FPGA Embedded Design, Part 3 - EDA Tools from Udemy

It's time to learn more about FPGA IDEs.

In this third part of the FPGA Embedded Design series, we'll get our hands on four different EDA Tools to bring our designs to life.

We'll use four different development tools, and you may follow along with either of them. You may also use an FPGA development board to get the most out of your IDE. We recommend wither the DE0-CV, with a Cyclone V FPGA from Altera/Intel, or the BASYS3, with an Artix7 FPGA from Xilinx.

This course consists of two main parts:

EDA Tools overview, where we'll cover what EDA Tools are, several examples of commercial and non-commercial tools available.
Hands-On Training, where we'll give you a walkthrough of each of the following tools: Quartus Prime (by Intel), EDA Playground (by Doulos), Vivado Design Suite (by Xilinx), and LabsLand (a remote Lab tool).

What are you waiting for? Let's have some fun.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Apply your verilog knowledge to real applications with fpgas.
Vivado studio, by xilinx
Quartus prime, by intel

Eda playground, by doulos
Labsland, a remote lab platform

Apply your verilog knowledge to real applications with fpgas.
Vivado studio, by xilinx
Quartus prime, by intel
Eda playground, by doulos
Labsland, a remote lab platform

Syllabus

Introduction

Course Structure

Instructor Introduction

Motivation 1

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides hands-on experience with industry-standard EDA tools like Quartus Prime and Vivado, which are essential for FPGA development

Offers exposure to EDA Playground, which allows learners to simulate designs in a web browser without needing local installations

Includes LabsLand, a remote lab platform, which gives learners access to real FPGA hardware for testing and experimentation

Requires either the DE0-CV or BASYS3 FPGA development board to get the most out of the IDE, which may be an additional cost

Assumes prior Verilog knowledge, so learners without this background may need to acquire it before taking this course

Belongs to a series of courses, which may indicate comprehensiveness and detail for learners interested in a deep dive into FPGA design

Reviews summary

Practical walkthroughs of fpga eda tools

According to learners, this course provides a practical overview and hands-on walkthroughs of key EDA tools used in FPGA design, including Quartus Prime, Vivado Design Suite, and EDA Playground. Students found the course helpful in bridging the gap between theoretical Verilog knowledge and implementing designs on actual hardware. The inclusion of LabsLand integration was also noted. While many appreciate the step-by-step demos for getting started with these complex environments, some learners caution that the course serves primarily as an introduction (warning) and may not provide sufficient depth (warning) for troubleshooting complex issues or mastering the tools. Potential challenges with tool installation (warning) are also a recurring point, though often related to the software itself rather than the course content.

Requires board or uses LabsLand remote labs.

"LabsLand integration is a neat feature, though I used my own board mostly."

"LabsLand demo was good."

"Found it hard to follow along without the exact recommended boards."

Introduction to Quartus, Vivado, EDA Playground.

"This course is a decent walkthrough of the mentioned tools. The Quartus and Vivado sections are quite helpful..."

"A necessary course if you are serious about FPGA development, as learning these tools is essential."

"Provides practical walkthroughs of key EDA tools used in FPGA design, including Quartus Prime, Vivado Design Suite, and EDA Playground."

Learn major tools with step-by-step demos.

"Excellent course! Clear explanations and hands-on examples for each tool."

"Provided a solid foundation for navigating Quartus and Vivado. The demos are practical..."

"The instructor is clear and covers the essential steps needed to get a design onto an FPGA."

"I appreciated the step-by-step demos for beginners getting started with these complex environments."

Good starting point, but not in-depth training.

"The overviews are fine, but some sections felt a bit rushed, especially the more complex compiler steps..."

"It does what it says - introduces the tools. But it really is just an introduction. Don't expect to become proficient just from this course."

"Felt like a high-level tour rather than in-depth training."

Setup can be difficult, troubleshooting not covered.

"Found it hard to follow along without the exact recommended boards. The instructions for setup were okay, but the tools themselves are huge and complex..."

"Installing the tools was a nightmare, and the course offered minimal help for troubleshooting."

"My only issue was with installing Vivado, which took ages, but that's not the course's fault."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in FPGA Embedded Design, Part 3 - EDA Tools with these activities:

Brush Up on Verilog

Show steps

Review Verilog syntax and basic concepts to ensure a solid foundation for using EDA tools.

Browse courses on Verilog

Show steps

Review Verilog tutorials and documentation.
Practice writing simple Verilog modules.
Simulate your Verilog code using a simulator.

Read 'Digital Design and Computer Architecture'

Show steps

Study digital design principles to better understand the hardware implementations created by EDA tools.

View Digital Design and Computer Architecture on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book and understand the concepts.
Work through the examples and exercises.
Relate the concepts to FPGA design.

Read 'FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples'

Show steps

Study practical examples of FPGA designs implemented in Verilog to gain hands-on experience.

View FPGA Prototyping by SystemVerilog Examples:... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book and understand the examples.
Implement some of the examples on your own FPGA board.
Modify the examples to explore different design options.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Follow Xilinx and Intel Tutorials

Show steps

Work through official tutorials from Xilinx and Intel to become familiar with their respective EDA tools.

Show steps

Download and install the latest versions of Vivado and Quartus.
Complete the introductory tutorials for each tool.
Explore advanced features and design flows.

Implement a Simple Digital System

Show steps

Design and implement a small digital system, such as a counter or a simple processor, using one of the EDA tools covered in the course.

Show steps

Design the system using Verilog.
Implement the design using Vivado or Quartus.
Choose a project that interests you.
Test and debug the implementation on an FPGA board.

Document Your Project

Show steps

Create a detailed write-up of your FPGA project, including design choices, implementation details, and testing results.

Show steps

Describe the project's functionality and design.
Explain the implementation steps using the EDA tool.
Include screenshots and code snippets.
Summarize the testing results and lessons learned.

Contribute to an Open Source FPGA Project

Show steps

Contribute to an open-source FPGA project to gain experience working with real-world designs and collaborating with other engineers.

Show steps

Find an open-source FPGA project on GitHub or GitLab.
Study the project's documentation and code.
Identify a bug or a feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete FPGA Embedded Design, Part 3 - EDA Tools will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

FPGA Engineer

An FPGA engineer designs, develops, and tests digital circuits and systems using Field Programmable Gate Arrays. This career involves working with hardware description languages, simulation tools, and implementation on the FPGA. This course helps build a foundation in using specific EDA tools, such as Quartus Prime and Vivado Design Suite, both essential for FPGA development. The course also touches on the workflow for synthesizing code and programming the FPGA, which is directly applicable to the daily tasks of an FPGA engineer. Furthermore, the experience with EDA Playground provides experience with simulation tools, a core aspect of the role.

See salaries and explore the career path for FPGA Engineer

Digital Design Engineer

A digital design engineer is responsible for the design, development, and testing of digital circuits and systems. This role often involves working with hardware description languages, simulation tools, and various digital components. This course may help a digital design engineer learn how to use EDA tools to design and simulate digital circuits, and in particular, how to generate programming files and work with FPGAs. The course's emphasis on hands-on experience with tools like Quartus Prime and Vivado Design Suite is relevant to this career. Understanding of the workflow, from creating a project to programming an FPGA, directly translates to this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Design Engineer

Electronic Design Automation Engineer

An Electronic Design Automation engineer develops, maintains, and supports software tools used for designing electronics. This role involves deep knowledge of design tools, including those used for schematic capture, simulation, and physical layout. This course provides direct exposure to industry-standard EDA tools like Quartus Prime, Vivado Design Suite and EDA Playground, which are core to the electronic design process. The course provides insight into the workflow engineers use on EDA tools. The course also touches on the process from code entry to programming an FPGA, a vital function for an electronic design automation engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronic Design Automation Engineer

Hardware Engineer

A hardware engineer designs and develops computer hardware and electronic systems. This role often involves working with printed circuit boards, microprocessors, and various electronic components. This course provides understanding of EDA tools, such as schematic capture, simulation, and PCB design, which are relevant to hardware engineering. The course specifically covers the process of generating a programming file and downloading a design into an FPGA. This is valuable for a hardware engineer working with programmable logic. Experience with multiple EDA tools, like Quartus Prime and Vivado, may be useful for a hardware engineer who needs to work across different platforms.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hardware Engineer

Embedded Systems Engineer

An embedded systems engineer develops and implements software and hardware for embedded systems, such as those in consumer electronics and industrial controls. This role often requires a blend of software and hardware expertise, and an understanding of how to program and interact with microcontrollers, programmable logic, and other embedded components. This course may help an embedded system engineer better understand the hardware design and implementation process, especially when using FPGAs. The course focuses on the use of EDA tools and the process of downloading a design into an FPGA, which is directly relevant to embedded systems development. Specific training in the use of Quartus Prime and Vivado Design Suite may be advantageous for an embedded systems engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Embedded Systems Engineer

Verification Engineer

A verification engineer ensures the correctness and quality of hardware and software designs through thorough testing and validation. This role often works with simulation tools, test benches, and verification methodologies. This course introduces verification methodologies, specifically through the use of EDA tools like EDA Playground with simulation capabilities. The course's hands-on training in simulation and downloading a design to an FPGA may assist a verification engineer. The course’s use of test benches for ensuring the correctness of designs makes it useful for this career.

See salaries and explore the career path for Verification Engineer

Test Engineer

A test engineer develops and executes tests to assess the functionality and reliability of products. This role often involves using testing equipment, writing test plans, and analyzing results. This course helps a test engineer that works with FPGAs gain insight into the use of EDA tools, understand the steps to implement a design, and use tools to find and eliminate errors in their circuits. The use of tools like EDA Playground may also be useful for testing and validating designs. Hands-on experience with the simulation aspect of each tool makes the course useful for a test engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Test Engineer

Hardware Validation Engineer

A hardware validation engineer performs tests to verify hardware design for functionality and compliance. This role often requires experience with various test methodologies and validation tools. This course may be useful for a hardware validation engineer by introducing the use of EDA tools for design and simulation of digital circuits on FPGAs, including the use of simulation tools. This course provides practical experience with the end-to-end implementation, from creating a project to programming the FPGA that is useful in the role of a hardware validation engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hardware Validation Engineer

ASIC Designer

An application specific integrated circuit designer creates custom integrated circuits for specific applications. This role requires expertise in digital logic design, hardware description languages, and EDA tools. This course may help an ASIC designer due to its focus on FPGA design using EDA tools such as Quartus Prime and Vivado. The hands-on training in implementing designs, including timing analysis and programming the FPGA, makes this course helpful for an ASIC designer, given that many of the high-level concepts remain the same in the ASIC world. Understanding the workflow of design implementation is essential for an ASIC designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for ASIC Designer

Robotics Engineer

A robotics engineer designs, constructs, and tests robots and robotic systems, often using technologies such as FPGAs for computation. This role often involves working with various components, hardware, and software design. This course may assist in building a foundation for the role by teaching the use of EDA tools, and specifically how to program FPGAs, including Vivado. The course includes a walkthrough of the end-to-end FPGA design process, which helps a robotics engineer as they need to integrate FPGAs into their designs. The course emphasizes practical skills with hands-on training using industry-standard EDA tools.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Computer Architect

A computer architect designs and develops the overall architecture of computer systems. This role often requires a deep understanding of hardware and software interactions, as well as knowledge of digital logic and circuit design. This course may be useful for a computer architect by offering an overview of the implementation of designs on FPGA through the use of EDA tools. The course focuses on the tool flow, from the creation of a project to the programming of the FPGA, which can provide useful insights at the computer architecture level. Exposure to tools like Quartus and Vivado are highly relevant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Architect

Firmware Engineer

A firmware engineer develops and tests the software that controls the low-level operations of electronic devices. This role often involves working closely with hardware components and understanding how to interface with them. This course may be useful for a firmware engineer due to its focus on hardware design and FPGA programming, which is often a target platform for firmware. The course content on using EDA tools and downloading designs to an FPGA provides insights that translate to low level programming. The course's hands-on approach is relevant for a firmware engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Firmware Engineer

System on a Chip Engineer

A System on a Chip engineer designs and develops integrated circuits that integrate multiple hardware components on a single chip. This role often involves a deep understanding of hardware design, digital circuits, and EDA tools. This course may be useful for a System on a Chip engineer, especially as it introduces the process of using tools like Quartus Prime and Vivado to implement hardware designs. The understanding of the workflow, from code entry to programming on an FPGA, may be useful for someone in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for System on a Chip Engineer

Electrical Engineer

An electrical engineer designs, develops, and tests electrical components and systems. This role often requires a broad understanding of electrical principles, circuits, and systems. This course may be useful for an electrical engineer, especially those working with digital logic or programmable devices, as they will need to use EDA tools in their workflow. The hands-on experience with EDA tools like Quartus Prime and Vivado Design Suite may be helpful for an electrical engineer who will need to work with FPGAs. The course touches on the entire flow of design implementation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer

Product Development Engineer

A product development engineer oversees the design and development of new products, often with a focus on hardware. This role often requires a broad understanding of engineering principles, manufacturing processes, and product requirements. This course may be useful for a product development engineer by introducing the process of designing with FPGAs using EDA tools. The course gives practical knowledge of the implementation steps involved with this kind of hardware. Hands-on training in using tools for implementing a project may be useful for a product development engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Development Engineer

FPGA Embedded Design, Part 3 - EDA Tools

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Practical walkthroughs of fpga eda tools

Activities

Career center

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