Hardware-Software Codesign
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 59 Hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Prerequisites
Concurrent pre-requisites
Aims and objectives
This unit of study aims to introduce you to a range of techniques and methodologies used in embedded system design through the design and implementation of a system-on-a-chip (SOC) project to accomplish an interactive task involving hardware and software aspects.
Unit Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Identify and analyse the constraints and characteristics of embedded systems. (K2, K3, K4)
2. Address the hardware/software trade-offs inherent in embedded systems. (K2, K3, K4)
3. Interpret the particular requirements of real-time systems. (K2, K3, K4)
4. Design a system-on-a-chip (SOC) incorporating both hardware and software components and making use of a rudimentary operating system or kernel. (K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2, A7)
Unit Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Identify and analyse the constraints and characteristics of embedded systems. (K2, K3, K4)
2. Address the hardware/software trade-offs inherent in embedded systems. (K2, K3, K4)
3. Interpret the particular requirements of real-time systems. (K2, K3, K4)
4. Design a system-on-a-chip (SOC) incorporating both hardware and software components and making use of a rudimentary operating system or kernel. (K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2, A7)
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
*Scheduled face to face: Lectures (24 hours), Tutorials (11 hours), Laboratory Work (24 hours)
*Scheduled synchronous online learning events (N/A)
Non-scheduled online learning events and activities (N/A)
Other non-scheduled learning events and activities including independent study (approx. 91 hours)
*Scheduled synchronous online learning events (N/A)
Non-scheduled online learning events and activities (N/A)
Other non-scheduled learning events and activities including independent study (approx. 91 hours)
Assessment
| Tasks and Details | Individual or Group | Weighting | Unit Learning Outcomes that this assessment task relates to |
| Examination | Individual | 40-50% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Project/Laboratory program | Group | 50-60% | 1,2,3,4 |
Minimum requirements to pass this unit
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass the unit and meet all Unit Learning Outcomes to a minimum standard, a student must achieve:
(i) An aggregate mark of 50% or more, and
(ii) At least 40% in the final exam
Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 44% as the total mark for the unit and will not be eligible for a conceded pass.
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Analysis skills
• Problem solving skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
• Analysis skills
• Problem solving skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
Content
• Overview of embedded systems and their characteristics.
• Embedded system modelling.
• Embedded system hardware and software.
• Real-time constraints.
• Real-time operating systems, software versus hardware concurrency, OS facilities.
• Hardware/software co-design, partitioning and trade-offs.
• Embedded development tools. Analysis and design methods using graphical notations e.g. UML including state diagrams and automated generation of code.
• System-on-a-chip (implementation of a FPGA based project incorporating CPU, peripherals and embedded software).
• Embedded system modelling.
• Embedded system hardware and software.
• Real-time constraints.
• Real-time operating systems, software versus hardware concurrency, OS facilities.
• Hardware/software co-design, partitioning and trade-offs.
• Embedded development tools. Analysis and design methods using graphical notations e.g. UML including state diagrams and automated generation of code.
• System-on-a-chip (implementation of a FPGA based project incorporating CPU, peripherals and embedded software).
Study resources
- Text books and references.
Text books
References
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.