next up previous
Next: ECE532S Past Projects Up: ECE532S Digital Systems Design Home Previous: ECE532S Grading

Project and Lab Stuff

Most of the course evaluation is based on a project that you will do using the Xilinx tools and the XUP board. Learning to use the tools quickly is important so that you can have enough time to do the project. The key is to learn enough of the tools to do what you need to do.

Teams of Three

Labs and projects are to be done with teams of three unless special arrangements are made with the instructor. You must make a commitment as a group by the second week so that the projects may begin. It is unfair to the others in the team if you drop out part way.

Discussion Board on piazza.com

This course will be using piazza.com for its discussion board. Blackboard will not be used for this function. Piazza has much nicer features, including mobile apps for iPhone and Android. To sign up to the piazza discussion board, please go to piazza.com and sign up for ECE532H1S at utoronto.ca. You may also have received a direct link in a class email but you can easily sign up for the course starting at piazza.com.

You must use the piazza when you have questions about the tools or some other issue that might be of interest to everyone in the class. In this way, everyone can see what issues are arising and the same question will not have to be answered multiple times. Only email the instructor or a TA if there is a specific personal issue. All other emails will be returned with a message to use the piazza.

The TAs will be monitoring piazza and respond when they can. We also encourage you to respond if you know the answer. Support you classmates whenever you can and they will do the same. We hope that the piazza will make this easy.

As mentioned under Grading, there are Community bonus marks for participating on the discussion board. Piazza even provides the instructors statistics to make it easy to see who are the most active.

Registering Your Group, Obtaining the Software Key, Getting Your Board

Please file out this form and submit it to a TA in the first lab, if possible, but no later than the second lab. The form gives group information and also asks for your signature to acknowledge you understand the conditions for the use of the tools.

The TA will assign you a group number. Take the form to get your board. Instructions are on your form.

Note that one member of the group will be recorded as being responsible for the board. Even if the designated member leaves the group, that person will remain responsible until Fred or Norm have been given updated information.

Each group will be able to sign out a board and keep it for the term. You must bring your own board to the lab if you need to do a demo.

Labs

For the lab component of your mark you will be required to:
  1. Do some required modules to learn the tools
  2. Demonstrate that you can build a particular design
  3. Demonstrate that you can use ModelSim

Required Modules
Work through modules m01 through m07 available at the Tutorials link on the EDK page as a way to get familiar with the tools. These modules will only give you a very basic introduction and some guidance as to where to look for more information.

There will be three lab periods where you can get help with the lab modules during the lab period. The first lab will be an introductory lab to help you get started. There will not be any grading done during these lab periods. The TAs are there to help so use that time effectively.

You will need to work on these modules outside of the lab periods. The tools can take a long time to do a compile so you won't be able to finish everything during lab hours and you'll spend a lot of time waiting anyways. Plan on having something else to do in parallel.

Once you have the tools set up, it should be possible to work through most of the tutorials in less than a day. This is the most efficient way to do them.

Lab Test Requirements

During the lab test period you will be assigned a specific time slot where you will be graded on the lab test design and a ModelSim simulation. You must become comfortable with ModelSim very quickly as you should be doing lots of simulation so this is your incentive to learn.

The requirements are given here. This will be the 10% of your final grade assigned to the lab test.

Project

You will need to work on some aspects of the project before completing the modules since the proposal will be due before you need to complete the required modules.

Project Proposal and Weekly Progress
The proposal and weekly milestone requirements can be seen here.

The basic guideline is that your project should incorporate at least one MicroBlaze processor running a part of your application and a hardware block of your own design. The remainder of the project can use and software or hardware IP that you find useful.

Block Diagrams

You will need a block diagram of your system. The example shown here is good. The diagram should show all datapath connections. Note that any software IP should be indicated within the processor blocks running that software.

Project Demos and Reports
This describes the format of the project demos and what you will need to put into the two reports you will submit. Two good example group reports can be found here and here. This one does a good job of summarizing the feature changes and the appendix is a good model for describing your project schedule. The requirements for the reports this year are slightly different, so be mindful that the examples do not cover everything required this year.


Timeline 2012

The relevant documents are linked in the Activity descriptions.

Week No. Completion by end of Grades Activity
1 Jan 11 lab   First week of classes, intro lab, submit the Group Registration Form and get your board. Get a head start by starting the tutorials if you have your group formed and your board signed out.
2 Jan 18 lab   All groups should be formed by this week. Make sure you have registered your group and picked up your board.
3 Jan 23 lecture   Draft proposal due at start of lecture
3 Jan 25 lab   Project proposal feedback. Establish first milestone to be demonstrated on Feb. 8 as part of the project discussion. The milestone can be modified up until the Feb. 1 lab.
4 Feb 1 lab 5% Practical half of your lab test. Discuss updates to Milestone 1 with your TA, if necessary.
4 Feb 2 lecture 5% Written half of your lab test
5 Feb 8 lab 10% Submit formal project proposal. It will need a good block diagram.
5 Feb 8 lab   Show Milestone 1 - Start milestone demos and weekly progress reports (25% total)
R Feb 20-24   Reading week
10 Mar 19 15% Lecture test BA2165 12-1pm
12 April 2-5   ECE Design Fair
13 Apr 9 5% Individual report due by 5pm

13 Apr 9 15% Group report due by 5pm
13 Apr 11 lab 20% Project final demos


next up previous
Next: ECE532S Past Projects Up: ECE532S Digital Systems Design Home Previous: ECE532S Grading
Paul Chow 2012-03-05