H79.2010 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Schober, Levenbach
This class is designed to provide an experimental environment in which students can combine theory and practice to interface microcontrollers and transducers. This is a hands-on class and students are expected to build projects from schematics and make programs based on examples given in class. We concentrate on the Microchip PIC microcontrollers and support chips and programming primarily with PICBASIC Pro and, if there is sufficient interest, C and assembly language. Topics to be covered will target student interests (possibly from other classes) but may include: A/D conversion, interrupts, multiplexing, serial communications (e.g. EIA-232, I2C, SPI), I/O latching, levels and loadings, and timers. Prerequisite concepts of schematic symbols, computer architecture (Princeton vs. Harvard), digital logic building blocks, types of memory, timing and control of signals, parallel vs. serial interfacing, and digital numbering systems. Approximately the second half of the course consists of doing a group project that may be an extension of work done for other classes.
