Course detail

Microprocessors and Embedded Systems (in English)

FIT-IMPeAcad. year: 2025/2026

Embedded systems, introduction, applications. Microcontroller architecture. Memory subsystem. Programmers model, programming of the ARM core. Stack. Interrupt subsystem and its programming. On chip peripheral devices and their programming: system clock generator, timer, communication interface UART, IIC and SPI, analogue and digital input and output, RTC module. Programming techniques for embedded systems in C language.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Josef Strnadel, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Computer Systems (UPSY)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

To be familiar with the structure of CPU  and other computer components, basics of electronics and machine-level programming. The basic knowledge of programming in C language.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

  • 4 laboratory assignments with the defense, with due-date submission to IS  (16 points max),
  • 1 mid-term written test (15 points max),
  • 1 project with defense and due-date submission to IS (14 points max).
  • Each activivity must be completed by its deadline known in advance; late completion will be evaluated by 0 points.

Following activities are monitored: the attendance and activity during lectures, laboratories and the progress of project-related works.

Skills of students are verified using the short-range technical reports, mid-term test, project and final exam. To pass the final exam, at least 15 points must be obtained; otherwise, the final exam will be evaluated by 0 points.

A prospective reimbursement of absences caused by an obstacle in the study is going to be realized according to the nature of the obstacle and lessons involved, e.g. by setting a substitute term or assigning a separate (homework) task. A solution to other kind of absence is not arranged herein, i.e., it is neither excluded nor guaranteed.

Aims

To give the students the knowledge of architecture of different microcontrollers. To acquaint with performance of individual subsystems namely CPU- programming model, flash memory, timer, interrupt subsystem, communication interface, AD converter. Make students familiar with basic rules and programming techniques in a  high-level language C as well as with embedded system design.
  • Students are familiar with general structure of microcontrollers and with the techniques of embedded systems design.
  • Students are capable to design and debug the routines and initialization routine for each peripheral device. They are skilled in utilizing of basic debugging techniques for the application programs written in C language.
  • Understanding of design specificity of embedded systems using microcontrollers and techniques of application debugging.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

Cortex-M0+ Devices Generic Users Guide, dostupné on-line: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.arm.doc.dui0662b/index.html
J.W. Valvano, Embedded Systems: Real Time Interfacing to ARM Cortex-M Microcontrollers, ISBN 978-1463590154, 2017.
Přednáškové materiály, materiály z democvičení a HW cvičení.
Studijní materiály publikované firmou Freescale/NXP.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme IT-BC-1H Bachelor's

    specialization BCH , 0 year of study, summer semester, recommended course

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Josef Strnadel, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction into Embedded systems.
  2. ARM Core for microcontrollers.
  3. Memory subsystem and interrupts.
  4. Programming in C.
  5. Communication intefraces.
  6. FITkit programming.
  7. Digital inputs and outputs, ports.
  8. Timers, counters.
  9. Analogue input and output.
  10. System clock and clock generation.
  11. Power supply and power consmption of embedded systems.
  12. Practical aspects of embedded systems design.
  13. Real-time systems.

Seminar

6 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Josef Strnadel, Ph.D.

Laboratory exercise

8 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Václav Šimek
Ing. Josef Strnadel, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction to lab kit, serial communication.
  2. Digital input/output.
  3. Timer, PWM.
  4. Analogue input.

Project

12 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Václav Šimek
Ing. Josef Strnadel, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Individual twelve-hour project.