Engineering education evolves quickly, but some fundamentals never go out of style. Field‑Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have been a training ground for generations of engineers because they teach students how to translate theory into real, working digital systems, everything from Boolean logic and finite state machines to computer architecture and embedded hardware/software co‑design.
That’s why Digilent has built FPGA teaching platforms for decades. Our boards are designed specifically for academic use, with complete documentation, ready‑to‑teach labs, and workflows that map directly to modern curricula and industry tools.
What Makes FPGAs So Valuable in the Classroom?
1. They Connect Theory to Practice
FPGAs bridge the gap between abstract concepts and real hardware behavior.
It is important that students don’t just simulate logic, they interact with real I/O, timing constraints, and system behavior on a board that’s safe to explore and difficult to permanently damage. This makes FPGAs ideal for first exposure to hands‑on digital design.
Designed for introductory labs:
- Basys 3 – Academic‑friendly Artix‑7 trainer with switches, LEDs, seven‑segment display, VGA, UART, and Pmod ports
- Nexys A7 – A more feature‑rich platform with Ethernet, audio, sensors, and expanded memory for system‑level coursework
These boards let students focus on learning digital design rather than wiring external hardware or debugging fragile setups.
2. They Scale With Students’ Learning
One of the biggest strengths of FPGA‑based teaching is continuity.
The same development ecosystem that supports an introductory logic course can scale through:
- Computer organization
- Peripherals and memory‑mapped I/O
- Embedded systems
- Hardware/software co‑design
- Linux‑based systems
When coursework moves beyond pure logic, Zynq‑based boards like Arty Z7 and Cora Z7 introduce ARM Cortex‑A9 processors tightly integrated with programmable logic, allowing students to explore real HW/SW boundaries without switching platforms or tools.
3. They Reflect Industry‑Relevant Workflows
Digilent boards are designed for AMD Vivado, giving students experience with the same workflows they’ll encounter in internships and entry‑level engineering roles:
- Board files and XDC constraints
- Timing analysis
- IP integrator block designs
- On‑chip logic analyzers
Each Digilent product includes a maintained Reference Center with schematics, reference manuals, example projects, and step‑by‑step tutorials, making it easier for faculty to build consistent labs and for students to work independently.
Choose the Right Board by Course Level
First Digital Design / Intro Logic
- Basys 3 – All required I/O on day one, student‑priced, and widely standardized across ECE programs
Second Course / Computer Organization / Peripherals
- Nexys A7 – Ethernet, audio, accelerometer, and expanded I/O for richer system labs
Embedded HW/SW Co‑Design, Linux, Vision
Digilent Boards Students Actually Use and Remember
- Basys 3 – The entry point many ECE programs standardize on
- Nexys A7 – A system‑level trainer with rich connectivity
- Arty Z7 – Flexible Zynq‑7000 SoC platform for advanced coursework and capstones
- Cora Z7 – Budget‑optimized Zynq platform for scalable adoption
(Explore the full FPGA lineup to match course objectives and budgets.)
Digilent’s Academic Advantage
What faculty, TAs, and students notice:
- Documentation you can trust – Maintained reference centers for every board
- Consistent toolchain – Vivado supported on student machines
- Community & continuity – Digital Logic hub and forums outside lab hours
- Academic pricing – Scalable access and take‑home learning
Get Started This Semester
- Pick your board: Basys 3 (intro), Nexys A7 (systems), Arty Z7 or Cora Z7 (HW/SW co‑design)
- Download reference docs and Vivado board files
- Start with a simple LED/button lab and iterate toward UART, VGA, or a small capstone
- Enroll in the Academic Program for discounted student access
About Digilent
Digilent has supported thousands of engineering courses with FPGA platforms purpose‑built for academia and recognized by industry. Whether you teach digital logic, embedded systems, or hardware/software co‑design, our boards, documentation, and community shorten the distance from syllabus to successful lab and help students build skills employers expect.
To learn more about FPGAs, check out Digilent’s free FPGA Handbook here.
