Computer Hardware Concepts

1
Introduction

• Computer Hardware Concepts

2
What is aComputer Hardware System?

• A collection of physical and non-physical
  components that are designed to work together to
  do something
• The system can be anything from
• Small (MP3 player)
• Large (a world-wide control or information
  system)
• The system can do tasks from
• Simple (store retrieve some low-level data,
  like music)
• Complex (control the operation of ISS)
• The system can be
• Non-intelligent (not care what it is doing)
• Intelligent (try to figure out things about its
  task)

3
Some More Examples of Something (Sorted by size)

• Small
• Your cell phone, DVD player, microwave, etc.
• Medium
• The environmental control system in your car
• The fly-by-wire system in a modern aircraft
• Large
• The card reader system in TTC, the TCU network,
  etc.
• Robot production lines (microwaves, cars, etc.)
• Hugh
• Package tracking systems (UPS, Fed EX, etc.)
• The world-wide EFT network (ATMs, check readers,
  etc.)

4
Physical Components

• The processing core
• A set processing elements
• Microprocessor, microcontroller, etc.
• Processing support
• Clock, memory, storage, interfaces control, etc.
• Interfaces
• Wired, wireless (RF, IF, etc.)
• Sensors
• Keyboards, card readers, cameras, light
  detectors, etc.
• Actuators
• Video displays, motors, light emitters, welders,
  etc.

5
Non-Physical Components

• Standards for
• How the processors work
• How the interfaces work
• What physical components say to each other
• Software to
• Control sensors and actuators
• Process sensor input
• Control the system
• Interface with other systems

6
Our Approach to the Subject

• This is a survey course
• We hit the highlights
• engineering and computer science students use a
  number of courses to bore into the details
• You are expected to
• gain an appreciation for the details
• develop the working knowledge necessary to
  communicate with someone who knows the details
• You will test your knowledge with some simple
  robotics
• Robots have many things in common
• with other embedded systems
• We will only cover enough details of robotics
• to allow you to build one for competition in a
  contest

7
Schedule Overview

• The course is divided into six sections
• Section I Circuit Theory
• From holes to gates
• Section II Microcontrollers
• A simple programmable device
• Section III Microprocessors
• A more complex collection of components
• Section IV Interface
• How to connect things together
• Section V Systems
• Adding sensors and actuators
• Section Vi Robotics
• Putting it all together

8
Section I Circuit Theory

• Physics of Electronics
• Cover basic concepts like electrons, holes,
  waves, conductors and semiconductors
• Basic Components
• Theory and operation of resisters, capacitors,
  coils, and diodes
• Transistors
• How they are used as amplifies and switches
• Logic Gates
• How they are created and used

9
Section II Microcontrollers

• What they are
• Types and how they are used
• How they are used
• Embedding software in hardware
• Some hardware issues
• Speed, size and power
• Some software issues
• Languages (PBASIC, Java, etc.)
• Memory usage
• I/O

10
Section III Microprocessors

• What they are
• Types and how they are used
• Components
• Buses and support chips
• Cache, memory, storage
• How they are used
• Embedding computers hardware
• Some hardware issues
• Speed, size and power
• Some software issues
• Languages and Operating Systems

11
Section IV Interface

• Human Machine Interfaces
• Traditional (keyboard, mouse, monitor)
• Next generation (eye tracking, etc.)
• Language Interfaces
• Formal and Natural
• Fly-by-wire
• A case study

12
Section V Systems

• Actuators and Sensors
• Types, control, fusion
• Design complexity
• When is a system too complex
• Program Language Tradeoffs
• What languages work best where
• Firmware vs. Software
• When is it best to use each
• Control Strategies
• Polling vs. interrupts
• Threads and processes
• Overview of theory and use

13
Section VI Robotics

• Types and usage
• Fixed (arms, etc.) vs. mobile
• Industrial vs. other types
• Design issues
• Intelligence
• Path planning
• Task planning and scheduling
• Mobile robots
• Sensors and actuators
• Programming in limited space