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Session 1526

Micro-Controllers in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Curriculum at The University of Georgia

Takoi K. Hamrita University of Georgia

Abstract

This paper is to report on a NSF sponsored project aimed at implementing a new pedagogical approach for teaching embedded systems to engineering students who do not necessarily have an electrical/electronics background. In particular, we will present two microcontroller courses developed at the University of Georgia for Biological and Agricultural Engineering students. Educational objectives, laboratory hardware and software and the set of experiments used will be described in this paper.

Introduction

Microprocessor courses have typically been taught within electrical engineering departments with an emphasis on computer architecture and software development. Recently, a shift is being made from teaching microprocessor architecture and the design of software to the use of microcontrollers in solving monitoring and control problems 1. Several NSF funded investigators have explored and demonstrated the potential of teaching microprocessor -based design courses with an emphasis on mechatronic systems. Of particular interest are the courses developed in Stanford, Iowa State, and Berkeley 2,3.

We are aware of few engineering departments that are neither electrical nor mechanical, which offer microcontroller courses in their curricula. At the industry level, applications of monitoring and control fall in all engineering areas and are not restricted to mechanical or electrical systems. MCs are used for stand-alone applications such as microwave ovens and cameras, but in the industrial world, they are used as part of larger systems. Within these larger systems, MCs are used for low-level control functions such as control and compensation for a complex instrument, feedback control of one or a small number of loops. Developing expertise in MCs is crucial for

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Hamrita, T. (2002, June), Microcontrollers In The Biological And Agricultural Engineering Curriculum At The University Of Georgia Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11039