Exploring prefix-tree adders using excel spreadsheets Setting up an explorative learning environment

A learning environment based on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets is presented allowing for fast and systematic exploration of different implementations of integer adder designs. The spreadsheet properties are exploited to illustrate both layout and timing properties of an adder design. The usefulness of the learning environment is demonstrated by several different examples. We also describe how the spreadsheet representation can aid the designer at the VHDL level.