Course Details

1. Identify the differences between a microcontroller and a general-purpose processor.
2. Identify embedded system real-time constraints.
3. Describe the architecture and ISA of the 8051 microcontroller.
4. Analyze the 8051 microcontroller system, its characteristics, real-time input and output applications.
5. Recognize the I/O interface, system memory, busses and timer operations.
6. Use assembly compiler extensions to develop efficient applications on the 8051 microcontroller
7. Employ the Assembly language for programming the 8051 microcontroller. Perform manipulation of register banks and stack. Use loop instructions. Perform I/O programming. Develop arithmetic and logic functions.
8. Develop serial communication applications. Interface LCD display. Control stepper motor.

·     Introduction to Embedded Systems Design: Introduction to embedded processor/ microcontroller systems. Design considerations. Microcontroller and microprocessor differences. Microcontroller families.

·     Embedded System Architecture: Architecture of CPU, I/O interface, system memory, busses and timer. Harvard and Princeton Architectures. Complex instruction set computing and reduced instruction set computing architectures.

·     8051-Based Microcontrollers: The 8051 microcontroller system, real-time input and output applications. CPU timing and the instruction cycle. The quartz crystal oscillator. Pin allocation of the 8051 IC. Analysis of the special function registers and flags.

·     Assembly Programming: Manipulation of register banks and stacks memory. Loop and call instructions. Creating time delays and calling subroutines. I/O programming, bit manipulation. Arithmetic and Logic functions, signed and unsigned addition and multiplication..

·     Applications: Serial Communication programming. Real world interfacing. Interfacing LCD. Control of stepper motor.     

• V. Udayshankar, 8051 Microcontroller: Hardware, Software and Applications, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009.
• Muhammad Ali Mazidi, The 801 Microcontroller and Embedded Systems, Prentice Hall, 2000.

• T. Noergaard, Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for Engineers and Programmers, Newnes, 2005.

Students are taught the course through lectures (3 hours per week) in classrooms or lectures theatres, by means of traditional tools or using computer demonstration.

Auditory exercises, where examples regarding matter represented at the lectures, are solved and further, questions related to particular open-ended topic issues are compiled by the students and answered, during the lecture or assigned as homework.

Topic notes are compiled by students, during the lecture which serve to cover the main issues under consideration and can also be downloaded from the lecturer’s webpage. Students are also advised to use the subject’s textbook or reference books for further reading and practice in solving related exercises. Tutorial problems are also submitted as homework and these are solved during lectures or privately during lecturer’s office hours. Further literature search is encouraged by assigning students to identify a specific problem related to some issue, gather relevant scientific information about how others have addressed the problem and report this information in written or orally.

Students are assessed continuously and their knowledge is checked through tests with their assessment weight, date and time being set at the beginning of the semester via the course outline.

Students are prepared for final exam, by revision on the matter taught, problem solving and concept testing and are also trained to be able to deal with time constraints and revision timetable.