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How To Learn VHDL or Verilog Today? CBT, That's the Way! Computer-based training can be an invaluable HDL resource. by Mike Baird

A trend that has rapidly come into practical and popular acceptance within the electronics industry is self-paced, computer-based training (CBT). Put to use at home or in the office, CBT is helping to quickly and efficiently proliferate the understanding and adoption of VHDL and Verilog.

This is not your typical passing fad. In fact, as the virtual office becomes reality, CBT is becoming one of the mainstays in electronic design. It should be viewed similarly to our other tools we all embrace--telephone, fax, the Internet, and e-mail--that aid with the communication and information exchange.

In our experience, electronics companies are employing various techniques to ensure their design team is up to date and stays current with new design techniques and methodologies. As design consultants and trainers, Willamette HDL has witnessed firsthand how CBT got started, how it's been deployed, and its enormous success.

How to learn VHDL or Verilog today? Perhaps its popularity and acceptance comes from applying the success we are witnessing with children's computer games, which teach everything from astrology to geography through zoology and help strengthen math and science skills. Who can run "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" and not learn from the experience?

More than likely, however, CBT has caught on because of its efficiency and cost effectiveness.

From our perspective, CBT's popularity is shared by both electronics companies and individual designers. It lets someone working from a virtual office receive training conveniently on their own time and at their own pace.

Companies like CBT because they do not need to wait for the critical mass required to make on-site training sessions cost effective. It is also far less expensive and time consuming than an employee traveling to a training center for a class.

"But can it really train a designer to use an HDL?" we're often asked. Contrary to the notion that HDLs are too difficult to learn without an on-site instructor, our teaching experience has proven that engineers can and do learn an HDL on their own computer at home or at the office. While some individuals learn best in a classroom setting, others are particularly attuned to leaning via computer. For example, one group that has responded well to CBT is engineers with English as their second language.

CBT can also provide a tool for a refresher or brush up for those who have not used the language for a period of time. An embedded HDL quick-reference guide, complete with design tips and examples available with the click of a mouse button, has proven to be a valuable and handy resource.

On-site training facilities are a necessary part of the ongoing education process. CBT will never replace on-site instructors training designers and engineers about critical software or hardware tools. The informal give and take from small group discussions continues to provide a valuable learning experience. CBT should be viewed, however, as a way to enhance and augment the learning experience. After everyone has gone back to their jobs and you are alone at your workstation, it's nice to have a trusted resource readily available.

Mike Baird is the president of Willamette HDL (Beaverton, OR).

To voice an opinion on this or any Integrated System Design article, please e-mail your message to: michael@asic.com.

integrated system design  February 1997