This is an archived syllabus from 2021-2022

• View 2022-2023 syllabus.

COMP22712 Microcontrollers

Level 2
Credits: 10
Enrolled students: 41

Course leader: Jim Garside

Additional staff: view all staff

Requisites

• Pre-Requisite (Compulsory): COMP15111

Assessment methods

• 100% Practical skills assessment

Timetable

Semester	Event	Location	Day	Time	Group
Sem 2 w20-27,31-33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Tue	09:00 - 11:00	G
Sem 2 w20-27,31-33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Thu	09:00 - 11:00	G
Sem 2 w20-27,31-33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Wed	10:00 - 12:00	G
Sem 2 w20-27,31-33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Fri	11:00 - 13:00	F
Sem 2 w20-27,31-33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Tue	13:00 - 15:00	G
Sem 2 w20-27,31,33	Lab	Tootill (0 + 1)	Mon	11:00 - 13:00	F

Themes to which this unit belongs

• None

Overview

The module is a strong practical reinforcement of the software/hardware interface.  It provides experience in hardware/software codesign as well as dealing with interfacing techniques, from 'bit fiddling' to interrupt routines.  There is also an underpinning of operating systems and their implications in machine architecture.  The module uses custom designed hardware and software tools developed locally for this specific purpose.

This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.

Aims

This course aims to familiarise students with the use of microprocessors/microcontrollers for simple control and interfacing applications. The course aims to develop the understanding of the programming and operation of the ARM processor introduced in COMP15111 to include modular program construction, separation of user and operating system tasks and interfacing techniques at the hardware and software levels.

This course builds upon the understanding of processor operation and assembler programming introduced in COMP15111 and upon the logic design in introduced in COMP12111 to show how hardware and software interact in the solution of interfacing problems.

This module currently runs as a first year CSE course or a second year CS course. There is some variation towards the end of the module to accommodate different backgrounds.

Syllabus

• Basic Interfacing [1]
• Parallel I/O [2]
• Procedure calls, Nesting & Stacking [2]
• System calls, Privilege levels, Initialisation [2]
• Timers [3]
• Interrupts [2]
• Real-time operation, User interaction [2]
• Introduction to Verilog [3]/System design [3]
• System design [3]/Project [3]

Teaching methods

Lectures

No formal lectures

Laboratories

44 hours in total, 22 2-hour sessions

Feedback methods

Study hours

• Practical classes & workshops (24 hours)

Employability skills

• Analytical skills
• Innovation/creativity
• Problem solving
• Other

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:

• interface, from the software side input and output devices with an embedded controller
• customise simple digital I/O hardware
• properly understand the von Neumann memory architecture (I can't think of a circumlocution which expresses this any better even if it does use a naughty word!)
• write reasonably sizeable assembly language routines with all the familiarity with processor architecture that entails
• write I/O software for parallel interfaces, including time-division multiplexing and timers
• write interrupt-driven code
• structure, lay-out and document code to a maintainable standard

Reading list

Additional notes

Course unit materials

Links to course unit teaching materials can be found on the School of Computer Science website for current students.