Developing and Teaching an Integrated Series of Courses in Embedded Computer Systems

With embedded computer systems being a core topic in computer engineering, there are typically one or more courses in a program that provide varying coverage. Many universities offer introductory courses that focus on microcontroller-based systems and embedded programming. Advanced courses often do not have a common focus and are not available until the graduate level, leaving a gap in training undergraduates. At Iowa State University, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering developed a new senior-level design course on embedded systems design (CPRE 488) that bridges the content between the introductory course on microcontrollers (CPRE 211) and a graduate course on system-level design (CPRE 588). This paper presents the process of developing the integrated series of courses that spans early undergraduate to graduate levels, including the team approach used. The set of courses and the development process should be of interest to educators considering expanding or enhancing the curriculum in embedded systems