Introductory Digital Logic Design and Bluespec

Most digital logic courses in engineering curriculums introduce hardware design using VHDL.The three primary levels of abstraction in VHDL taught in the introductory course follow closely to the traditional steps of Boolean logic, namely structure, data flow, and behavior.However, presenting the introductory material at a higher level of abstraction might just be as beneficial.Recently, a new electronic design automation tool, Bluespec, has emerged that promises a high level of abstraction for digital hardware design.In this paper, Bluespec will be introduced in relation to current VHDL design concepts with the intent of determining its applicability to introductory digital logic instruction.