This unit aims to familiarise the student with the basic architecture of microcontrollers and their application in embedded systems. Students will gain practical experience with interfacing between a computer and external world including the use of simple transducers (eg. A to D).

Students will gain an understanding of programming at the assembly code level as a foundation for their understanding of higher-level languages. The use of high-level languages in embedded systems will be examined.

The course will be structured around the Motorola 68HC12 microcontroller.

The gaining of investigative, design and problem-solving skills will be emphasised.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures (36 hours), Laboratory Work (14 hours) and Tutorials (11 hours)

Assessment:

Assignments/Pracs (30%), Examination (70%)

Generic Skills Outcomes:

In this unit, students are expected to enhance the Key Generic Skills below as recognised by Engineers Australia. The Unit Outline explains how these outcomes will be achieved.

Ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals
Ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large
Ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
Ability to utilize a systems approach to design and operational performance
Ability to function effectively as an individual and in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member
Understanding of the principles of sustainable design and development.
Expectation of the need to undertake lifelong learning, and capacity to do so

Content:

Computer architecture overview

Division into units: CPU, Memory, I/O
Bus Structure
Memory organization & addressing
Number systems and arithmetic (review): Binary, 2's complement, add, sub, divide & multiplication
Machine model (M68HC12)

Assembly language programming

Addressing modes: Access to data, Data sizes, Indirection, Implementation of stacks
Register Set & properties
Instruction Set
Introduction to assembly/linking/simulation process
Modular programming: Use of subroutines - hardware stack, storage allocation
Simple program examples: Searching, sorting and arithmetic operations

On-chip Peripherals

I/O Ports
Programmable Timer
Interrupts
Serial Peripheral Interfaces
A/D Conversion
Design and interface examples

C Programming for Embedded Systems

C Compilation & Linking
Program & data organization
Parameter Passing & stack frames
Using C to access hardware
Software building blocks - queues, tables, strings, state machines etc

Expansion Methods

Memory interfacing and timing diagrams
Memory decoding & buffering

Textbooks:

Pack, DJ & Barrett, SF, 68HC12 Microcontroller Theory & Applications, Prentice-Hall 2002. ISBN 0-13-033776-5

References:

Kelley, A & Pohl, I, A Book on C: Programming in C, 4th edn, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1998.

Embedded Microcontrollers

Unit Code: HET232

Related Course/s: