6.375 Course Resources

Spring 2010

6.375 Complex
Digital Systems

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There is no textbook for the course, but there is plenty of material available to help you help you learn the subject matter.

The first reference you should check are the lecture slides, which are available in both PDF and PowerPoint formats. A redacted version of the slides is passed out in each class and a complete version is posted online after the lecture. http://csg.csail.mit.edu/6.375/handouts.html

In addition you may find the it useful to check the Small Example suite from Bluespec Inc ( http://sites.google.com/a/bluespec.com/learning-bluespec/Home/Small-Examples). These are a series of more than 70 examples each focusing on one aspect of the Bluespec language.

Periodically, you may need to consult the Bluespec SystemVerilog Reference Manual ( http://www.bluespec.com/forum/download.php?id=96 or bluespec.com -> Resources -> Wiki -> BSV Documentation-> Reference Manual). This is very useful for finding libraries and understanding the language syntax, but is not meant to be a tutorial.

For help with running the compiler and other various tools associated with the language you will want to consult the Bluespec SystemVerilog Users guide (http://www.bluespec.com/forum/download.php?id=107 or bluespec.com -> Resources ->Wiki -> BSV Documentation -> User Guide).

In general, you should look for resources on Bluespec Inc’s website. www.bluespec.com

Online Links

• CircBSV.tar
  A short demonstration of the use RWire and ConfigReg to improve pipeline thruput. Contains source files and a Makefile
• DE2-70 Manual
  Contains useful device information and pin-outs.
• SMIPS ISA documentation
  
• MIPS ISA Documentation
  Official site for the various MIPS architecture specifications. Much of the information on the MIPS32 architecture is applicable to the SMIPS ISA.
• Bluespec, Inc Webpage
  Includes technical white papers and a few tutorials which may be of interest.
• Bluespec Demo on DeepChip
  DeepChip is a great resource for news on varous EDA tools. The site also includes video presentations which demo various tools. There is a Bluespec demo which gives a pretty good overview.

Related Resources

• Verilog HDL: A Guide to Digital Design and Synthesis
  Samir Palnitkar, 2nd Ed, 2003
  A good introduction to Verilog-2001 well suited for the beginner.
• Application-Specific Integrated Circuits
  Michael Smith, Addison Wesley, 1997
  A useful reference on many of the lower-level details about synthesis, place & route, and FPGA mapping.
• See MIPS Run
  Dominic Sweetman, 1999
  A very readable book about the MIPS architecture for assembly level programmers.