KD7020 - Digital Design Automation

Much of the learning you will experience occurs through practical hands on sessions, using appropriate industry-standard Electronic CAD tools. Staff contact and support is provided in weekly lectures and laboratory workshop sessions. On-going workshop sessions provide you with formative assessment, while an assignment and laboratory-based practical exam provide summative assessment. Lectures and workshop sessions are used in this module as the main mode of delivery. Directed learning is used in conjunction with lectures to guide you to specific topics or chapters within the lecture material or towards texts in the indicative reading list. Moreover, case studies and design problems are focused upon in workshop sessions, reinforcing lecture material. Laboratory sessions provide you with regular access to industry standard ECAD tools for the purposes of design verification and implementation, this practical experience provides positive reinforcement of the lecture material.

The knowledge and skills obtained in this module significantly enhance employability within the field of advanced digital electronic circuit design.

All formal taught materials and links to additional Directed independent learning will be provided on the university eLearning platform, including workshop exercises and CAD tool hands-on exercises (a selection of the latter will be provided in the form of video recordings), seminar problems and specimen past lab-based exam exercises. Directed learning is used in conjunction with the lectures and workshops to guide students to specific topics or chapters in the lecture material or towards text in the indicative reading list. Moreover, case studies and design problems are focused upon workshop sessions, to reinforce lecture material. The workshop sessions provide access to industry standard ECAD tools for the purpose of design verification and implentation. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and fully engage during all contact sessions, including workshops where formative feedback can be readily and willingly given by the module tutor or research staff. A formative fedback test is provided mid-semester to support students material understanding and awareness. Summative feedback will be provided either in a written or electronic form.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Critically evaluate the role played by ECAD tools in the digital and mixed-signal -system design flow.

2. Appreciate the need for, and understand the use of system-level design languages such as System-Verilog.
(UK-Spec: SM1fl, EA1fl, EP2fl, EA3fl, EA6m, EP9m, EP6m)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Apply the techniques and methodologies used in the simulation and verification of digital and mixed-signal systems using Hardware Description Languages and create simulation models for verification using appropiate simulation tools.

4. Create and implement Register Transfer Level (RTL) designs from system-level specifications, by use of design methodologies, such as Algorithmic State Machines and implement designs using programmable hardware.
(UK-Spec: EA2fl, EA3fl, EA3m, EA4m, SM3m, D3fl, EP4m, D8m, D4m, SM5m, EA2m )

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Develop their knowledge, skill, and resource and time management applied to advanced design tools and languages in an independent manner.
(UK-Spec: SM3m, SM4m, ET1m, D5m)

There are two summative assessments in the module:
1. Written assignment (60%) (3000 - 5000 words) involving the design of a small-scale system making use of digital, analogue and mixed-signal components and external mixed-technology components. This will address module learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Feedback will be electronic using the eLP.

2. 3hr Laboratory-based examination (40%) based upon an unseen and time-limited design exercise using the Electronics CAD software tools. Feedback will be provided either in written form or electronically. This will address module learning outcomes: 3, 4 and 5. Feedback will be provided either in written form or electronically via the eLP.

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This module provides you with the skills and knowledge to make effective use of the very latest digital and mixed-signal design languages and tools in order to address the challenges faced by the modern design engineer. You will develop an ability to make use of existing models (and create new ones) in order to verify an entire system, involving not just digital components but analogue and mechatronic devices. You will learn skills that are highly relevant to industrial practice, where an engineer is expected to work in an interdisciplinary manner, having an understanding of the complex interactions of the sub-components in a system and how to optimise overall performance.

This module also provides you with a working knowledge of the very latest tools, languages and methodologies used in the design and realisation of modern digital systems using programmable systems-on-a-chip, where much of the learning will occur through practical hands on sessions, using industry-standard software tools and hardware platforms.