Free online course - Embedded Systems

Don’t know if anyone likes taking online courses from Coursera, edX etc. but there is a course starting in January on edX in Embedded Systems. Details here. It’s 15 weeks, approx 10 hr/wk, at the first-year college level. The description sounds pretty good, a nice mix of h/w and s/w as well as diagnostic equipment.

If you watch the video, the final project is a Space Invaders game displayed on an old cellphone display ( $12 to buy, I found one on Amazon.ca w/ free shipping). The processor they’re using is a LaunchPad, which is an ARM processor. Digikey has them for $16 Cdn, and there is an open order RIGHT NOW by a group of VHS members (but will likely be closed after this weekend Dec 13/14).

All told, parts won’t cost more than $50 or $60 if you get everything on their list and most of it is probably somewhere in a bin at VHS anyway. Little to no soldering also. If anyone is interested, we could arrange regular meet-ups to nudge each other along. The price is definitely right and there’s no penalty for non-completion.

Just a thought …

1 Like

Thanks for the suggestion, that looks about right for me. I just added the kit to the digikey group order. I’d be happy to work together on the projects.

Just a note that the display isn’t part of the kit. I ordered this one from Amazon.ca for $12 because they offered free shipping. Never ordered from the company before so I can’t tell if they are in Canada or not, it may get caught on the dreaded Customs surcharge of $10 to tell you no duty is owing.

If you look around online there seem to be lots of places to get the Nokia 5110 (maybe someone knows a local source?), they are usually in the range of $10.

I have also signed up for the course…
I added the board to the group digikey order (thanks rsim)
I’ll start looking for a 5110 display…

bob

Good News Everyone: Lees has the 5110 displays for $13.00
Bad News: They only had two left and I bought both of them
So So New: They expect to have more stock in the next week or two. If anyone is stuck I’ll sell off the spare one I have…

The only other part you may want to pick up is the stereo jack and the slide pot. Most likely the space will have the other various bits and pieces. If the space is not back up before the course starts I’m suer I have enough leds and resistors…

The display I got on Amazon just shipped, and I now know it comes from Hong Kong. It may or may not wind up with Customs fees, so I would say buying from Lee’s is a much better idea.

Tthe display isn’t needed until the end of the course anyway, and is optional as well, the labs can be done without it. I just wanted to learn how to drive it from the LaunchPad (it will work with Arduino also).

Hmm the Tiva board huh?

I was worried whether I could use my older Stellaris Launchpad boards, but apparently there is very little difference.
http://e2e.ti.com/group/universityprogram/educators/f/776/t/270596

The only thing that might affect it is the lack of advanced motion control modules which after looking it up are really impressive:

Advanced Motion Control
The TM4C123GH6PM microcontroller provides motion control functions integrated into the device,
including:
■ Two PWM modules, with a total of 16 advanced PWM outputs for motion and energy applications
■ Two fault inputs to promote low-latency shutdown
■ Two Quadrature Encoder Inputs (QEI)
The following provides more detail on these motion control functions.

If this isn’t used in the class then I’ll sign up too

Took another look at the course description. Doesn’t look like they’ll have any motion devices so I’m signed up.

I’ve enrolled.

So am I. Anyone want to do a weekly night at VHS?

I’m probably going to enrol later tonight.

We should really have a get-together night. How does Thursday night sound?

I’m in for a meetup, the day may depend on how the assignments get posted. Also we may need a key-holder if we meet at VHS, but an alternate location may work depending on where people have to travel from. (VHS is great for me, I live in east van).

I’m glad we have a good size group interested in this, it should be fun.

Oh hey, I’ll take the display! How would you like to exchange currency for
goods?

If a meet happens before the course starts then I’ll see you there and cash will do fine…
If not we will figure something out…
If you want it quicker then I live out by the PNE but work downtown…

Bob

I see that they have now added WiFi support on the TI Eval boards using a CC3100 module… Nice if they had mentioned this earlier when we were purchasing the parts… The module is $25.00… More than I want to spend…

http://edx-org-utaustinx.s3.amazonaws.com/UT601x/worldwide.html

Too bad, I’d be interested in a WiFi lab myself. I wonder if there is a local supplier that can bring in TI items? I wasn’t aware that Lee’s will bring in items on special order ie SparkFun until someone at VHS mentioned it.

Since this is at the end of the course, maybe we can see if a local supplier can get them without too much markup. Unfortunately one of the downsides of MOOC’s is that you can’t see the actual lab assignment much in advance so it’s hard to tell if it’s worth worrying about, but I’ll probably want to add the WiFi for later projects anyway.

Both Mouser and Digikey have them for $26.00 CA but you’ll get stuck with shipping for orders under $200.00. I think Digikey charges $8.00 but Mouser charges $20.00. I may have a larger Mouser order (free shipping) going in the next couple of weeks so if anyone wants one they can add it to my order…

It’s easier to order from the TI store directly.

I’m also up for getting together to work on the class assignments. We should make it a recurring date every week, a day or two after the class day.

Hector

Shipping from the TI store was 9$ and it arrived in less than 48 hours. I’m very impressed.

Except for the terms of use I had to agree to. You aren’t allowed to use TI parts for making weapons of mass destruction.

If anyone is interested I found an Arduino like IDE that works with the TI LaunchPads. Its called Energia and you’ll find it here:
http://energia.nu/guide/
It seems to work though I haven’t done much but blink the LED…

Here is a link to stuff more specific to the LaunchPad we are using in the course:
http://energia.nu/pin-maps/guide_tm4c123launchpad/