ARM-Based Digital Design and Computer Architecture Curriculum

Abstract

Many electrical and computer engineering and computer science students take an introductory digital design course followed by a computer architecture course. This paper describes a curriculum to support these courses that culminates in designing a simplified ARM® microprocessor on an FPGA. We also wrote a supporting textbook to help other instructors interested in teaching such a course. The textbook includes supplementary hands-on labs and exercises. Our experience is that enabling students to understand a microprocessor from the underlying gates and microarchitecture all the way up to the assembly and programming levels empowers them to fully understand both computer architecture as well as the design of complex digital systems.