An Expert System for Testing of Microcontroller Systems Designers

This paper describes an expert system, which allows a tutor to lead quality testing of knowledge and practical skills of microcontroller systems designers in the shortest time. Such an expert system allows the tutor to give students tasks of a test according to their complexity. If a student can't fulfill a task, then it is not necessary to give him a more complex task which has elements of the previous task that students did not fulfill. At first, students receive theoretical knowledge of base principles of microcontroller systems designing. Students can receive this knowledge from the university WEB-site. There are lots of multimedia courses. These courses explain how students can use equipment and software. Further, students learn the C-programming for AVR microcontrollers. The next stage of the training is working out of a project. A project has a system circuit and C-programs which support the microcontrollers' functioning. Further a project is simulated with the help of the ISIS subsystem of the Proteus simulator. Such simulation helps students to see the quality of a project. They can look through several variants of a project and select the optimal variant of a circuit and a C program. The next stage of designing projects is their implementation with the help of real equipment. This paper proposes a technique of receiving practical experience in microcontroller systems designing. This technique is based on the microcontroller board Arduino Uno. The expert system has tasks of different complexity. This technique allows students to do projects of a different level of complexity. It will give students more deep experience in the designing of microcontroller systems.