Design Of Data Acquisition System For Computer Engineering Education

Abstract

A microcontroller based data acquisition system presented is designed for computer engineering students to enhance their knowledge of both microcontrollers and analog circuits, such as A/DC (analog-to-digital conversion), D/AC and integrated-circuit temperature sensors. The system also provides students real-world examples of microcontrollers application and helps students understand how a microcontroller, C language programming, and analog circuits work together to become an embedded system. In addition, it provides a tool for the students to program hardware specific driver codes and to test the system to meet design requirements. The design involves integration of an 8051-based microcontroller, a 12-bit serial A/D converter, an 8-bit D/A converter, an instrumentation operational amplifier, a keypad, and a liquid crystal display. Once the C-language code is compiled, students can download the machine-language code to the system using a PC serial port and do not need any external EPROM burner. The data acquisition system has non-volatile flash memory to hold the code, which allows students to run their code in a stand-alone mode.

Computer engineering is a discipline that combines both computer science and electrical engineering and prepares students for careers that deal with software and hardware components of modern computer systems 1. To educate computer engineering students effectively and practically one needs to provide hands-on activity in class. It would be beneficial if they were exposed to real-world engineering problems, which involve both software and hardware components of computer systems. Utilizing a computer platform to build an embedded system could provide hands-on and practical examples for students 2. In this paper, we employ a microcontroller based data acquisition system as the platform.

Data acquisition involves sampling of signals and processing the signals to generate useful information. These are usually achieved by microprocessor/microcontroller related hardware and software. Courses in microprocessors and microcontrollers are standard parts of computer engineering curriculum in general. Computer Engineering at Virginia State University (VSU) offers computer system related courses such as CPEG 307 (Linear System Analysis) that covers subjects on sampling and discrete-time signals, ENGR 204 (Object-Oriented Programming), CPEG 303 (Intro. to Electronics), CPEG 208 (Microprocessors), CPEG 416 (Adv. Microcontrollers), and CPEG 404 (Data Acquisition and Control System).

The design of data acquisition system allows computer engineering students to weave together the knowledge gained from these courses in the curriculum. The system also provides students real-world examples of microcontrollers applications and helps students understand how a microcontroller, C language programming, and analog circuits all work together to become an embedded system. In addition, it provides a tool for the students to program hardware specific driver codes and to test the system to meet design requirements.