This course teaches students how to employ microcontrollers and single-board computers in the designs of embedded systems through applied exercises. Microcontrollers are programmed at the register level using the C language. Students conduct a detailed study of common microcontroller peripherals with an emphasis on their application to real-time control design. Cadets are exposed to addressing, serial and parallel input and output, timing, interrupts, A-to-D and D-to-A conversion. Subsequently, students study single-board computers and apply them in more complex designs. The basics of operating systems are taught using Linux and Robot Operating Systems. Emphasis is placed on linking peripherals to the processor and using multiprocessing. Throughout the course, students practice top-down and state machine design for moderately complex digital systems.
