Updating an instructional laboratory for a computer interfacing course: a flexible configuration based on the M68HC11 microcontroller

We upgraded our senior-level course EE/EMCS 412 Computer Interfacing, which serves as the first exposure to both assembly language programming and interfacing for students majoring both in Electrical Engineering (elective course) and in Engineering Mathematics And Computer Science (required course). We chose Motorola's M68HC11 E-series microcontroller as the programming and interfacing model and the M68HC11EVS Evaluation System with real-time emulator as the supporting development system. We designed the instructional laboratory to have a number of fixed EVE systems, along with their supporting PCs; we also designed and constructed the hardware, including specialized breadboarding facilities and printed circuit boards containing a variety of devices, that would be issued to each student team, and wrote the supporting project assignments. Our design criteria called for a flexible breadboarding system on which students could design and wire their interfaces, but which world be easily, repeatedly and reliably connected to and disconnected from the EVS-a task that proved to be challenging owing to the cycle life limitations of connectors. This paper describes our philosophy for designing the course, the tradeoffs involved and their effects on both the hardware configuration and resultant laboratory projects, the final configuration resulting from those design choices and student reaction to the course.