Course description for EECS 598: Embedded System Design and Synthesis

Course title: Embedded System Design and Synthesis

Instructor: Robert Dick

Description

Embedded systems are computers within other devices such as automobiles and medical devices. This course will survey the field of real-time embedded system design and synthesis and introduce open research topics in the automatic design of reliable, high-performance, low power consumption, inexpensive embedded systems.

Required text: None

Reference texts

Course goals

Prepare students for research in embedded system synthesis and design. Introduce real-time systems and embedded operating systems basics. Complete original projects that may serve as foundations for further research.

Prerequisites

Please email the instructor if you are missing a prerequisite but believe your background might be sufficient.

Prerequisites by topics

Lecture topics

  1. Introduction to embedded systems
  2. Overview of heterogeneous multiprocessor system-on-chip design problem
  3. Models and languages
  4. Formal methods for designing reliable embedded systems
  5. Heterogeneous multiprocessor synthesis
  6. Reliability optimization
  7. Real-time systems
  8. Scheduling
  9. Compilation techniques for embedded systems
  10. Embedded operating systems
  11. Low-power and power-aware design
  12. Novel fabrication techniques for compact and low-power embedded systems
  13. Emerging applications (e.g., sensing and actuation intensive applications and user-aware computing)
  14. Hardware and software data compression for use in embedded systems
  15. Review and student presentations on short projects

Projects

Students will complete one small project and one main project. The instructor will propose a number of possible small project topics. Students may select from among these or propose their own ideas. Small project reports and presentations will be required. The main course project is often an extended version of the small project, but this is not required.

Exams

There will be a final exam covering the assigned reading.

Grading

Page maintained by Robert Dick.