Vicilogic: Linking Online Learning, Assessment and Prototyping with Remote FPGA

International audienceVicilogic links online learning, assessment and prototyping with remote FPGA hardware. vicilogic provides online training and practice in digital systems design, RISC-V computer architecture and applications, and FPGA-based data and pixel processing applications. The vicilogic course browser interacts with transparently with an auto-allocated remote FPGA, control-ling and probing real remote hardware signals enabling presentation of a visually-rich, interactive learn-by-doing pedagogy, supporting guided learn-ing, self-paced training, component sandboxes, knowledge checks, automat-ed hardware application execution demos and remote FPGA prototyping. The vicilogic course builder provides course tutors with the facility to se-lect individual lessons into a tailored, indexed course.This paper presents the current vicilogic course portfolio, available to ECE and CS audiences. The paper presents the recently developed FPGA-based data and pixel processing applications course, which uses a structured, top-down and finite state machine-based design and documentation methodol-ogy. The paper presents DSPProc image thresholding, Sobel edge detection and a breakout game design examples. The course provides a lesson for each DSPProc component, with downloadable AMD Xilinx Vivado projects. The HDLGen client application, developed by the vicilogic team provides a wizard for fast capture of VHDL models and testbenches, and automatic Vivado project creation.The paper also presents the extended integrated development and debug en-vironment (IDE), used in the reported vicilogic RISC-V Online Tutor course [2]. The extended IDE provides enhanced remote RISC-V assembly program application development and debug. The paper presents a remote RISC-V breakout game application.</p