Undergraduate embedded system education at Carnegie Mellon

ABSTRACT

Embedded systems encompass a wide range of applications, technologies, and disciplines, necessitating a broad approach to education. We describe embedded system coursework during the first 4 years of university education (the U.S. undergraduate level). Embedded application curriculum areas include: small and single-microcontroller applications, control systems, distributed embedded control, system-on-chip, networking, embedded PCs, critical systems, robotics, computer peripherals, wireless data systems, signal processing, and command and control. Additional cross-cutting skills that are important to embedded system designers include: security, dependability, energy-aware computing, software/systems engineering, real-time computing, and human--computer interaction. We describe lessons learned from teaching courses in many of these areas, as well as general skills taught and approaches used, including a heavy emphasis on course projects to teach system skills.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.3 SPECIAL-PURPOSE AND APPLICATION-BASED SYSTEMS

  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.7 Organization and Design

  J. Computer Applications
  J.7 COMPUTERS IN OTHER SYSTEMS

Keywords:
Embedded systems education, curriculum