Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit

Synopsis

The unit enables students to understand, analyse, specify, design and test embedded systems in terms of the hardware architecture, distributed systems and the software development that deploys a real time kernel and the migration of software to hardware. The design, analysis and implementation of a real time kernel will be studied that includes scheduling policies, process creation and management, inter-process communication, efficient handling of I/O and distributed processor implementation issues. Students will be involved in a design project that involves the hardware and real time system design of an embedded system with hard deadlines using an FPGA development system.

Objectives

To understand the development process for embedded systems from specification, simulation, implementation and testing. To gain an appreciation of the effectiveness and properties of a real time kernel in the software development process. To gain a knowledge and understanding of the properties of different scheduling policies and their implementation in a real time system. To understand the process of migration of a software definition to a hardware implementation as a means to accelerate an embedded system design. To understand the complexities and design approaches necessary in a distributed real time embedded system.

Assessment

Continuous assessment: 40%
Examination: (3 hours) 60%. Students must achieve a mark of 45% in each of these two components to achieve an overall pass grade.

Contact hours

2 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory and practice classes and 7 hours of private study per week

Prerequisites

ECE3073 or TRC3300

Prohibitions

ECE4705, ECE5075