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Embedded Systems
Autumn Semester 2021
chevron_right Schedule chevron_right Exercises and Labs

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Information on the coronavirus
The ETH task force headed by the Vice President for Infrastructure is monitoring developments in the coronavirus
pandemic and will continue to draw up suitable measures as necessary. You can find constantly updated
information on the coronavirus web page.
To ETH's coronavirus web page
Course Structure and Important Information
– Due to the evaluation of the department, the lecture on Monday, 1.11.2021, will not take place.

– Lectures are held on Mondays from 14:15 to 16:00 in ETF C1 until further notice. Life streaming is available
at: Life Streaming. Slides are available on this web page at: Slides. In addition, you find audio and video
recordings of most of the slides as well as recordings of this years and last years life streams on this web page
at: Lecture Recordings .

– Exercises take place on Wednesdays and Fridays from 16:15 to 17:00 via Zoom. On Wednesdays the lecture
material is summarized, hints on how to approach the solution are given and a sample question is solved. On
Fridays, the correct solutions are discussed.

– Laboratories take place on Wednesdays or Fridays from 16:15 to 18:00. On Wednesdays the session starts with
a short introduction via Zoom and then questions can be asked via Zoom. Fridays are reserved for questions via
Zoom

– Forum can be found on Moodle. We'll be conducting all class-related discussion there this term. The quicker
you begin asking questions on Moodle (rather than via emails), the quicker you'll benefit from the collective
knowledge of your classmates and instructors. We encourage you to ask (and answer) questions when you're
struggling to understand a concept.

Schedule
When Where

Lectures Monday 14:15 - 16:00 ETF C1

Exercises Wednesday 16:15 - 17:00 Zoom

Friday 16:15 - 17:00 Zoom
Course Description

Contents
An embedded system is some combination of computer hardware and software, either fixed in capability or
programmable, that is designed for a specific function or for specific functions within a larger system. For
example, they are part of industrial machines, agricultural and process industry devices, automobiles, medical
equipment, cameras, household appliances, airplanes, sensor networks, internet-of-things, as well as mobile
devices.

The focus of this lecture is on the design of embedded systems using formal models and methods as well as
computer-based synthesis methods. Besides, the lecture is complemented by laboratory sessions where students
learn to program in C, to base their design on the embedded operating systems FreeRTOS, to use a commercial
embedded system platform including sensors, and to edit/debug via an integrated development environment.

Specifically the following topics will be covered in the course: Embedded system architectures and components,
hardware-software interfaces and memory architecture, software design methodology, communication, embedded
operating systems, real-time scheduling, shared resources, low-power and low-energy design, hardware
architecture synthesis.

Learning Goals
Understanding specific requirements and problems arising in embedded system applications.

Understanding architectures and components, their hardware-software interfaces, the memory architecture,
communication between components, embedded operating systems, real-time scheduling theory, shared
resources, low-power and low-energy design as well as hardware architecture synthesis.

Using the formal models and methods in embedded system design in practical applications using the
programming language C, the operating system FreeRTOS, a commercial embedded system platform and the
associated design environment.
Overview of Lecture Contents

Laboratory (ES-Lab)
Apart from a set of lectures and theoretical exercises, the course features a number of demonstrations of
computer-aided tools and methods for the design of software and hardware.
The ES-Lab adds to the general understanding of the material covered in the lecture and allows you to gain
experience with the development environment and tools for modern embedded systems. The labs are based on the
call_made
ARM-based TI MSP432 Launchpad , a state-of-the-art embedded system development kit featuring a high-
performance low-power microcontroller. The software development is based on a state-of-the-art integrated
development environment.

Software Development in the ES-Lab

 call_made call_made
During the semester, each student will be given a TI Launchpad and TI Sensors BoosterPack to use freely, so
that everyone can dig into embedded system programming, beyond the frame of the lab sessions.
Laboratory exercises are encourage to be completed in virtual teams.

Timetable
Date Lecture Exercise Lab

27.09.2021 1. Introduction
2. Software
Development

29.09./01.10.2021 0. Prelab [MM]

04.10.2021 3. Hardware-Software
Interface

06.10.2021 3. Hardware-Software
Interface

The lecture will take

place in ETF E1, 16.15 -
18.00!

8.10./11.10.2021 1. Bare Metal

Programming [S

13./15.10.2021 1. SPI, I/O, Polling vs

Interrupt [SC]

18.10.2021 4. Programming Models

20./22.10.2021 2. Interrupts [MG

25.10.2021 5. Operating Systems

27./29.10.2021 2. Time Triggered/Cyclic

Executives [SH]

01.11.2021 NO LECTURE

03./05.11.2021 3. RTOS [LS]

08.11.2021 6. Aperiodic and Periodic

Scheduling

10./12.11.2021 3. Scheduling Aperiodic

Tasks [SH]
 Date Lecture Exercise Lab

15.11.2021 6. Aperiodic and

Periodic Scheduling
7. Shared Resources

17./19.11.2021 4. Scheduling Mixed

Tasks [SH]

22.11.2021 7. Shared Resources

24./26.11.2021 4. RTOS Sensor

Application [LS]

22.11.2021 9. Power and Energy

01./03.12.2020 5. Low Power 1 [MG]

06.12.2021 9. Power and Energy

10. Architecture
Synthesis

08./10.12.2021 6. Low Power 2 [MG]

13.12.2021 10. Architecture Synthesis

15./17.12.2021 7. Architecture Synthesis

1 [LS]

20.12.2021 10. Architecture Synthesis

22.12.2021 8. Architecture Synthesis

2 [LS]

Lecture Slides
All lecture slides are available for download as a bundle:
– Embedded Systems lecture slides [single page format] vertical_align_bottom
– Embedded Systems lecture slides [4on1 page format] vertical_align_bottom

Lecture Recordings
Life Recordings Autumn 2021
The life recordings of the lectures in Autumn Semester are available at the following link: Embedded Systems Life
Recordings AS 2021.

Life Recordings Autumn 2020

The life recordings of last years lecture are available at the following links:
1. Lecture 1: Chapters 1. Introduction and 2. Software Development

2. Lecture 2: Chapters 2. Software Development and 3. Hardware-​Software Interface

3. Lecture 3: Chapter 3. Hardware-​Software Interface

4. Lecture 4: Chapters 3. Hardware-​Software Interface and 4. Programming Models

5. Lecture 5: Chapters 4. Programming Models and 5. Operating Systems

6. Lecture 6: Chapters 5. Operating Systems and 6. Aperiodic and Periodic Scheduling

7. Lecture 7: Chapter 6. Aperiodic and Periodic Scheduling

8. Lecture 8: Chapters 6. Aperiodic and Periodic Scheduling and 7. Shared Resources

9. Lecture 9: Chapters 7. Shared Resources and 9. Power and Energy

10. Lecture 10: Chapter 9. Power and Energy

11. Lecture 11: Chapters 9. Power and Energy and 10. Architecture Synthesis

12. Lecture 12: Chapter 10. Architecture Synthesis

13. Lecture 13: Chapter 10. Architecture Synthesis

Audio and Videos of Selected Chapters

Some of the chapters are documented via carefully recoreded videos. They contain some of the slides as well as
audio explanations.
– 1. Introduction

– 2. Software Development

– 3. Hardware Software Interface

– 4. Programming Paradigms

– 5. Operating Systems

– 6. Aperiodic and Periodic Scheduling

– 7. Shared Resources

– 8. Hardware Components

– 9.2 Power and Energy

Exercises and Laboratory

Exercises: The exercises are made available before the date of the exercise. On Wednesdays from 16:15 to 17:00,
teaching assistants will summarize the lecture material required to solve the exercise questions, give hints how to
approach the solution, solve a sample question and answer your questions. On Fridays from 16:15 to 17:00, they
will discuss the correct solution and answer more questions you might have. The electronic version of the exercise
questions and solutions will be placed online after Wednesday together with recordings of the session.
Laboratory: On Wednesdays from 16:15 to 18:00, teaching assistants will introduce the laboratory tasks and
answer your questions over Zoom. On Fridays from 16:15 to 18:00, the session is solely dedicated to answering
your questions. Additionally, during the regular laboratory hours, teaching assistants will be present to take
questions offline in ETZ D61.1. In case you miss a lab session, we encourage you to conduct the respective
exercises on your own before the next laboratory takes place. Recordings of the introduction will be made available
after Wednesday.
Distribution of the Personal Launchpad will take place in the first week of the semester. The hardware can be
picked up in ETZ D97.7 at the time and date indicated below.
Last Name Date Time

A-E Monday, 13.09.2021 10:00 - 12:00

Monday, 20.09.2021

F-K Monday, 13.09.2021 12:00 - 14:00

Monday, 20.09.2021

L-R Tuesday, 14.09.2021 10:00 - 12:00

Tuesday, 21.09.2021

S-Z Tuesday, 14.09.2021 12:00 - 14:00

Tuesday, 21.09.2021

If you miss those dates or signed up for the course after the semester has started, please contact the lecture
coordinator via email.

We urgently ask all students to do the laboratory on their own hardware. For this, we provide you with a virtual
machine that has all the necessary software already pre-installed. You can find the installation instructions on
GitLab. We have tested this setup on PCs and Laptops with an USB port that run Windows 10, macOS Catalina, as
well as Linux Mint and Linux Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04; in general, all platforms which can run VirtualBox should
work. In exceptional circumstances where this is not possible, students are allowed to use the computers in ETZ
D61.1 or ETZ D96.1 during the regular laboratory hours (Wednesday or Friday 16.15 – 18.00). In such a case, please
send an email with your name and Legi number to the lecture coordinator. You will receive a time slot and room
allocation that guarantees that the maximum occupation of the computer rooms is respected. You are not allowed
to enter ETZ D61.1 or ETZ D96.1 during the laboratory hours if you do not have an allocated slot.
Collection of the personal LaunchPad will be conducted at the exam in the winter examination session. After the
exam ends, please put any hardware we lent you (i.e. both the TI LaunchPad (including the microUSB cable) as well
as the TI Sensors BoosterPack) on your table. In case you will not be attending the exam, we will announce an
opportunity to return the Launchpad to our offices in February.
Generic Documents

Embedded System Companion Supplementary Material

Generic Documents

Remote Installation Instructions

Documents for Lab 0

Handout Source (code)

Slides and videos call_made Solution (code and handout)

Documents for Lab 1

Handout Source (code)

Slides and videos call_made Solution (code and handout)

Documents for Lab 2

Handout Source (code)

Slides and videos call_made Solution (code and handout)

Documents for Lab 3

Handout Source (code)

Slides and videos call_made Solution (code and handout)

Documents for Lab 4

Handout Source (code)

Slides and video call_made Solution (code and handout)

Documents for Exercise 1

Handout Solution

Slides and video Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 2

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 3

Handout Solution
 Generic Documents

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 4

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 5

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 6

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos call_made

Documents for Exercise 7

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos

Documents for Exercise 8

Handout Solution

Slides and videos call_made Slides and videos

Exam
There will be a written 2-hour exam in English.

Supporting Materials

Printouts, handwritten note, and calculators are allowed. No devices that can be used for communication.
Material for Exam Preparation

English
Sample exam - 2015 (3 hours)
Sample exam - 2016 (2 hours)
Sample exam with solution- 2015 (3 hours)
Sample exam with solution - 2016 (2 hours)
Sample exam with solutions - 2010 (3 hours)
Sample exam - 2020 (2 hours)
Sample exam with solution - 2020 (2 hours)

German
Sample problem Synthesis - Solution Synthesis
Sample problem Aperiodic RT - Solution Aperiodic RT
Sample problem Periodic RT - Solution Periodic RT
Sample problem Dynamic Power Management - Solution Dynamic Power Management
Sample problem Scheduling - Solution Scheduling

Sample exam with solutions - Autumn 2005 (3 hours)

Sample exam with solutions - Summer 2010 (3 hours)

Literature
Related Literature - Online book orders at ETHbib call_made
– P. Marwedel: Embedded System Design, Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-85812-8/978-3-030-60909-2, 2018/2021.

– G.C. Buttazzo: Hard Real-Time Computing Systems. Springer Verlag, ISBN 978-1-4614-0676-1, 2011.

– Edward A. Lee and Sanjit A. Seshia: Introduction to Embedded Systems, A Cyber-Physical Systems Approach,
Second Edition, MIT Press, ISBN 978-0-262-53381-2, 2017.

Teaching Assistants
If you have a general question on the lecture, exercises, or labs, please contact the coordinator. For specific
questions regarding an exercise or lab, please contact the respective assistants directly.

Coordinator
– Seonyeong Heo, ETZ D97.7, [email protected] [SH]

Assistants
– Filippo Spinelli, [email protected] [FS]​

– Gamze Islamoglu, [email protected] [GI]

– Jakob Wöhler, [email protected] [JW]​

– Lukas Schulthess, ETZ J83, [email protected] [LS]

– Marco Giordano, ETZ D97.5, [email protected] [MG]

– Michael Roth, [email protected] [MR]​

– Silvano Cortesi, ETZ D97.2, [email protected] [SC]

Course Catalog Link

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 Embedded Systems
Number
227-0124-00L chevron_right
Lecturers
L. Thiele M. Magno

Contact

Prof. em. Dr. Lothar Thiele

Professor Emeritus at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical
Engineering

location_on ETZ G 88
phone +41 44 632 70 31
email Email
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