At Digilent, we’re proud to support educators and students around the world in bringing digital design concepts to life. One recent example comes from Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, where the Nexys A7-100T FPGA development board is playing a pivotal role in hands-on learning for computer engineering students.
Bridging the Gap Between Simulation and Reality
In the CSE224: Introduction to Digital Systems course, students at Yeditepe University are introduced to the fundamentals of digital logic and hardware design. To deepen their understanding, the university integrated the Nexys A7-100T into their lab sessions. Teaching assistants bring the boards into the classroom, allowing students to test their Verilog or VHDL code directly on real hardware.
This approach has had a profound impact. As Ekin Üstündağ, a teaching assistant at the university, explains:
The result is that students see the difference between a simulation and a real-world application. Their code sometimes did not work as expected with the Nexys A7-100T. They learn either what they did wrong or what their code lacks.
This real-time feedback loop is invaluable in helping students grasp the nuances of hardware behavior, which is something that simulations alone often fail to convey.
Seamless Transition and Scalable Access
Yeditepe University previously used the Nexys 4 board, and the transition to the Nexys A7-100T has been seamless. The compatibility and consistency between the two platforms allowed the university to scale up their hardware availability without disrupting their curriculum.
“We are pleased that with the new products we can distribute hardware to every student. Especially, since they have no difference with the Nexys4 which is what we used earlier.”
This scalability ensures that every student has the opportunity to engage directly with the hardware, fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment.
Why the Nexys A7?
The Nexys A7-100T has since been succeeded by the Nexys A7, which continues to offer the same educational value and robust feature set.
The Nexys A7 remains an excellent choice for academic settings, thanks to:
- A rich set of onboard peripherals
- Full support for the AMD Vivado™ Design Suite, including the free Standard Edition
- Extensive documentation and community support
- Proven effectiveness in digital design education
You can learn more about the current board on the Digilent Nexys A7 shop page.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers
Yeditepe University’s use of the Nexys A7-100T exemplifies how hands-on hardware experience can elevate engineering education. By moving beyond simulations and into real-world testing, students gain a deeper, more practical understanding of digital systems, which prepares them for future careers in embedded systems, hardware design, and beyond.
