ENCE361-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Embedded Systems 1

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

Embedded Systems is the study of specialised computer hardware, such as microcontrollers, programmed to perform a series of tasks, typically using a high-level language such as C, and targeted towards dedicated applications.

This course provides students with essential knowledge of dedicated computer hardware, and develops software and interfacing skills to ensure key competencies for the design, implementation, testing and debugging of an embedded system on an advanced low-power microcontroller.

Learning Outcomes

  • At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

  • LO1: Design, build, test and debug an embedded system on an advanced low-power microcontroller through utilising microprocessor peripherals, confirming to system specifications in a team environment. (WA2, WA4, WA5, WA9)

  • LO2: Account for hardware and software interfaces, design requirements and constraints in the development of a real-time embedded application. (WA2, WA4, WA5)

  • LO3:  Programme an embedded system through algorithm design, C language coding and software modularization for a real-time embedded application. (WA1, WA5)

  • LO4: Use a commercial high-level toolchain to locate and correct programming bugs. (WA2, WA4, WA5)

  • LO5. Collaborate with a project team and communicate design outcomes in written form. (WA9, WA10)
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Prerequisites

Restrictions

ENEL353, ENEL323, COSC361, ELEC361, ENEL340

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 17:00 - 18:00 E8 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00 E8 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 17:00 - 18:00 C3 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 16:00 - 18:00 Elec 210 Electronics Lab (17/2-31/3, 28/4-26/5)
Elec 204 ESL Lab (17/2-31/3, 28/4-26/5)
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
02 Tuesday 13:00 - 15:00 Elec 210 Electronics Lab (18/2-1/4, 29/4-27/5)
Elec 204 ESL Lab (18/2-1/4, 29/4-27/5)
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
03 Thursday 13:00 - 15:00 Elec 210 Electronics Lab (20/2-3/4, 1/5-29/5)
Elec 204 ESL Lab (20/2-3/4, 1/5-29/5)
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
04 Friday 08:00 - 10:00 Elec 210 Electronics Lab (21/2-4/4, 2/5-30/5)
Elec 204 ESL Lab (21/2-4/4, 2/5-30/5)
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun

Examinations, Quizzes and Formal Tests

Test A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 19:00 - 20:00 C2 Lecture Theatre
31 Mar - 6 Apr
02 Tuesday 19:00 - 20:00 C3 Lecture Theatre
31 Mar - 6 Apr
03 Tuesday 19:00 - 20:00 A3 Lecture Theatre
31 Mar - 6 Apr

Course Coordinator

Le Yang

Lecturers

Ciaran Moore and Lui Holder Pearson

Tutor

Fredy Youssif

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Project Milestone 1 5%
Test 20%
Project Milestone 2 5%
Project Demo 15%
Project Report and Code 15%
Final Exam 40%

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

C. Noviello; Mastering STM32 ; 2nd; 2024.

Lacamera, Daniele; Embedded systems architecture : explore architectural concepts, pragmatic design patterns, and best practices to produce robust system ; Packt, 2018.

P. Warden and D. Situnayake; TinyML: Machine Learning with TensorFlowLite on Arduino and Ultra-Low-Power Microcontrollers ; O'Reilly, 2020.

Simon, David E; An embedded software primer ; Addison Wesley, 1999.

White, Elecia; Making embedded systems : design patterns for great software ; O'Reilly Media, 2012.

Yiu, Joseph; The definitive guide to ARM® Cortex®-M3 and Cortex-M4 processors ; Third edition; Elsevier, Newnes, 2014.

Additional Course Outline Information

Academic integrity

AI Policy:
Project: Generative AI Tools are Permitted
     In this assessment, you are permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). To assist with maintaining academic integrity, you must appropriately acknowledge any use of GenAI in your work. Please include a statement of acknowledgement/declaration in your final report, clearly indicating which AI tools were used and how they contributed to your work.
Test/Exam: Generative AI Tools Cannot Be Used for This Assessment
     In this assessment, you are strictly prohibited from using GenAI to generate any materials or content related to the assessment. This is because they are closed-book and invigilated assessments. The use of AI-generated content is not permitted and may be considered a breach of academic integrity. Please ensure that all work submitted is the result of your own human knowledge, skills, and efforts.

Scaling of Marks:
     To maintain consistency across the courses and fairness for students, scaling occurs. In the Faculty of Engineering, target course GPAs are calculated based on the performance of the cohort of students taking the course in the previous year. Scaling of the raw total course marks is normally performed so that when converted to grades (using UC Grade Scale) the outgoing GPA is in line with the target GPA for a course. Scaling up or down can occur.
     
      Grading Scale for the University: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/study/study-support-info/study-related-topics/grading-scale.

Mahi ā-Ākonga | Workload (expected distribution of student hours, note 15 points = 150 hours):

Contact Hours

Lectures: 36 hours
Tutorials: 0 hours
Workshops: 0 hours
Laboratories: 40 hours

Independent study

Review of lectures: 30 hours
Test and exam preparation: 32 hours
Assignments: 0 hours
Tutorial preparation: 0 hours
Laboratory calculations: 12 hours

Total 150

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,122.00

International fee $6,238.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Electrical and Computer Engineering .

All ENCE361 Occurrences

  • ENCE361-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025