IoT, Microcontrollers (5 ECTS)

Learning outcomes

Micro controller operating principles, interfacing technologies and programming techniques will be studied. The aim is in the knowledge level where it will be possible to evaluate microcontroller solutions on different phases of product development for a smart product. The course gives as well a good starting point for further studies or even a career in designing digital electronics and microcontroller solutions.

Content

A review on microcontroller products and operating principles will be given. Sensor input circuits and control output circuits will be studied in detail. There is a training module on object oriented programming and C++ fundamentals for those who haven’t experience on those. The microcontroller programming will be done by using classes and methods offered by an operating system developed especially for microcontroller applications, the ARM Mbed OS. Establishing communication over Ethernet and WLAN ( WiFi ) will be practiced. The developed code will be tested on microcontroller hardware.

Prerequisites

Studies on programming fundamentals or similar knowledge gained in working life is preferable but not absolutely necessary.

Teaching methods

Interface technologies for the micro controllers will be studied and practiced both by completing development tasks in an electronic design automation, EDA, tool and by practising with hardware modules. Programming will be practiced with exercises on general programming techniques and on exercises on implementing methods typical for a real time operating system for micro controllers. The operating system is the ARM Mbed OS and the development tool the Keil Studio Cloud. The developed code will be tested on micro controller hardware. The development tools used for various tasks are online tools and will not require installations on computer.

Location and time

Online study. Within the given period the students can individually decide the timing of studying the fundamentals and completing the tasks.

Learning materials and recommended literature

Detailed technical descriptions published in writing and in videos by the ARM Mbed OS development team and by other experts will be used. For finding solutions for the exercises we will study some chapters from the book Designing embedded systems and the internet of things (IoT) with the ARM® MbedTM, Xiao, Perry , John Wiley & Sons, Inc 2018, First edition. For registered students the book will be available as an e-book at hamk.finna.fi. There will be a number of instruction videos for helping to complete the exercises.

Alternative completion methods of implementation

Can be agreed with the teacher and the head of study program.

Internship and working life connections

This short course implementation does not include training in industry. The technologies studied are those which are common and contemporary in working life.

Exam dates and retake possibilities

Several small exams needs to be passed during the course implementation.

International connections

No international activities involved.

Student workload

It will be possible for the students to plan individual time schedule within the given time period.

Content scheduling

Online study. Within the given period the students can individually decide the timing of studying the fundamentals and completing the tasks. Content and time allocation can be seen on the e-learning environment Learn/Moodle. The e-learning environment will be accessible to students who are enrolled and accepted as students.

Assessment methods and criteria

There are automatically evaluated tasks where the points gained from completed tasks will be visible for the student just after task completion. There are individually evaluated reports which will be evaluated at the end of the course period. The evaluation is based on points awarded in the exercise tasks and short course exams.

Evaluation scale

1-5