Teaching Microcontrollers - using Arduino as a Platform

Now-a-days dependency on smart devices for day-to-day activities is on the rise. These devices are embedded with either microcontrollers or microprocessors. Various micro-controllers are available in the market which can be used for these purposes. The Arduino is an open-source cost effective, compact and easy-to-use electronics platform built using an Atmel AVR microcontroller. These features make it an effective teaching tool for students to build electronics projects. Hence a course on microcontroller using Arduino as a base was introduced for fourth semester Computer Science students. The course on microcontroller was associated with a laboratory which was conducted through blended mode of delivery. It involved interfacing external peripherals to the microcontroller. This gave the students an opportunity to build projects for real time applications. Students were actively engaged through a course project which necessitated them to write assembly programs [21]. Arduino programming gives a clear picture of how the code interacts with the hardware. Though the students were exposed to blended learning approach for the first time, they were able to successfully carry out moderately complex projects like smart irrigation system, gas leakage detection system, and so on. It was seen that the team members interacted remotely and indulged in meaningful discussions to come up with optimal designs and solutions. The outcomes attained by authors through this attempt was that-students were able to understand the value and importance of coding in assembly and embedded C language, transform a physical input into a digital input and analyze it. This helped the students to complete customizable full Arduino project autonomously, from the beginning to the end.