Digital Systems: From Logic Gates to Processors

This course, Digital Systems: From Logic Gates to Processors, offered from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) will provide you with a thorough understanding of the principles of current digital system design from a practical standpoint. Unlike other "classic" digital circuits courses, the focus of this course is on the system rather than the supporting components. We will be able to create the groundwork for the creation of complicated digital systems using this method.

Overview of the course and topics

This course gives you a complete insight into the modern design of digital systems fundamentals from an eminently practical point of view. Unlike other more "classic" digital circuits courses, our interest focuses more on the system than on the electronics that support it. This approach will allow us to lay the foundation for the design of complex digital systems.

Students will learn a set of design methodologies and will use a set of (educational-oriented) computer-aided-design tools (CAD) that will allow you not only to design small and medium size circuits, but also to access to higher level courses covering so exciting topics as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) design or computer architecture, to give just two examples.

Course topics are complemented with the design of a simple processor, introduced as a transversal example of a complex digital system. This example will let you understand and feel comfortable with some fundamental computer architecture terms as the instruction set, microprograms and microinstructions.

Upon completing this course you will be able to:

• Design medium-complexity digital systems
• Understand the description of digital systems using high-level languages such as VHDL after finishing this course
• Have a fundamental understanding of how computers work (machine language)

The course is entirely online and it can be followed at your own pace, with an effort of about 28 hours to complete it.