ECE 372A
Microprocessor Organization
Course Level
Units
Prerequisite(s)
Course Texts
No textbook required
Schedule
Course Description
Introduction to microcontroller organization, hardware interfacing, and system design. Topics include, but are not limited to, C programming for microcontrollers, memory organization and addressing modes, interrupts, timers, parallel and serial interfacing, analog-to-digital conversion, overview of common peripheral components, event-driven software development, and motor control. In addition to lectures, students will have hands-on lab assignments building and using the PIC24F platform. Students will also propose, design, implement and present a course project, subject to approval by the instructor.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain the basics of an embedded computer system
- Write and debug C programs for a microcontroller
- Understand memory and memory-mapped addresses in embedded systems
- Interface with hardware components using a microcontroller
- Understand timing and interrupts in embedded systems
- Have knowledge of common hardware communication protocols
Course Topics
- Introduction to embedded systems
- Writing basic programs to control an embedded system
- Basic hardware interfacing with IO ports
- Timers, interrupts, and hardware resets
- Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion
- Interfacing with LCDs
- Pulse width modulation and controlling a DC motor
- Hardware communication protocols: UART, I2C, SPI
- Memory organization
Relationship to Student Outcomes
ECE 372A contributes directly to the following specific electrical and computer engineering student outcomes of the ECE department:
- Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering (high)
- Ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data (medium)
- Ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints, such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability (medium)
- Ability to function on multidisciplinary teams (low)
- Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems (medium)
- Ability to communicate effectively (medium)
- Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning (medium)