The Integrated Computer Engineering Design (ICED) curriculum

A new undergraduate computer engineering curriculum, ICED, is being introduced at the University of Rhode Island. The main feature of the curriculum is a design project spanning the last three years of the major. This gives continuity to a student\u27s studies: they will always know why they are learning a particular topic, and how it fits into the big picture. It also introduces them to long-term projects, and the requisite good documentation and communication habits necessary for its completion. The project to be undertaken is the design, simulation and construction of a computer and its compiler, including the design of its instruction set. Further, the various students\u27 computers will be networked together during the final integration phase of the project. Thus, several aspects of computer architecture are treated in depth. Students will learn to make hardware/software design tradeoffs, as well as get hands-on experience with hardware. A key element of the design experience is the use of modern CAD tools. The Mentor Graphics CAD tool suite will be used throughout the curriculum. By standardizing on one set of tools, the time for the students to learn the tools is amortized over the entire curriculum. The curriculum has received funding from the National Science Foundation, and has been formally approved by the University. Students began the curriculum in Fall, 1997. This paper gives the rationale of ICED in depth, and describes the core courses, their activities and use of CAD tools, and how they interrelate to achieve the goals. ICED\u27s progress is also reviewed