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Week 5

UART Serial Bridge

Build a complete UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) module from scratch. This is your FPGA's voice - the ability to communicate with computers, microcontrollers, and the outside world at 115200 baud.

scheduleTime

6-8 hours including debugging and validation

bar_chartDifficulty

Moderate

codeCode

~250 lines

schoolWhat You'll Learn

  • check_circleSerial communication protocol fundamentals
  • check_circleBit-level timing and baud rate generation
  • check_circleStart bits, stop bits, and parity checking
  • check_circleBuilding transmitter and receiver state machines
  • check_circleInterfacing FPGA with USB-to-UART adapters
  • check_circleDebugging serial communication with terminal programs

constructionWhat You'll Build

  • build_circleFull-duplex UART transmitter and receiver
  • build_circleBaud rate generator with configurable speeds
  • build_circleEcho server - receives data and sends it back
  • build_circleASCII character transmission and reception
  • build_circleError detection with parity bits

settingsTechnical Details

Modules

uart_tx.vuart_rx.vbaud_gen.vuart_top.v

Key Concepts

State machinesBit timingSample pointsOversamplingFIFO buffers

Synthesis

Fits in 180 LUTs, runs at 115200 baud

publicReal World Application

UART is the foundation of modern embedded communication. Every microcontroller, sensor, GPS module, and Bluetooth chip uses UART. This project teaches you the protocol that powers billions of devices.

checklistPrerequisites

  • arrow_rightWeek 3 PWM project completed
  • arrow_rightUnderstanding of state machines
  • arrow_rightBinary and hex number systems

arrow_forwardNext Steps

Your UART module will be reused in Week 9 for MODBUS and Week 10 for multi-Pico communication.