Microprocessor Based Digital System: From Bits to Systems, 2009

Total expected learning time: 24 hours (ECTS)

Course Plan:

14 Lectures
5 Laboratory Exercises
5 Design Problem 

PREREQUISITES AND RECOMMENDED PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE

We assume knowledge of Digital Electronics (Combinatorial and Sequential), as well as some basic knowledge on electronic circuit design and assembly on protoboards.

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is oriented to gain skills that enable to design a microcontroller based digital system, from its initial design to putting it to work. The course also aims to give an overview of the impact of these systems in our society, and their influence in our actual lifestyle, shaping our lives.

As new systems can still be developed, the course aims to engage students into the development of their own, inspired in examples shown as design problems of the past. At the present moment, the course is developed on a market available component, the PIC18, on which home brew systems are easily started.

The lectures will introduce the ground knowledge on which the student is expected to grow his own designs. Lectures are intended to introduce the appropriate tools for each step of the development stage.

OBJECTIVES: KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Develop the skills to develop a fully functional embedded system using a microcontroller, being able to specify the system schematic (Hardware) as well as the program (Software).

LEARNING MATERIAL

The published material includes:

1.- Lecture material, containing the basic concepts of the course

2.- Laboratory exercises, to allow the students to self-construct their own microcontroller system on a protoboard

3.- Self-Study Quizes. To check the comprehension level of the basic concepts on the lectures.

LABORATORY TESTS AND EXAMS

The course grade is obtained from the scores reached from three blocks:

1. Laboratory Grades (25%)

2. Quizes (25%)

3. Exam (50%)