From ISA to application design via RTOS— a course design framework for embedded software

Embedded systems have pervaded every aspect of our daily lives, however their design and verification are often accomplished using ad hoc and trial-and-error methods. Courses introducing systematic and more formal methods are required. However, currently there is little consensus on what a standard syllabus for an undergraduate course on embedded software design should cover. This paper proposes a course design that have undergone thorough experimentations and evaluations through the last four years in actual classes. The course starts from the ARM instruction set architecture and concludes with an introduction of Java-based wireless application design. The design of standalone, as well as, RTOS-based embedded software are all introduced. The course has culminated in the generation of embedded software engineers that significantly contribute to the technical industry in Taiwan, spanning from handheld devices to home appliances and from networked systems to personal computer accessories. We hope the proposed curriculum becomes a standard effort at training embedded software engineers in both theory and practice.