6.884 Complex Digital Systems Design (H)

L MWF1-2:30, room 24-307
Professor Arvind, arvind@mit.edu; Professor Krste Asanovic, krste@csail.mit.edu
Prereq.: 6.004
5-5-2

This subject qualifies as a Computer Systems and Architecture Engineering Concentration subject.

A project-oriented course to teach new methodologies for designing multimillion-gate CMOS VLSI chips using high-level synthesis tools in conjunction with standard commercial EDA tools. The emphasis is on modular and robust designs, reusable modules, correctness by construction, architectural exploration, and meeting the area, timing and power constraints within standard cell and FPGA frameworks.

The first half of the course includes lectures on technology and scaling; area, delay, and power dissipation of gates and interconnect; VLSI implementation styles emphasizing cell-based ASICs and FPGAs; hardware description languages including Verilog and Bluespec; clocking, power distribution, packaging, I/O, and fabrication testing. In addition, weekly labs using commercial EDA tools will prepare students for the class project.

In second half of the course, students will work in small groups on large chip design projects with regular advisory meetings with the instructors. 8 Engineering Design Points.

Enrollment may be limited.