Design Through Curriculum on Embedded Systems

1. Design Through Curriculum on Embedded Systems Team: Aisha Grieme, Jeff Melvin, Dane Seaberg Advisors: Dr. Tyagi and Jason Boyd Client: Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

2. Problem Statement Conceptual Sketch Requirements Constraints Risks Recourses and Costs Schedule and Milestones Project Overview

3. Problem Statement • The Struggle • Seeing the application of school work • Class work is diverse and not integrated together • Goal • Create a course to provide a bird’s eye view of the junior level course work through a fun real-world project application

4. Conceptual Sketch

5. Functional Requirements • The project will show students how to apply concepts learned in other classes • The course must be able to be reused for several semesters. • There will be checkpoints in the curriculum and must have clear documentation • The course will be based on junior level courses and utilize scheduling, multithreading and algorithms

6. Non-Functional Requirements • Students should be able to jump into the project fairly quickly • Project rules should be fun and not just seem like requirements for the class • Competitiveness should be at least somewhat fair • Learning the software and implementing games can be completed in a semester or half semester as a group project

7. Constraints and Considerations • There is a cost associated with the robot hardware, programming software, and the game arena • The platform must support threading and process scheduling • The robot kits must be standardized for each team • Learning the system and implementing the game is an attainable goal for a one credit course

8. Risks and Mitigation Plan Time • Risk: The student may not be able to complete the project within the allotted time • Mitigation: Create a detailed timeline for the students to follow and perform the project ourselves Lack of Background • Risk: Students may lack the background to be able to follow the curriculum • Mitigation: Define a specific skill set and course background to take the class.

9. Resource and Cost Estimate • Robot • bundle - $415 • microcontroller, frame, robotC • light sensor -$19.99 • Optical shaft encoder - $19.99 • IR sensor - $14.99 • Arena • Field Perimeter - $799.99 • Field Tile Kit- $189.99 • Other options available

10. Schedule and Milestones • Implement Demo • build robot • learn robotC • build arena • program robot • Test Demo • Write learning module/lesson plans • Test course using a user study • Make final deliverable

11. Course Plan Competition and Arena Hardware and Software Design Details

12. Course Plan • Week 1: • get robot kit, software, and game rules • learn about putting this project into a process model and schedule • Week 2: • begin to learn about the software and programming the robot • set up subversion for the team to use • Week 3: • robot must be built and programmed to move forward • go over algorithms in embedded systems

13. Course Plan • Week 4: • arena would be set up to start testing in • algorithm should be started • Week 5: • working on algorithm and testing • learn about timing in embedded systems • Week 6: • Testing will begin • Week 7: • Student will demo their robots and play against other students robots

14. The Game - Arena

15. The Game - Arena

16. The Game – Rules (Soccer) • 12' x 12' course divided into 2 sections • attacker and defender • 2' x 4' total goal area • every x sec/min switch att/def roles • teams penalized for being in own goal too long • bonus for successful passes to teammate

17. Hardware considerations • National Instruments cRIO • Vex Pro ARM9 Microcontroller • Vex PIC V0.5

18. NI cRIO • Used by previous project • OS functionality not available • Possibility of getting some functionality • Interfaces with labVIEW

19. Vex Pro ARM9 • Runs Linux, has full support of needed functionality • Charmed Labs Qwerk not available • Interfaces with Eclipse • No release date

20. Vex PIC V0.5 • Interfaces with RobotC IDE • Lots of support and tutorials on website • Comes in bundle, easy to add sensors • Documentation shows support for needed functionality

21. Software Considerations • RobotC • support and tutorials • uses own RTOS called Firmware • supports features based on documentation and forums • MPLAB • allows third party RTOS • limited documentation • EasyCpro • uses own RTOS • feature support not clear

22. Test Plan Current Status Contributions Plans for the Fall Conclusion

23. Test Plan • Course Testing • Lab with target student demographic • Survey and questionnaire • Demo Testing • Software testing • Multiple functioning robots

24. Current Status • Software and Vex PIC to begin programming and testing • Designed course to implement and begin writing course materials • Game arena designed, ready to order and build

25. Contributions • Jeff • Game and Sensor • Website Construction • Dane • Hardware and Microcontroller Research • Software and Development Platform • Aisha • Course Development • Documentation and Team Organization

26. Plan for Fall 2010 • Implement Demo • Test Demo • Write learning module/lesson plans • Test course using a user study • Make final deliverable

27. Questions