OVERVIEW

Microcontrollers are single chip devices, generally used in so called embedded systems, employed for specific digial control applications. These systems are usually exploited for low-level control of actuators and sensors (e.g. sensing and controlling current/velocity of a robotic manipulator joint).

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The outcomes of this course are the following: knowledge of microcontrollers hardware and software; interfacing a microcontroller in control systems; knowledge on how to program simple data acquisition software and how to generate control signals, using the C programming language (very often used for programming microcontrollers).

TEACHING METHODS

Theoretical lessons and laboratory activities.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The contents of the course are the following ones:

• Introduction to the C language
  • Basic structure of a C program; Declarationsm definitions and expressions in C
  • Flow control: if, else, switch/case; for, while
  • Language types; variable's visibility 
  • Functions
  • Bit-wise operations;
  • vectors, strings;
  • Structures and bit-fields
  • Pointers and memory
• The microcontroller and its peripherals
  • Oscillator and timers
  • digital I/O
  • Interrupt programming
  • UART communication
  • ADC and PWM peripherals for controlling systems
• Basic elements of serial communications
  • What is a protocol
  • Serialization
  • Error checking
  • Protocol parser implementation (basics)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slides will be available through aulaweb. In general, notes taken during the module and the slides available on aulaweb will be sufficient to prepare the exam.

The following books can be used for further reading on embedded systems:

• Q. Li, C. Yao, Real-Time Concepts for Embedded Systems, CMP Books, 2003. (ISBN:1578201241).
• D. E. Simon, An Embedded Software Primer, Addison-Wesley Professional, 1999. (ISBN: 020161569X).  

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ENRICO SIMETTI (President)

GABRIELE COSTA

SIMONE DENEI

LESSONS

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare for the exam and the level of knowledge required on each argument will be given during the lessons.

The oral exam will be a discussion of a project developed by the student using the microcontroller, with the aim of evaluating if the student:

• has reached an adequate knowledge level on embedded systems and their main architectures
• can program microcontrollers in C language
• has an adequate knowledge of the different peripherals and their usage

Exam schedule