The course advances students' knowledge to a professional level of embedded systems development, with an emphasis on real-time operating systems, industrial communication protocols, IoT integration, and safety-critical system design.
Total Marks: 150
Assessment Distribution:
Final Exam: 90 marks (60%)
Midterm Exam: 30 marks (20%)
Group Projects: 30 marks (20%)
Project 1: 10 marks
Project 2: 10 marks
Project 3: 10 marks
Week 1: Advanced RTOS Task Management & Scheduling
Advanced FreeRTOS features beyond basic task creation
Priority inheritance and priority ceiling protocols
Rate Monotonic (RMS) and Earliest Deadline First (EDF) scheduling
Real-time guarantees and timing analysis tools
Week 2: RTOS Memory Management & Protection
Memory Protection Unit (MPU) configuration and usage
Heap management strategies for safety-critical systems
Stack overflow protection and memory leak detection
Introduction to MISRA-C compliance for embedded systems
Week 3: Real-Time System Design
Time-Triggered vs. Event-Triggered Architectures
Principles of time-triggered cooperative scheduling
Deterministic vs. non-deterministic system behavior
Implementation of time-triggered systems on ARM Cortex-M
Week 4: Scheduling Algorithms & Analysis
In-depth schedulability analysis techniques
Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) analysis
Jitter measurement and control strategies
Tools for real-time system validation
Week 5: CAN Bus & Industrial Networks
Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol implementation
Industrial communication protocols (Modbus, Profibus)
Real-time messaging and arbitration
Project 1 Due: Industrial Communication System
Week 6: Ethernet & TCP/IP for Embedded Systems
Lightweight TCP/IP stacks for microcontrollers (lwIP)
Embedded web servers and REST API implementation
Network security considerations for embedded devices
Quality of Service (QoS) for real-time applications
Week 7: Wireless Protocols (WiFi, BLE, LoRa)
Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) design and implementation
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for IoT applications
Long-range communication with LoRa/LoRaWAN
Mesh networking protocols and topology design
Week 8: Midterm Assessment
A comprehensive examination covering material from Weeks 1-7 (30 marks).
Week 9: IoT Architecture & Edge Computing
IoT system architecture design principles
Edge computing and fog computing concepts
Data processing and analytics at the edge
Power optimization for battery-operated IoT devices
Week 10: Industrial Automation & SCADA
SCADA system integration with embedded devices
OPC-UA protocol for industrial communication
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) development principles
Project 2 Due: IoT Industrial Monitoring System
Week 11: Embedded Security & Cryptography
Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and secure boot processes
Cryptographic algorithm implementation on microcontrollers
Secure Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates and code signing
Trust zones and other hardware-based security features
Week 12: Safety Standards (IEC 61508, ISO 26262)
Functional safety standards for embedded systems
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) and Automotive SIL (ASIL) classifications
Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA)
Safety case development and documentation
Week 13: Machine Learning on Edge Devices
TensorFlow Lite and model optimization for embedded systems
Real-time inference on resource-constrained devices
Case Study: Predictive maintenance using embedded AI
Project 3 Due: Safety-Critical Embedded System
Week 14: Multi-core & Distributed Systems
Multi-core ARM Cortex processors and Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)
Inter-processor communication and synchronization
Distributed consensus algorithms for embedded networks
Fault tolerance and redundancy design patterns
Week 15: Review & Final Assessment
Final course review, project presentations, and preparation for the final examination (90 marks).
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Design and implement advanced real-time embedded systems using modern RTOS concepts and scheduling algorithms.
Develop industrial-grade communication systems using CAN, Ethernet, and wireless protocols with real-time performance guarantees.
Create IoT and Industry 4.0 solutions integrating edge computing, cloud connectivity, and industrial automation systems.
Apply safety and security standards to develop certified embedded systems meeting IEC 61508 and ISO 26262 requirements.
Implement machine learning algorithms on edge devices for real-time inference and predictive maintenance applications.
Design multi-core and distributed embedded systems with proper synchronization and fault tolerance mechanisms.
The course emphasizes hands-on learning through three progressive group projects:
Project 1: Industrial Communication System: Students will design and implement a CAN-based network for industrial sensor monitoring, focusing on real-time data acquisition and fault tolerance.
Project 2: IoT Industrial Monitoring System: Teams will develop a complete IoT solution with wireless sensor nodes, an edge gateway, and SCADA integration, including cybersecurity measures.
Project 3: Safety-Critical Embedded System: Students will create a safety-certified system incorporating a machine learning model for predictive maintenance, complete with a full hazard analysis and safety case documentation.
Students must demonstrate competency in the following areas before enrolling:
8051 microcontroller programming (Assembly and C)
ARM Cortex-M architecture and peripherals
ADC configuration and data acquisition
A basic understanding of embedded system design principles
This course prepares students for careers in high-demand fields such as:
Automotive embedded systems development (ADAS, autonomous vehicles)
Industrial automation and control systems
IoT and smart device development
Safety-critical system design (aerospace, medical, railway)
Embedded security and cybersecurity