35152 - Hardware-software design of embedded systems M

Learning outcomes

The main objective of the class is to give a practical knowledge of hardware-software platforms and a clear understanding of the design tradeoffs in energy-efficient embedded systems. The class is divided in three blocks of lectures: (I) system-on-chip hardware design - fundamental concepts, (II) microcontroller systems design - hardware and software, (III) Parallel software and programming for advanced embedded systems.

Course contents

Part 1 – System-on-chip (SoC) hardware design – fundamental concepts exemplified on reconfigurable SoCs (Xilinx Zynq)

• Hardware design Languages (HDLs) and their use to specify and implement combinational and sequential circuits. The main concepts are exemplified though the use of the SystemVerilog HDL
• Hardware design flow and tools – Synthesis, simulation, verification. The main concepts are illustrated with examples using commercial electronic design automation (EDA) tools
• IP-based design – building a design from pre-designed components.

Part 2 – Microcontroller systems design – Hardware and Software

• Microcontroller architecture based on the ARM Cortex M family and RISC-V. Microcontroller peripherals. Microcontroller programming for maximum Energy efficiency
• Analog and Digital sensor interfaces, MEMS sensors – Smart sensors – Wireless sensor Networks. System power management

Part 3 – Parallel Architecture and Parallel programming for advanced embedded systems

• Multicore architectures and their use in energy efficient embedded Systems with examples from consumer and industrial market segments based on the ARMv8 instruction set (Cortex A family).
• Programming shared memory multicore systems using the OpenMP programming model – with practical examples based on multicore development boards (e.g. Tega's Jetson)

Readings/Bibliography

See course web site

Teaching methods

See course web site

Assessment methods

Written exam and optional oral exam (possibly as a project discussion on a project agreed with instructor)

Teaching tools

See course web site on iol.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Luca Benini