TA Lab Assignments

Specific ECE319K topics needed for ECE445L:

LED interface, switch interface, busy-wait synchronization, serial communication concepts (start bit, data bits, stop bit, baud rate, bandwidth), UART programming, analog to digital conversion (range, resolution, precision, accuracy), ADC programming, digital to analog conversion (range, resolution, precision, accuracy), interrupt concepts (arm, enable, acknowledge, vector), periodic interrupt programming

Specific ECE312 topics needed for ECE445L:

Modular programming, differences between pointers and numbers, when to use permanent allocation and when to use temporary allocation, definitions of char, short and long, understanding and use of static, const and volatile,  understanding call by value versus call by reference, stack frames, structures, linked lists, fifo queues, verification. The most important component students must be able to accomplish is the translation of a problem statement into software code. The second most important skill we expect students to have is the ability to debug software. 

Specific ECE302/ECE411/ECE313/ECE438 topics needed for ECE445L:

RLC circuits, NPN and PNP transistors, input impedance, output impedance, linear amplifiers using op amps, oscilloscopes, sampling, frequency response, Bode Plots, Fourier Transform, spectrum measurements.

Microcomputer Architecture (ECE319K review)

An introduction to the microcomputer, architecture, The Cortex M4 Instruction Set, Cortex M4 Addressing Modes, I/O and Memory Organization and the memory map of the TM4C123.

Programming Microprocessors (ECE312 review)

Data Structures in C (arrays, tables, linked lists, stacks, and fifo queues), Writing Quality Programs in C, Passing Parameters (Conceptual and Implementation Levels), Modular Programming, Verification and Testing, Documentation

Microcomputer Bus Interfaces

Digital Hardware, Modules and Signals, Drivers, Registers, Timing equations, Timing diagrams,

Parallel and Serial Input-Output

TM4C Parallel I/O Devices,  Device Driver Software, Buffered Input and Output,  Table and Linked List Interpreters, TM4C Synchronous and Asynchronous Serial Input-Output, Synchronization in I/O devices, Blind-Cycle Synchronization, Busy-Wait Synchronization, Interrupt Synchronization, Polled Interrupts, Vectored Interrupts, Interrupt Priority

Parallel Port Interfaces

Keyboards, Key Debouncing, Keyboard Scanning Techniques, LED Scanning Techniques and LCD Interfacing

Data Acquisition Systems

Bridge circuits, op amps, low pass filters, instrumentation amplifiers, DAC, ADC, audio amplifiers

Motor interfacing

Stepper motors, DC motors, pulse-width modulation, proportional-integral (PI) control

Equipment to buy:

1) Board

Every student will need a Texas Instruments TM4C123 LaunchPad to complete Lab 1 preparation. Buying options for the board can be found by searching  https://octopart.com/search?q=EK-TM4C123GXL However, one option is to purchase it directly from www.ti.com . We have been using the TM4C123 board in ECE319K from Fall 2013 to Spring 2023, so you might be able to find one used. If you do purchase a used microcontroller board, ask a TA or me to run the board tester to make sure all the pins work. If it still works at the end of the semester, you will be able to sell this board to students in the next semester.

Reference materials on the web:

      http://www.digikey.com/
      http://www.mouser.com/
      http://www.newark.com/

Put your embedded system in a box (not free, but a good source for choices)
    http://www.okw.co.uk/                     OKW Enclosures Ltd
    http://www.tekoenclosures.com/        Teko Enclosures Solutions
    http://www.pactecenclosures.com/     PacTec Enclosures

Legal Stuff: The 12th class day is Jan 31st. The drop policy is extremely complicated. See your academic advisor or the Dean of Students for more information. Course evaluation is conducted on the last class day in accordance with the Measurement and Evaluation Center form. The final exam is at the time and place stated in the course schedule. The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students with Disabilities at 471-6259, 471-4241 TDD.

Sharing of Course Materials is Prohibited: No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University?s Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. I am well aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in sanctions, including failure in the course.

Religious Holy Days By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. 

Scholastic dishonesty: "Faculty in the ECE Department are committed to detecting and responding to all instances of scholastic dishonesty and will pursue cases of scholastic dishonesty in accordance with university policy. Scholastic dishonesty, in all its forms, is a blight on our entire academic community. All parties in our community -- faculty, staff, and students -- are responsible for creating an environment that educates outstanding engineers, and this goal entails excellence in technical skills, self-giving citizenry, an ethical integrity. Industry wants engineers who are competent and fully trustworthy, and both qualities must be developed day by day throughout an entire lifetime. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, or any act designed to give an unfair academic advantage to the student. The fact that you are in this class as an engineering student is testament to your abilities. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty are severe and can include, but are not limited to, a written reprimand, a zero on the assignment/exam, re-taking the exam in question, an F in the course, or expulsion from the University. Don't jeopardize your career by an act of scholastic dishonesty. Details about academic integrity and what constitutes scholastic dishonesty can be found at the website for the UT Dean of Students Office and the General Information Catalog, Section 11-802." 
 

You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting" help from such students in oral form. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an email, an email attachment file, a portable storage device, or a hard copy. Copying of any part of a program is cheating without explicit reference to its source. We do enter lab assignments turned in by ECE445L students through a plagiarism checker, comparing them to assignments of this and previous semesters. If we find two programs that are copied, there will be a substantial penalty to both students, e.g., failure in the course. Students who cheat on tests or in lab will fail. Prosecution of cases is very traumatic to both the student and instructor. It is appropriate to use software out of the book, class website as long as all copy-pasted software is explicitly referenced. Copy-pasting software from current or past students is scholastic dishonesty.

Policies concerning the use of other people's software in this class:
    - I strongly encourage you to study existing software.
    - All applications and libraries must be legally obtained. E.g.,
        You may use libraries that came when you bought a compiler.
        You may use software obtained from the web.
        You may copy and paste from the existing source code.
    - You may use any existing source code that is clearly referenced and categorized:
        original: completely written by you,
        derived: fundamental approach is copied but it is your implementation,
        modified: source code significantly edited to serve your purpose,
        copied: source code includes minor modifications.
 

The University Honor Code is "The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community."  http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi09-10/ch01/

Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Plan Instructions
Please review http://users.ece.utexas.edu/~valvano/emergency_terms.pdf
Every member of the university community must take appropriate and deliberate action when an emergency strikes a building, a portion of the campus, or entire campus community. Emergency preparedness means we are all ready to act for our own safety and the safety of others during a crisis. It takes an effort by all of us to create and sustain an effective emergency preparedness system. Your support is important to achieving the best possible outcomes during a crisis event.

As a University faculty member, you are responsible for pointing out your classrooms building emergency evacuation routes and for reviewing emergency procedures with students at the beginning of each semester. This review should include a mention of the monthly emergency communications test (every first Wednesday at 11:50 a.m.) and the list of communications channels the university uses during emergencies. It should also include a review of the attached document outlining emergency terms (e.g., the difference between ?shelter-inplace? and ?lockdown?) and instructions for faculty and students to follow during emergencies. As a matter of convenience, we recommend including this information in your syllabus along with the phone number for the Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL: 512-232-5050). This is the number to call if you have concerns regarding the attitude or actions of students, staff, or other faculty. Finally, at the end of your emergency preparedness review, request that students requiring assistance in evacuation inform you in writing of their needs during the first week of class. This information must then be provided to the Fire Prevention Services office by fax (512-232-2759), with "Attn. Mr. Roosevelt Easley" written in the subject line. Thank you in advance for taking the time to ensure the safety of your classroom. I assure you this small effort can yield much greater rewards should the unthinkable happen. If you would like more information regarding emergency preparedness, visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/preparedness/.

Emergency Communications
Emergencies may range from inclement weather, to building evacuations, to campus closures, and the university has a variety of tools to communicate with the public in the event of these and other possible emergencies. Depending on the type of emergency, we may use some or all of the following tools to communicate with faculty, staff and students:

Siren System
This system is tested around noon on the first Wednesday of every month, and delivers a siren warning and public address in the event of certain outdoor emergencies. Read more about the siren system.

Emergency Web Site
You may want to bookmark the emergency Web site because it is updated with information during actual emergencies or campus closures.

Local Press and Social Media
University Communications staff send emergency information to the press and update social media with public safety messages. Because of the transient nature of our population, the university depends a great deal on the press and social media to keep students, faculty, and staff informed during campus emergencies.

Pager System
Our campus first responders, resident advisors, and some building managers are part of the AWACS paging system. The pagers send text messages about emergencies on campus and alert city responders (APD, AFD, EMS, Office of Emergency Management, etc.) to campus crisis situations.

Fire Panel Systems
Residence halls are equipped with fire panel systems that have a public address capability. Resident advisors are trained to use these systems in emergencies in order to make announcements to the entire building regarding evacuation, shelter in place, etc.

Text Alerts
The university collects cell phone numbers from members of the campus community for emergency text messages. Sign up for campus text alerts online.

University Group E-mail
During emergencies, UT Safety Alert sends an ?urgent? group e-mail to every student, faculty and staff member. The e-mail directs individuals to the emergency Web site for additional information and instruction.

Voicemail to Office Telephones
This tool leaves a voice message on every faculty and staff member?s office phone on campus.

Cable TV
Residence halls and several of our public gathering places have cable televisions where emergency announcements get posted.

Public Safety Patrol Car Announcements
UTPD patrol cars are equipped with PA systems, which officers can use to provide instructions to pedestrians during emergencies.

University Emergency Information Line:  512-232-9999
Students, faculty, and staff can call this main number for information about campus closures. The implementation of each tool described above is assigned to an individual who has at least two backups who can also carry out the communications task. Individuals with electronic communication tools assigned to them have remote access (from their homes, etc.) to those tools. The police department and the associate vice president for Campus Safety and Security are typically the ones who deliver emergency information to university administration. Upon considering this information, administration develops the messages and activates campus-wide communications. The only exceptions to this are the sirens and pager system, which are activated directly by UTPD in extremely urgent situations where immediate action is required.