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Who is Digilent?
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Diligent was founded in 2000 by two Washington State University electrical engineering professors. Our mission is to make advanced
digital technologies affordable for everyone, especially those studying digital design.
We are so committed to this vision that we make all of the supporting documentation, educational materials, designs, and research
on our website (representing thousands of hours of work) freely available for anyone to download and use in coursework, presentations,
publications, and so on. All we ask is that you credit us when you use our materials.
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Although Digilent boards are designed to industrial standards, they target educational environments. Selling for less than a
textbook, our products allow students and engineers worldwide to keep up with the latest technologies and trends in digital
circuit design.
Digilent products are simple enough to be used by students in basic computer or electrical engineering courses, but can also
be repeatedly reconfigured with circuits ranging from simple logic designs to complex controllers or complete computer systems.
With Digilent's flexible product design the possibilities are endless.
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The Problem: Students Need Better Training
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Digilent is driven by the fact that to be competitive in today's markets, electrical and computer engineers need to be
proficient with a variety of emerging technologies.
An individual engineer can today do the same work that required an entire team of engineers just a few years ago. Design
technologies that were pioneered back then have become mainstream and have moved from high-priced engineering workstations
to inexpensive PCs. CAD tools like HDL frameworks, synthesizers, and simulators, as well as low-cost field programmable
devices like FPGAs and CPLDs, have all but replaced older technologies and their widespread use has defined a new set of
essential engineering skills.
Students must develop these skills and leave school with proficiency in a wide array of tools that were once available only
to the best-equipped labs. Fortunately, these tools have also created an unprecedented opportunity. It is now possible to
give each student CAD software and circuit implementation hardware for less than the price of a textbook.
At Digilent, it is our mission to provide that cutting-edge technology at an affordable price.
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"Digilent has a broad product offering that meets the needs of our students in introductory courses to graduate courses.
The boards are designed with an expandable and versatile architecture so that students can incorporate a plethora of I/O
devices and custom hardware."
Dr. Albert Liddicoat
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
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Traditional modeling and simulation methods of teaching computer and electrical engineering cannot provide students with the depth
and quality of education they need. Unfortunately, many engineering schools have been slow to adapt and still rely on lectures,
textbooks, pen-and-paper exercises, basic circuit breadboards, and simulations.
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To attract and inspire students, engineering schools should make the coursework much more compelling, interesting, and practical.
Incorporating circuit simulations into coursework is a step in the right direction, because simulations allow students to study
circuit behaviors in depth and build experience-based knowledge. But experience shows that comprehension and confidence are greatly
increased when students build lots of circuits, implementing and testing them through physical interaction.
Just like professional engineers, engineering schools must adapt continuously to keep up with the latest engineering practices. And
just as with engineering firms, this creates a burden on engineering schools. It takes time and effort to rewrite coursework and
labs, install new software and hardware, and train faculty and students.
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"Using Digilent boards, every one of our students can complete challenging designs, working at a time and place of their choosing."
Dr. Jose Delgado-Frias
Washington State University
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To stay current with evolving engineering practices, Engineering Programs must seamlessly integrate new technologies into existing
courses without sacrificing theoretical content; they must enable students to develop useful engineering skills while solving relevant
design problems; and they must keep industrial constituents, faculty and students actively engaged in the educational process.
At Digilent, it is our mission to enable schools to meet these challenges head-on.
Beginning with their first engineering class, students can benefit greatly from following professional design practices. Professional
design practice involves comprehending the design intent and specification, capturing the design in an engineering formalism, defining
the design in a structural or behavioral CAD environment, simulating the design, and implementing the design in hardware.
Once students gain a degree of comfort with this design process, experience has shown they will use the tools independently to go beyond
classroom assignments, expanding their knowledge in a fashion that suits them best as individuals.
Further, when students use CAD tools to improve their comprehension of digital circuit design, they also gain invaluable experience with
modern methods and technologies.
New technologies that should be taught in every engineering program include behavioral design with an HDL; logic synthesis; circuit
implementation in programmable hardware; complex digital system design using FPGAs; analog signal acquisition and digital signal
processing; use of processor modules or processor cores in FPGAs; and control of sensors, actuators, and motors.
The Solution: Digilent Products Teach the Latest Design Skills
The products offered by Digilent are crucial in an industry where both students and professionals need to keep pace with continuously
changing practices.
The technologies used in Digilent products were previously only available to the best equipped labs. Now for the first time in history,
it is possible to place powerful CAD software and circuit implementation hardware on every student's desktop for less than the price of
a textbook.
With Digilent products, students can go far beyond conventional lectures, textbooks, and basic circuit breadboards or simulations.
Digilent products enable students to develop strong design skills using the latest CAD tools, including logic synthesizers and programmable
devices. Without these skills, electrical and computer engineering students are at a disadvantage in an increasingly competitive market.
Digilent products enable students to implement circuits in hardware, which increases a student's comprehension and confidence.
Constant access to Digilent's state-of-the-art technologies builds on design practices that begin in early engineering courses and allows
students to become comfortable with the design process.
Increased access leads to independent use of the tools beyond classroom assignments.
When students use CAD tools they not only improve their comprehension of digital circuit design, they also gain invaluable experience
with modern methods and technologies.
Using technology that is prevalent in the marketplace as a teaching tool exposes students to technology they are more likely to be using
in the workforce.
Xilinx Is A Partner In Our Mission
Digilent has worked with Xilinx to perfect low-cost educational circuit boards centered on state-of-the-art Xilinx programmable chips.
These boards contain Xilinx chips (called CPLDs and FPGAs) and all the support circuitry needed to allow them to be used in an educational
setting. The boards can be repeatedly reconfigured with circuit definitions ranging from simple logic circuits to complex controllers,
even complete computer systems.
By integrating free Xilinx CAD tools and low cost Digilent boards into existing educational programs, students can aquire the skills
they need, while learning the basics of digital design at an unparalleled rate.
Several companies, including Xilinx, offer integrated CAD tools that contain schematic entry, HDL entry, logic synthesis, simulation,
and various analysis tools. Xilinx is one of only three companies which also offer free design tools. Xilinx's free ISE version, WebPack,
is widely accepted as having the most functionality and the fewest limitations, making it the ideal solution for educational needs.
As well as being a market leader, Xilinx consistently delivers the best performance and lowest cost FGPA and CPLD devices. Xilinx ISE
software delivers the best performance at the lowest cost (including the feature-rich WebPack software); and Xilinx maintains an extensive
university support program.
To learn more about that program, see http://www.xilinx.com/univ.
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Digilent, Inc. | P.O. Box 428 Pullman, WA 99163-0428 | (509) 334-6306 (Voice & Fax)
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