Computing is becoming increasingly
mobile, both in recognisable forms such as lap-top computers and
in forms where the computing function is concealed such as digital
mobile telephones. Mobile computing increases significantly the
importance of minimising the power consumed by the system as excessive
consumption directly compromises battery life.
This module considers the application
of programmable microcontrollers and their use in microprocessor
based systems. Various aproaches to hardware configuration, interfacing
and microcontroller architecture are examined, with case studies.
There are practical exercises througout, involving programming a
microcontroller - first using assembler and subsequently, using
the programming language C. Techniques for emulation and simulation
are covered, together with tools for fault finding. Structured programming
techniques are emphasised because the flexible reusable code that
results leads to efficient working and reduced development times.
Online distance learning using the
"Blackboard" e-learning portal housed on the ISLI server.
Synopsis
To introduce the architectural
building blocks of modern microcontrollers and microprocessors,
their bus, interconnect architectures, memory hierarchies, and metrics
for performance determination and comparison. Differences between
processors and controllers are highlighted, and issues relating
to the use of processor/controller cores within embedded and System-on-Chip
applications are emphasised.
