Introduction to using FPGAs in the computer science curriculum (abstract only)

One of the challenges in modern curriculum design is balancing between breadth and depth of topics while simultaneously reinforcing the interconnections among topics in the field. To address these challenges, faculty are often forced to approximate real-world systems, sometimes at the expense of any hands-on experience. We have integrated field-programming gate array (FPGA) systems first used in our hardware-based courses into several higher-level systems and applications courses. This allows us to leverage student familiarity with a hands-on, flexible hardware platform and also strengthen the relationships between different subfields within computer science. In this workshop, we present participants with guided hands-on activities for making use of FPGAs in common computer science courses such as digital logic design, computer organization and programming, and compiler construction. Laptop required.