2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

VHDL is widely used in Digital Systems Design courses within Electrical Engineering curricula, but students often face significant challenges in learning this hardware description language due to its steep learning curve. The integration of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, offers a novel and effective approach to overcoming these challenges in digital design education. By incorporating AI into the learning process, students can receive real-time, interactive feedback on coding issues, logic errors, and conceptual misunderstandings.

One common difficulty students encounter is frequent syntax errors, and traditional software packages are often insufficient in helping students locate and correct these mistakes. We have found that AI tools can significantly outperform conventional software in identifying syntax errors, thereby lowering the barriers to learning. In addition to technical support, these tools help students build confidence, reducing anxiety and frustration commonly associated with learning VHDL.

Another challenge arises when students begin learning hierarchical design using structural-level VHDL. The complexity of the code, which includes component instantiation and port mapping, often leads to many errors. AI tools not only help identify syntax and connection issues but also reduce the cognitive load on students, allowing them to focus on the core design aspects of digital systems rather than getting bogged down by technical details.

In summary, AI tools can assist students in debugging VHDL code, explaining key concepts, providing real-time examples, and offering personalized support based on each student's proficiency. This AI-assisted learning environment promotes self-paced exploration of digital design concepts, encouraging deeper understanding and mastery of the hardware description language. By interacting continuously with AI tools, learners can enhance both their coding skills and critical thinking abilities in digital systems design. This paper explores the potential of AI-assisted learning of VHDL, highlighting its effectiveness in improving learning outcomes and reducing the barriers to mastering this complex language.