FPGA Meets Breadboard: Integrating a Virtual Breadboard with Real FPGA Boards for Remote Access in Digital Design Courses

Abstract

With the transition to remote instruction, new modalities for conducting hands-on labs are needed. In particular, courses that entail major hardware components faced challenges in making the hardware available for students in a reliable and sustainable way. This paper presents our experience in implementing a virtual breadboard feature to interface with real Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) boards located on the University of Washington's campus, where students can access the boards remotely to complete their lab assignments.