• Design process for embedded systems. Design requirements.
• The platform for embedded systems and its components.
• Analysis and optimisation of software for embedded systems.
• Periodic process model, basic scheduling algorithms and scheduling analysis.
• Parallel processes and communication mechanisms.
• Realtime operating systems.
• Acceleration of the system through additional hardware. Co-design of hardware and software.

Having passed the course, the student should be able to

• describe the fundamental structure of the platform for embedded computer systems and explain cooperation between the software and the hardware components
• analyse how architecture and implementation decisions influence the performance in an embedded system
• use basic models and analytical methods for embedded realtime systems
• develop software for simple embedded real time systems

in order to obtain a good understanding of the design process for embedded systems and basic methods and technologies for the design of embedded systems.

The course consists of 17 lectures, 2 seminars and 3 laboratory sessions. Students have to complete the laboratory tasks within their available laboratory sessions. The seminar sessions are intended to support the laboratories. There will be two occasions per study year to pass the written exam.

The following table shows a preliminary plan for the course's logical flow. More detailed information will be available via the course's Canvas page.

The course will use written course material, which will be distributed in Canvas as 'Lecture Notes'.

Students will have to use their laptop for the laboriatories of the course.

The software will be provided as virtual machine to the students.

Students at KTH with a permanent disability can get support during studies from Funka:

Funka - compensatory support for students with disabilities

A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

• LAB1 - Laboratory Work, 3.0 credits, Grading scale: P, F
• TEN1 - Examination, 4.5 credits, Grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

The course uses the grading scale A-F. In order to pass the course the student has to pass the final exam (TEN1; 4.5hp) and to complete the laboratory course (LAB1; 3hp). The grade of the exam will also be the grade for the whole course.

The examination is aligned with the intended learning outcomes, where one learning outcome is examined in the laboratory course and the other three learning outcomes as individual parts in the written exam. 

Laboratory Work (LAB1)

The laboratory course addresses the following learning outcome: The student should be able to develop software for simple embedded real time systems. 

In order to pass the laboratory course, each student has to 

• complete the laboratories including preparation tasks and have them approved by a course assistant.
  • Although laboratories are done in a group of two students, each student has to demonstrate her individual knowledge to pass the laboratory. Students have to book time slots for the examination of the laboratories.

The seminar sessions are intended to support the students for the laboratory tasks. Participation in the seminar session is not mandatory.

Examination (TEN1)

The exam will consist of three different parts, which correspond to three different learning outcomes of the course.

• Part A - Embedded Computing Platform

  • corresponding to the following learning outcome: The student should be able to describe the fundamental structure of the platform for embedded computer systems and explain cooperation between the software and the hardware components

  • The content of Section 2 and exercises from Appendix A.1 in the lecture notes are characteristic for this part.

• Part B - Embedded Real-Time Systems

  • corresponding to the following learning outcome: The student should be able to use basic models and analytical methods for embedded realtime systems

  • The content of Section 3 and exercises from Appendix A.2 in the lecture notes are characteristic for this part.

• Part C - Hardware-Software Co-Design

  • corresponding to the following learning outcome: The student should be able to analyse how architecture and implementation decisions influence the performance in an embedded system

  • The content of Section 4 and exercises from Appendix A.3 in the lecture notes are characteristic for this part.

In order to pass the exam, the student has to pass all three parts (A-C) of the exam. To pass an individual part of the exam, a student needs to achieve at least 40% of the total points in that part of the exam. In addition, 50% of the total points are required.

In all other cases, which means if the student does not achieve 50% of the total points, or if the student does not pass two of the individual parts, the student will receive the grade F.

When a student has received the grade FX, the student has the possibility for a completion exam in the part, which the student did not pass. The student needs to request a completion exam by sending an e-mail to the examiner with the subject header "[IL2206] Completion Exam" within 7 days of the reception of the grade.  If the student passes this completion exam, the grade E will we awarded, otherwise the student fails the exam with the grade F.

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.