Microcontrollers: Basic Architecture and Design
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Microcontrollers: Basic Architecture and Design
Instructor: Steve Sheafor
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What you'll learn
Analyze and Compare MCU Architectures and Designs, particularly related to the processor.
Apply advanced techniques like power management and control, clock management and processor configuration to create optimal MCUs.
Optimize Performance, Energy, and Cost in MCUs and Systems.
Details to know
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There are 5 modules in this course
This course introduces students to the architecture and design of Microcontrollers (MCUs), which are small processors used in a myriad of products. The main MCU components of the processor, memory, I/O interfaces and their interconnections will be examined, with a focus on the processor. The process of optimizing performance, energy usage and cost will be explored in a project where students will begin the development of an MCU in a system context.
The course will go beyond basic architecture and design to explore real-world details involved in the design of actual hardware products. Although focused on MCUs, many of these topics are relevant to the architecture and design of all types of advance digital components. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MS-EE) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The degree offers targeted courses, short 8-week sessions, and pay-as-you-go tuition. Admission is based on performance in three preliminary courses, not academic history. CU degrees on Coursera are ideal for recent graduates or working professionals. Learn more: MS in Electrical Engineering: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/msee-boulder
In this module we will discuss Microcontrollers (MCUs), their relationship to other processor types, their usage applications and how to evaluate them.
What's included
16 videos5 readings1 assignment1 programming assignment
16 videos•Total 163 minutes
- Instructor Introduction•5 minutes
- Course Introduction•15 minutes
- Applications•8 minutes
- Processor Types 1•5 minutes
- Processor Types 2•9 minutes
- Why MCUs•7 minutes
- MCU Applications 1•13 minutes
- MCU Applications 2•16 minutes
- Ambiq Micro•14 minutes
- Key Factors - Cost•14 minutes
- Key Factors - Chip Area•9 minutes
- Key Factors - Power/Energy•8 minutes
- Key Factors - Performance•8 minutes
- Intellectual Property (IP)•19 minutes
- MCU Design Project - Intro•8 minutes
- MDP Stage 0 - Submit Design•4 minutes
5 readings•Total 66 minutes
- Course Updates and Accessibility Support•1 minute
- Non-Credit Students: Welcome and Where to Find Help•10 minutes
- Assessment Expectations•5 minutes
- Ambiq Micro Readings•30 minutes
- MCU Design Project Description•20 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- MCU Background and Analysis Quiz•30 minutes
1 programming assignment•Total 15 minutes
- MCU Design Project Stage 0•15 minutes
In this module we will explore the basic MCU components, their functions and the busses used to connect them to each other.
What's included
11 videos1 assignment
11 videos•Total 145 minutes
- Basic MCU Architecture•12 minutes
- MCU Architecture - Processor•8 minutes
- MCU Architecture - Memory•14 minutes
- MCU Architecture - Peripherals•15 minutes
- MCU Architecture - GPIO•12 minutes
- MCU Architecture - Clocks•17 minutes
- MCU Architecture - Interrupts•15 minutes
- Busses - Basic•11 minutes
- Busses - Address Spaces•12 minutes
- Busses - Factor Analysis•16 minutes
- Busses - ARM Processor•14 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- MCU Components Quiz•30 minutes
In this module we will explore various methods for managing MCU power usage, including the clock system.
What's included
19 videos1 reading1 assignment1 programming assignment
19 videos•Total 169 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Introduction•6 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Design File•11 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - AppMod File•5 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Peripherals•7 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Code Behavior•9 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Results File•6 minutes
- MDP Stage 1 - Optimization•8 minutes
- Editing the Design File•3 minutes
- Editing the AppMod File•2 minutes
- Power Control - Power Gate•15 minutes
- Power Control - Clock Gate•7 minutes
- Power Control - Lower Voltage•6 minutes
- Power Control - Voltage Tuning•18 minutes
- Power Control - Power States•7 minutes
- Power Control - Memory•13 minutes
- Basic Timing•11 minutes
- Clock Balancing•17 minutes
- Synchronizing Busses•11 minutes
- Utilizing FIFOs•7 minutes
1 reading•Total 20 minutes
- MCU Design Project Stage 1•20 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- MCU Power Control and Timing Quiz•30 minutes
1 programming assignment•Total 360 minutes
- MCU Design Project - Stage 1•360 minutes
In this module we will identify the alternatives for MCU processors and look closely at the processors from ARM.
What's included
15 videos1 assignment
15 videos•Total 164 minutes
- RISC vs. CISC•10 minutes
- Pipelining•16 minutes
- Processor - RISC•11 minutes
- Processor - MIPS•11 minutes
- Processor - RISC-V•12 minutes
- Processor - ARM•15 minutes
- Processor - ARM Families 1•11 minutes
- Processor - ARM Families 2•9 minutes
- Processor - ARM Interrupt HW•7 minutes
- Processor - ARM Coprocessors•10 minutes
- Processor - ARM FPU•9 minutes
- Processor - ARM DSP & SIMD•16 minutes
- Processor - ARM System•8 minutes
- Processor - ARM Debug•8 minutes
- Processor - ARM Trace HW•12 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- MCU Processors Quiz•30 minutes
In this module we will examine several additional functions created in the newer ARMv8 architecture and explain how MCUs are designed efficiently using configuration.
What's included
14 videos1 reading1 assignment1 programming assignment
14 videos•Total 120 minutes
- MDP Stage 2 - Module Reconfig•8 minutes
- MDP Stage 2 - Code Behavior•12 minutes
- MDP Stage 2 - Power Control•5 minutes
- MDP Stage 2 - Optimization•3 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 Extensions•10 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 MPU•14 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 LOB•8 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 MVE 1•10 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 MVE 2•7 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 SIMD•8 minutes
- Processor - ARMv8 CDE•7 minutes
- MCU Build Process•13 minutes
- MCU Configuration Details•13 minutes
- Course Conclusion•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- MCU Design Project Stage 2•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- MCU Processor Details Quiz•30 minutes
1 programming assignment•Total 360 minutes
- MCU Design Project Stage 2•360 minutes
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