Embedded Systems Design and Application Syllabus

Course Name：Embedded Systems Design and Application

Target Audience：Undergraduate students in Computer Science and Engineering

Course Credits：4.5

Course Hours：72 (58 Theory + 14 Practice)

Course Category：Core Required Course

Prerequisite Courses：C Programming, Assembly Language and Microcomputer Technology

“Embedded Systems Design and Application” is a core required course for the Computer Science and Engineering major. The course content includes four parts: Basic Knowledge of Embedded Systems, Embedded Hardware, Embedded Software, and Embedded Systems Design Methods.

The main task of this course is to learn the basic theories of embedded systems and their applications, understand the composition and application of embedded systems; cultivate students’ basic abilities to analyze and design embedded systems; develop students’ self-learning, analysis, and problem-solving abilities in embedded systems design, foster students’ scientific spirit and systematic view, and instill a serious and responsible work attitude and meticulous work style. Establish correct values, outlook on life, and worldview. Ensure that students meet the corresponding graduation requirements of the major.

Through this course, students will master the basic principles, methods, processes, and design techniques of embedded systems, develop the ability to conduct embedded system development for specific application problems, and establish correct values, outlook on life, and worldview.

1. Value Objectives:

(1) Establish correct worldviews, values, and outlooks on life;

(2) Cultivate students’ patriotic spirit.

2. Knowledge and Ability Objectives:

(1) Master the basic concepts of embedded systems and the basic knowledge of ARM microprocessor architecture. (Graduation Requirement 1.5);

(2) Master the basic analysis and design methods of embedded systems and be able to analyze typical embedded systems. (Graduation Requirement 3.2);

(3) Master embedded programming techniques and be able to design programs in typical embedded system environments. (Graduation Requirement 3.2);

(4) Understand the principles and methods of advanced embedded systems. (Graduation Requirement 1.5).

The course teaching includes classroom teaching, classroom discussions, classroom and after-class exercises, and experiments, comprising 9 chapters of theoretical teaching and 7 experiments. In-class theoretical teaching is 58 hours, and experiments are 14 hours. The content, requirements, and hour distribution of the classroom theoretical teaching are as follows:

Course Content and Learning Requirements

The experiment is a practical teaching segment set up within the course, consisting of 7 experimental contents. As a supplement to the experiments, the course design is an important part of enhancing students’ practical abilities; please refer to another document related to course design.

Experiment Items and Types

Experiment 1: Using Linux Development Environment and Common Linux Commands (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Familiarize with the ARM processor Linux system application program development environment and development model, and understand the basic ideas and processes of embedded development.

(2) Methodology: After powering on the system, the Boot program guides the operating system to load, establishing the Linux development environment.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Establishing the embedded Linux development environment and common commands.

(5) Experiment content: The operating system environment used in the experiment. Create a directory, write several source files, and use makefile to manage the project. Learn the programming and compilation process in Linux, and run on Linux.

Experiment 2: “Hello World!” Embedded Linux Program (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Develop the simplest embedded Linux program, familiarize with the embedded development model under Linux and how to run embedded programs on the board.

(2) Methodology: Use the editor to edit source code in the embedded Linux environment, cross-compile using ARM-LINUX-GCC, and run the generated executable program on the target machine.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: The development process of embedded Linux programs.

(5) Experiment content: In this experiment, use UltraEdit or other editing environments to edit the simplest “hello world!” program, then use the cross-compiler (arm-linux-gcc) to compile and generate an executable file that can run in the embedded environment of the experiment box, familiarizing with the method of using the cross-compiler to compile programs, preparing for compiling more complex programs later.

Experiment 3: LED Control (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Understand the control methods of LED lights and master I/O programming methods.

(2) Methodology: Control peripherals such as LED lights using GPIO.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Implementation of GPIO control methods.

(5) Experiment content: Control the on/off of an LED light through I/O. Use UltraEdit C code text editor to write a program to control the LED light. Use uboot and tftp to download the program to the ARM board.

Experiment 4: Buzzer Control (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Understand buzzers in embedded systems and master I/O programming methods.

(2) Methodology: The ARM processor controls the buzzer by configuring relevant registers.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Configuration methods for ARM processor registers.

(5) Experiment content: Use UltraEdit C code text editor to write a program to control the buzzer. Use tftp to download the program to the ARM board.

Experiment 5: Seven-Segment Display Experiment (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Use UltraEdit C code text editor; understand the principle of dynamic display of seven-segment displays; understand the method of expanding ports using 74LS164.

(2) Methodology: The ARM processor realizes data communication through serial ports.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Characteristics of the ARM processor serial driver.

(5) Experiment content: Use UltraEdit text editor to write a program to control the display of eight seven-segment displays. Use tftp to download the program to the ARM board. Write, compile, download, debug, and analyze the results of the program.

Experiment 6: Keyboard Driver Experiment (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Understand the principle of keyboard drivers and master the method of expanding keyboards through CPU I/O.

(2) Methodology: The ARM processor controls the keyboard by configuring registers.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Register settings of the ARM processor to manage and control peripherals.

(5) Experiment content: Expand a 4×4 keyboard through the ARM’s rPDATC (low four bits) and EINT4567 four interrupt ports, program to implement keyboard driving, and display the corresponding key values on the super terminal.

Experiment 7: Stepper Motor (2 hours)

(1) Purpose: Understand the application principles of stepper motors, master the control methods of GPIO in embedded systems, and the method of generating PWM simulated pulse signals.

(2) Methodology: The ARM processor drives the stepper motor using PWM simulated pulse signals through GPIO.

(3) Main experimental instruments and materials: Hardware: Embedded system development platform, microcomputer, and power supply. Software: PC operating system Windows XP and above, UltraEdit or other editors.

(4) Key points: Methods for the ARM processor to generate PWM simulated pulse signals.

(5) Experiment content: Analyze the working principle and control methods of stepper motors, PWM simulated pulse signal generation methods. Analyze the experimental platform stepper motor circuit, and use and configure related registers. Design the stepper motor control program, compile, download, debug, and analyze results.

Offline classes primarily involve lectures, supplemented by interactive classroom exercises, case analyses, and other teaching methods; practical experiments may use group discussions, literature review, and other teaching methods; pre-class and post-class self-study, with pre-class exercises focusing on the foundational knowledge for the next lesson and post-class exercises focusing on important knowledge points and expanding knowledge.

The ideological and political education process of “Embedded Systems Design and Application” employs various teaching methods, including implicit penetration, classroom discussion, and heuristic methods, integrating moral education elements with knowledge points while teaching. At the same time, the course combines modern teaching technology and methods, implementing ideological and political education in online and offline teaching through WeChat, QQ groups, etc.

The course assessment includes classroom performance and final exams.

Classroom performance: 30%, including 50% for 7 in-class experiments (Graduation Requirement 3.2), and 50% for classroom exercises, questions, assignments, and attendance.

Final exam: 70%, which may take the form of a closed-book exam, covering the basic concepts, theories, and methods of the course. Exam question types include multiple-choice, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and programming questions. Assessment criteria include: Basic knowledge of embedded systems (20 points) (Graduation Requirement 1.5), Embedded hardware (20 points) (Graduation Requirement 1.5, 3.2), Embedded software (50 points) (Graduation Requirement 1.5, 3.2), and Embedded systems design methods (10 points) (Graduation Requirement 3.2).

Recommended Textbook:

Wang Jian, Liu Peng. “Embedded Systems Design and Application – Based on ARM Cortex-A8 and Linux (3rd Edition) (Microcourse Video Version)”, ISBN: 9787302654735, Tsinghua University Press, Published in March 2024.

Reference Textbooks:

[1] Jin Weizheng. Embedded Linux System Development and Application Tutorial [M]. Tsinghua University Press, 2017.

[2] Feng Xinyu. Embedded Linux System Development [M]. Tsinghua University Press, 2017.