ECE 785 601 Advanced Computer Design

3 Credit Hours

In depth study of topics in computer design; advantages and disadvantages of various designs and design methodologies; technology shifts, trends, and constraints; hardware/software tradeoffs and co-design methodologies.

Prerequisite

ECE 561 is a prerequisite or corequisite (can be taken same semester). No other prerequisites.

Couse Objectives

• Build multithreaded embedded systems with Linux on a Raspberry Pi 4
  • Understand key features of ARM ISA, Cortex-A72 and Raspberry Pi 4
  • Develop multithreaded programs with PThreads on Linux
  • Write code to interface with peripherals (GPIO, I2C, SPI, UART, timers, ADC, DAC, PWM)
• Evaluate real-time characteristics of platform
  • Evaluate responsiveness of callbacks, interrupt handlers
  • Evaluate real-time characteristics of platform (memory system, OS interference) and stabilize it
• Program execution time optimization
  • Profile program execution time with perf
  • “Optimize” program execution time using algorithms, SIMD programming and tuning for compiler/microarchitecture/memory system

Course Requirements

Projects in Raspberry Pi 4	60%
Homeworks	20%
Quizzes	20%

Required Textbook and Materials

• Exploring Raspberry Pi: Interfacing to the Real World with Embedded Linux – Derek Molloy
  Edition: 1st
  ISBN: 978-1119188681
  Web Link: http://exploringrpi.com/
  Raspberry Pi 4 (2 or 4 GB RAM recommended), uSD card, power supply – $70
• Edition: 1st
• ISBN: 978-1119188681
• Web Link: http://exploringrpi.com/
• Raspberry Pi 4 (2 or 4 GB RAM recommended), uSD card, power supply – $70
• Logic Analyzer/Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (e.g. Digilent Analog Discovery 2, http://store.digilentinc.com/analog-discovery-2-100msps-usb-oscilloscope-logic-analyzer-and-variable-power-supply/) – $180
• Minor Assorted Electronic Prototyping Equipment (Breadboard, jumper wires, etc.) – $30

Updated 11/02/2020