Teaching computer design using virtual prototyping

The rapid increase in complexity and size of digital systems has reduced the effectiveness of old design methodologies based on physical prototyping. Prototyping via simulation must be used to achieve design cost and time-to-market goals when designing large digital systems. This virtual prototyping design methodology often permits the first physical prototype to be a manufacturable product. A two-course sequence has been developed to introduce students to this design paradigm. These courses teach virtual prototyping techniques and allow the students to use these techniques to develop a simple computer. The students simulate their designs, and then they implement their designs in hardware using field programmable hardware. This allows the students to complete an entire design cycle from idea to actual hardware implementation and compare their physical results to their simulated results.