Course Description:

Microprocessors and computing systems have become pervasive and have enabled the intelligent functioning of cars, chatbots, computers, phones, watches, websites, and countless other systems.  In this course, you will build the hardware and software of a complete computing system, including the microprocessor, operating system-level code, and application program.  You will also exercise your creativity and ingenuity by designing and building your own smart educational toy that uses your own microprocessor.  Along the way, you will learn:

• • The basics of how computing systems work, including number representation, digital logic, computer architecture, assembly-language programming, input/output devices, and digital audio

  • Technical communication integral to any real-world engineering project, such as working on teams, understanding audience and purpose, organizing ideas, structuring presentations, writing memos and reports, and giving presentations

Term Project: 

Students propose, design, build, and demonstrate their own microprocessor-based educational toy. Each team’s toy runs on a microprocessor built by the team and can use a wide variety of input/output devices through device drivers written by the team.

Labs: 

Build digital circuits on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); build a working microprocessor on the FPGA; write device drivers for input/output devices.