UCR EE/CS120B: Introduction to Embedded Systems

UCR EE/CS120B: Introduction to Embedded Systems, Fall 2002

Overview

This course deals with the exciting field of designing embedded computing systems -- those computers hidden in all sorts of electronic devices, like digital cameras, MP3 players, video games, automobiles, fax machines, copy machines, printers, pacemakers, hearding aids, hospital equipment, and so on. It introduces the student using a unified view of hardware and software design -- mapping desired functionality to a collection of single-purpose processors (digital hardware and peripherals) and general-purpose processors (microprocessors). Students will gain experience building real digital systems using VHDL, synthesis and FPGAs (Xilinx), and programming embedded microprocessors (Intel 8051 8-bit microcontroller).

Course information

Instructor: Frank Vahid (vahid@cs.ucr.edu). Office hours Tu 1:00 - 2:00

Lecture TR 9:40-11:00am, SPTH 2200 (call #: 11839)

Labs: sec 021 (11840) MW 6:10-10pm; Surge 170
sec 022 (11841) TR 2:10-6pm; Surge 170

Prerequisites EE/CS120A, CS61, CS10. Note: If you enrolled in 120B and then failed 120A, you will be dropped (this is supposed to happen automatically)

Final exam Tuesday 12/10/2002 8 to 11 a.m.

Textbooks
Digital Design Principles & Practices, J. Wakerly, Prentice Hall, 2001, 3rd Ed (Comes with Xilinx Student Edition software). DDPP web site
Embedded System Design: A Unified Hardware/Software Introduction, Frank Vahid and Tony Givargis, J. Wiley & Sons, 2002, 1st Ed. ESD web site
The 8051 Microcontroller, Stewart and Miao, Prentice Hall, 2nd Ed.
Recommended: For those serious about digital design, I suggest purchasing a VHDL book. Here's one you might try: A VHDL Primer, J. Bhasker, Prentice Hall, 1999, 3rd Ed.

TA's Chuanjun Zhang (chzhang@cs.ucr.edu), Others to be announced.
Office hours during scheduled lab.

Grade 10% Homeworks, 30% Labs (including lab exams if any), 40% Midterms (and quizzes if any), 20% Final.

Lecture overview

(DDPP: Digital Design Principles and Practices book; ESD: Embedded System Design book; T8M: The 8051 Microcontroller book).

(Students should review DDPP Chapters 1-7)

Introduction to embedded systems (ESD 1)

Custom single-purpose processors: Hardware (ESD 2)
Includes coverage of FSMs (DDPP 7), registers/counters (DDPP 8), register files, and RAMs (DDPP 10.3)

General-purpose processors: Software (ESD 3, T8M 2)

Standard single-purpose processors: Peripherals (ESD 4)

Memory (ESD 5) (skip: advanced RAMs)

Interfacing (ESD 6)

Putting it all together -- a digital camera example (ESD 7)

Lab topics

Introduction to VHDL and simulation

Introduction to synthesis and FPGAs ( Xilinx )

Synthesis of digital components, datapaths, and simple custom processors

Introduction to an embedded microprocessor: The Intel 8051

Hardware/software tradeoffs

Notes

Lecture and lab material overlap, but are quite independent, with lectures dealing with general principles, and lab dealing with specific software and hardware. Lecture exams will focus on lecture material, but may include some amount of lab material. Students in lab will work with a partner. Lab exams may be held during the quarter to ensure each individual is learning (i.e., not relying too heavily on one's partner).

Important note on academic dishonesty: cheating will be punished severely. For those who don't want others' cheating to cheapen your own hard work and hurt your grade -- there is an anonymous cheating reporting form at: https://www.cs.ucr.edu/cheating/. While students may discuss material generally (and this is encouraged!), HOMEWORK SUBMISSIONS MUST REPRESENT INDEPENDENT WORK .

Submitted homeworks should be neat and legible -- sloppy or unnecessarily long homework submissions may lose points or may not be graded. You probably want to do a draft of the homework, and then create a neater copy to turn in.

Regrade policy: corrections to graded material must be submitted within one week of the distribution of the graded items. Corrections to grades database entries must also be corrected within one week of the grades being posted.

Email address: In lab, you'll be asked to provide us with a UCR email address. Some announcements, and your scores during the quarter, will be sent to that email address. If you commonly read email from another address (e.g., yahoo or hotmail), then you must still provide us with your UCR address, but you might then create a .forward file in your UCR account for your more common address.

120B grades (updated 12/08/02) NOTE: please check your grades carefully.

120B Mailing List

Lab guidelines

You should plan to stay for the duration of your 4-hour scheduled lab time. If you finish a lab before a due date, you should proceed to work on the next lab if it is available, or develop additional designs related to the course.
Each lab assignment's grade will typically consist 10 points: 3 points for your lab demo (simulation and board), 4 points for your code and/or schematic (must be well organized and commented), and 3 points for your lab report.
Lab reports are due within 24 hours from the end of the scheduled lab time on the date you are checked off for your demo. Use the report form (in text format, not Word, please). Late lab reports will lose points.
Lab reports, code and results (preferably zipped) should be e-mailed to the TA of your lab.
The TA's may not be available for help 15 minutes before the end of each lab. This time is reserved for checking out completed labs.
You will be working in groups of two. You are welcome to choose your own lab partner. Groups of three will not be allowed.
The TA's will check out the Xilinx boards and other equipment to each group when required. Boards are only available during scheduled lab. Student must check the boards back in when done, and must be sure to sign the check in sheet. Students should also be sure the TA records the score of your lab demo.
The Xilinx boards are pre-wired. Please do not change any wiring unless specifically instructed by the TA. Students may be held responsible for boards damaged due to misuse.
You are required to go to the lab section you are registered in. If you wish to change your lab section, this must be pre-approved by the TA.
The key to a successful and enjoyable lab experience is to prepare extensively before coming to lab. Xilinx software comes with the Wakerly book, and VHDL simulation software can be purchased inexpensively. You should code most of your VHDL and C before coming to lab. Lab time is for testing things out and experimenting.
Suggestions to help us improve the lab are very welcome.

Key Resources

We recommend that students interested in the digital systems field purchase the following:
Aldec VHDL simulator student edition
It's an easy to use yet powerful VHDL simulator written for Windows, and I think a great deal (around $50).
Online "VHDL-by-Example" tutorial (from UCR).

Additional Resources

Some interesting related links

Interview with Gordon Moore
Intel Museum (Intro's to transistors and microprocessors)
History of the transistor (from Lucent)
Embedded Systems Programming magazine (online)
Embedded Systems site (by CMP)
Philips 8051 microcontrollers
Triscend Corp. home page: makers of a single chip 8051/FPGA device (and an ARM/FPGA device)
The Death of Hardware Engineering -- article from Embedded Systems Programming, March 2002.
Embedded Processors -- A very cool article on embedded processors on ExtremeTech.com.
The Future of the Microprocessor Business -- April 2002 article in IEEE Spectrum (Thanks to Scott Loring for finding this article)

Back to Frank Vahid's home page

Instructor:	Frank Vahid (vahid@cs.ucr.edu). Office hours Tu 1:00 - 2:00
Lecture	TR 9:40-11:00am, SPTH 2200 (call #: 11839)
Labs:	sec 021 (11840) MW 6:10-10pm; Surge 170 sec 022 (11841) TR 2:10-6pm; Surge 170
Prerequisites	EE/CS120A, CS61, CS10. Note: If you enrolled in 120B and then failed 120A, you will be dropped (this is supposed to happen automatically)
Final exam	Tuesday 12/10/2002 8 to 11 a.m.
Textbooks	Digital Design Principles & Practices, J. Wakerly, Prentice Hall, 2001, 3rd Ed (Comes with Xilinx Student Edition software). DDPP web site Embedded System Design: A Unified Hardware/Software Introduction, Frank Vahid and Tony Givargis, J. Wiley & Sons, 2002, 1st Ed. ESD web site The 8051 Microcontroller, Stewart and Miao, Prentice Hall, 2nd Ed. Recommended: For those serious about digital design, I suggest purchasing a VHDL book. Here's one you might try: A VHDL Primer, J. Bhasker, Prentice Hall, 1999, 3rd Ed.
TA's	Chuanjun Zhang (chzhang@cs.ucr.edu), Others to be announced. Office hours during scheduled lab.
Grade	10% Homeworks, 30% Labs (including lab exams if any), 40% Midterms (and quizzes if any), 20% Final.