Permission of the instructor, granted assuming that you know:

1. basics of the digital circuit design using VHDL, Verilog HDL, or schematic entry

AND

2.  basics of programming in a high level language, such as C, C++, or Java.

Explanation:

1. No prior knowledge of either programming or digital circuit design using hardware description languages is necessary to understand the lecture.
2. The project for this course will include two parts involving hardware and software design.
3. The hardware part of the project can be done using an arbitrary method of the digital circuit design entry known to each particular student. These methods include ANY of the following
       a. RTL description using a small subset of VHDL,
       b. RTL description using a small subset of Verilog HDL
       c. schematic entry.
   The choice of a particular method belongs to each student, but methods a. and b. are recommended over method c..
4. The software part of the project can be done using an arbitrary programming language. The preferred languages include ANY of the following
       a. C
       b. C++
       c. Java
       d. assembler
   Any other programming language can be permitted after consultation with the instructor.
5. With the permission of the instructor, the software part of the project can be replaced by an alternative design in hardware. For example, the student can develop two hardware implementations of the same arithmetic unit, one optimized for the maximum speed and the other optimized for the minimum area.
6. For project no. 2, team projects are encouraged; one-person teams are permitted. Project no. 1 should be completed individually.
7. All projects are individualized and may be adjusted to match the students' background and professional needs.