Practice Projects for an FPGA-Based Remote Laboratory to Teach and Learn Digital Electronics

Abstract

This work presents examples of practice sessions to teach and learn digital electronics using an FPGA-based development platform, accessible either through the on-campus laboratory or online using a remote laboratory developed by the authors. The main tasks proposed in the practice sessions are to design specific modules that will be included as a main block in more complex projects. Each project is adapted and ready once the student modules to be implemented, debugged, and/or tested in the FPGA-based platform are added using the aforementioned accessibility methods. The proposal suggests the use of a web-based remote laboratory to complement (rather than replace) on-campus teaching in response to the growing need for access to laboratory resources beyond regular teaching hours. The paper introduces the main topics on implementing and using the tool, sets out how to adapt regular projects to be executed in the remote lab, and describes several practice projects proposed to students in the final three academic years. The paper concludes with an analysis and evaluation of the user experience taken from surveys conducted with students at the end of the semester.