The Virtual Testbed
Embedded systems are becoming ubiquitous. From cell phones, to
household appliances, to automobiles, many consumer products are being
equipped with one or more processors that interact with the electronic
or mechanical parts of the product. The software engineering
practices for embedded systems, however, are still rather primitive.
Many systems are programmed in assembly or C; other systems are
programmed with high-level but inefficient languages such as
Matlab/Simulink; there is little use of OO languages or techniques.
For teaching embedded systems programming, the current alternatives
are using real equipment in an expensive laboratory for small numbers
of students or teaching a dry course.
We are developing a virtual testbed that employs an actual digital
signal processor (DSP) but in which the external devices controlled by
the DSP, such as power switches or motors, are simulated. We will
use this testbed for developing a course sequence that allows teaching
hands-on embedded systems programming to large numbers of students at
low cost. This virtual testbed could also serve as a testing tool for
testing individual embedded systems with part of the hardware attached
but with other hardware or the communication with other processors
being simulated. Once this virtual testbed is completed, we will use
it as a research platform for developing language support and software
engineering tool support for embedded systems programming.
Collaborator
-
Ali Keyhani
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Ohio State
Former Student
Publications
-
An Integrated Virtual Learning System for the Development of Motor
Drive Systems
A. Keyhani, M.N. Marwali, L.E. Higuera, G. Athalye, G. Baumgartner.
IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 17, No. 1,
February 2002, pp. 1-6.
- Education in Electronic Systems at the Ohio State University
G. Rizzoni, A. Keyhani, G.N. Washington, B. Chandrasekaran,
G. Baumgartner.
In Proceedings of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control
Division,
1998 International Mechanical Engineering Congress &
Exposition,
15-20 November 1998, Anaheim, California, American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, DSC-Vol. 64, pp. 389-396.
- A Virtual Testbed for Instruction Design and Control of Power
Converters
A. Keyhani, M.N. Marwali, G. Baumgartner.
1998 IEEE Power Engineering Society Summer Meeting,
July 1998, San Diego, California.
Funding
- NSF Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program
- Microsoft Corporation
- Texas Instruments
Gerald Baumgartner
Last modified: Sun Feb 13 18:03:15 CST 2005