needed that allows fast integration of hardware and software, rapid prototyping capability, and rich IP library covering processor cores, I/O interface standards, arithmetic and signal processing functions, etc. The t-pad development kit, by Terasic, which is based on the DE2-115 development board, designed around the Altera's Cyclone IV FPGA, provides a suitable platform for hands-on education of modern embedded systems design. We have developed a series of example-driven hands-on tutorials to guide students to a comprehensive embedded system design flow in a bottom-up fashion. These tutorials were developed and verified by summer interns from Cañada College who spent Summer 2011 at San Francisco State University. The tutorials are currently being used in an embedded systems design course at SFSU. A course project realizing a complex embedded system in teams of no more than four students is an integral part of this course. The results show that using this platform not only generates excitement and motivation in students, but also enhances their learning and teaches them skills of modern embedded systems design.