CS.402
Embedded Systems
Introduction
Duncan Smeed
Administrivia
 Resources
 Syllabus
 Textbook
 Lecture Notes
 One-Minute Papers
 Tutorials/Practicals
 Assessments
 Pre-requisites
 Recommended Reading/References
Introduction
CS402_01/2
Resources
Web pages
Forum
E-mail
Introduction
CS402_01/3
Resources – Web pages
 SPIDER:
<spider.science.strath.ac.uk/spider/spider/showClass.php?cl
ass=CS402>
 Primarily used for everything bar the forum
 In the process of being updated so…
 …current alternative:
<personal.cis.strath.ac.uk/~dunc/teaching/cs402/>
Introduction
CS402_01/4
Resources – Forum
 Official Forum
<https://local.cis.strath.ac.uk/forums/viewforum.php?f=115>
 Integral part of class delivery content
• I.e. may contain examinable material
 Usual place for announcements, etc.
Introduction
CS402_01/5
Resources – E-mail
 The official forum is the preferred method of einteraction…
… However, if you must use e-mail to contact me about
the class then please be aware of my…
… Filters and Spam Traps, so
 Please use the label [CS402] as part of the subject line
 Best to use your official University or Departmental account
Introduction
CS402_01/6
Syllabus & Textbook
 Syllabus
See
<http://www.strath.ac.uk/cis/localteaching/localug/C
S402/>
 Textbook
Computers as Components, 2/e
<http://www.elsevierdirect.com/product.jsp?isbn=97
80123743978>
Wayne Wolf
ISBN: 978-0-12-374397-8
Introduction
CS402_01/7
Lecture Notes
 Distribution policy
Available from:
SPIDER
and
<personal.cis.strath.ac.uk/~dunc/teaching/cs402/
downloads/>
 Slides only part of the story!
 Attending the lectures is highly recommended*
 Having (access to) the textbook is highly recommended
* Note: It is now departmental policy to record attendance at
lectures, practicals and tutorials.
Introduction
CS402_01/8
One-Minute Papers
 This will be the 6th year of using OMPs to support the
teaching of my classes
 Handed out at the start of each lecture
 If I forget then please remind me!
 Collected in at the end of each lecture
 Please don’t forget to hand in your OMP!
 Returned at a subsequent tutorial/practical
 Used to kick-start a tutorial/practical Q&A?
 OMP Bonus Scheme!
 Worth up to an additional 10% of the coursework contribution.
I.e. 10% * 20% => 2% of the overall assessment.
 Each OMP is given a mark between 1 and 3
① Neither of the questions answered
② Only one of the questions (sensibly!?)
③ Both questions answered (sensibly!?)
Introduction
CS402_01/9
One-Minute Paper… Questions
 There are two OMP questions:
Q1 What was the most important point made in the lecture today?
Q2 What are you still most unsure of as a result of the lecture?
 Please answer these questions as honestly as possible
 They are an invaluable, and immediate, source of feedback
 Answers to Q2 will help focus later lectures/tutorials on
common issues
 There may be a third question – typically a MCQ for
eliciting feedback. For instance:
Introduction
CS402_01/10
Tutorials/Practicals?
 Details/Links:
 TBA
Guidelines:
 TBA
Start Week 3 – Allocations announced in Week 2
Frequency – TBD but a possible/likely scenario
 Tutorials in odd-numbered weeks
 Practicals in even-numbered weeks
Introduction
CS402_01/11
Encourage Learning with In-Tutorial Exercises
 Exercises attempted before/during/after tutorials and
practicals are a vital aspect of engaging with the class
content.
 Many of the exercises will be derived from the end-ofchapter exercises of the textbook.
 The more exercises attempted the better the level of
knowledge and understanding will be.
 Given the number of exercises that are set and the
importance of these, it is recommended that students
organise themselves into small self-help groups.
 I call these self-help groups “ELITE Teams” ;-)
Introduction
CS402_01/12
ELITE Teams
 Composition
 Self-determined by the students
 Up to 4 students in each team
 Members of a team should be in the same tutorial group
 Organisation
 ELITE Teams are encouraged to meet on an ad-hoc, weekly,
basis outside the scheduled times for the CS.402
lectures/tutorials/practicals. The time available in a
tutorial/practical will not be enough!
 Members of the team are encouraged to share the workload
of answering the In-Tutorial Exercises. How this is done is up
to each team. There are several approaches…
 Justification & Motivation
 ELITE Team members will be able to discuss and answer
more questions/exercises than they could as individuals.
Introduction
CS402_01/13
Assessments
Exam: 80%
 Answer 3 questions from 4
Coursework: 20%




Assessed Coursework Exercise (Individual)
Assessed Coursework Exercise (Group Project)
Class Test #1
Class Test #2
 Bonuses: ?%
 OMP Bonus Scheme!
 Bonus questions in ACEs?
Introduction
CS402_01/14
Assessed Coursework Exercises (ACEs)
 Assessed Coursework Exercise (Individual)




Type: Individual Exercise
Weight: 50/200
Set:
Monday, 7th February – Week 3
Due:
Monday, 7th March – Week 7
 Assessed Coursework Exercise (Group Project)




Type: Group Exercise
Weight: 100/200
Set:
Monday, 1st March – Week 6
Due:
Monday, 25th April – Week 12
 ACE Groups
 Composition:
 Operation:
Introduction
TBD
TBD
CS402_01/15
Class Tests
 Class Test #1 (CT #1)
 Type: In-lecture, 25 question, 20-minute, MCQ
 Weight: 25/200
 Set:
Tuesday, 8th March – Week 7
 Class Test #2 (CT #2)
 Type: In-lecture, 25 question, 20-minute, MCQ
 Weight: 25/200
 Set:
Tuesday, 26th April – Week 12
Introduction
CS402_01/16
Feedback Mechanisms
 Marked work and/or marking schemes
 As appropriate
 Sample solutions
 Online and/or covered in lectures/tutorials/practicals
 Forum Q&As
 But remember this is not a ‘distance learning’ class!
 One-Minute Papers
 Help focus later lectures/tutorials/practicals on common
issues
 Class Tests
 Correct answers given in the lecture following the class test
 Tutorials
 Worked exercises and solutions to in-tutorial exercises
Introduction
CS402_01/17
Pre-requisites
Note recommended pre-requisites for the
class:
 52 223 Low Level Programming
 CS 304 Operating Systems & Systems Software
 CS 305 Computer Architecture
Introduction
CS402_01/18
Recommended Reading/References
1. Computers as Components: Principles of Embedded Computing
System Design, 2/E
Wayne Wolf
ISBN: 978-0-12-374397-8
<http://www.elsevierdirect.com/product.jsp?isbn=97801
23743978>
<http://www.waynewolf.us/embedded-book-2e/>
Additional recommendations will be identified as/when appropriate
Introduction
CS402_01/19