Course contents: Introduction to Digital systems: Principles and terminology, Digital systems design flow. System level design: Design objectives, System architecture alternatives (Application Specific Integrated Circuits –ASIC- or processor).Digital design using VHDL code: Design flow, Data Types and Operators, Concurrent code and description of combinational circuits, Sequential circuits and Code, Signals and Variables, State Machines, System Design, Parametric design, Data flow and behavioural description, Design using existing subsystems (Intelectual .property –IP- cores).From specifications to architecture and verification of a digital system: Definition of functional specifications, Development of formal verification methods, Validation, Data handlers and control unit design, Interconnectionunits, Register Transfer Level design.Digital signal processing system design, Application specific processor design.

Assessment: Compulsory coursework and oral-written exam at the end of the semester. The final grade is computed from the grades of the oral-written exam (with weight 50-70%) and the coursework (with weight 30-50%). The grades of both the oral-written exam and the coursework must be at least 5.