RBE 2020: Embedded Systems for Robotics

This course delves into the core aspects of microcontrollers and electronic circuits for robotic systems management and design. Students will engage with interrupt service routines, state machines, and event-driven programming, crucial for process and state management in robotics. The course emphasizes the implementation of both software and hardware timers for robotic control and scheduling. A key focus of the course is on the electronic components of robots, including studies of op-amps and power/control circuits, equipping students with the skills to design and manage robot electronics. The course includes analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, essential for converting sensory data between analog and digital formats. Students will explore communication techniques (SPI, I2C, PWM, etc.), vital for data exchange in robotic systems, and gain comprehensive knowledge of digital and analog electronics for effective sensor and actuator interfacing. The course also covers DC motors and DC motor control (speed, torque, and direction), analog filters for signal processing, sensor calibration, and an introduction to control systems, focusing on PID controllers. Laboratory sessions consist of hands-on exercises where students design and test electronic subsystems interfacing a robot for specific tasks. Compared to ECE 2049, this course explores more peripherals' practical applications in robotics systems but does not dive as deeply into microcontroller architecture. Students may apply RBE 2020 to the Embedded Systems requirement in Robotics Engineering. Credit is not permitted for both RBE 2020 and ECE 2049, regardless of major. Additionally, students cannot receive credit for both RBE 2020 and RBE 200X.