Lecture 1

• what is an arduino microcontroller?

  A physical computing platform for a single-board microcontroller, with embedded I/O support. It includes a standard programming language called Wiring.
• what programming language will we use in the course?

  processing and wire
• what are some different kinds of technology

  electrical, mechanical, computer-based, hydraulic
• what is an embedded system

  a computer-based system with a hidden processor
• what is an embedded system comprised of?

  a microprocessor, sensors, and actuators
• what is a microprocessor?

  the brain of the system - a CPU on a single integrated circuit
• what is a sensor?

  A device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument
• what is an actuator?

  A device for moving or controlling a mechanism or system, or producing output in general
• what is the purpose of a computer 


  to turn data into information
• what is the difference between data and information

  data is raw facts and figures, whereas information is data that has been summarized and manipulated for use in decision making
• what is hardware

  the machinery and equipment in the computer
• what is software


  the electronic instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task
• what are the basic operations of a computer system

  • Input (what goes into the computer system)
  • Processing (the manipulation of the data into information by the computer)
  • Storage (temporary storage - memory, permanent storage - disks, DVDs, cloud)
  • Output (numbers or pictures on screen, printouts, sounds
  • Communications (sending and receiving data)
• what is the Big Idea #1 or the idea of the Universal Computing Device

  All computers, given enough time and memory, are capable of computing exactly the same things.
• what is the Turing Machine?

  Mathematical model of a device that can perform any computation – Alan Turing (1937)
• what is the Turing machine capable of?

  • Ability to read/write symbols on an infinite “tape”
  • State transitions, based on current state and symbol
• what was Turing's thesis?

  Every computation can be performed by some Turing machine.
• what is the Universal Turing Machine


  A machine that can implement all Turing machines
• what would input to a universal Turing machine

  data and a description of computation
• what is an example of a universal Turing machine

  a computer
• what are the different levels?

  1. Problem Statement - natural language
  2. Algorithm - step-by-step procedure, guaranteed to finish
  3. Program - algorithm in computer language
  4. Instruction Set Architecture - the set of instructions the computer can perform
  5. Microarchitecture - detailed organization of processor implementation
  6. Logic Circuits - combine basic operations to realize microarchitecture
  7. Devices - individual discrete devices that make up the circuits
• what are the characteristics of an electrical circuit?

  • closed loop
  • contains source of electrical energy (battery)
  • contains a load (bulb)
  • electrical energy flow (from positive terminal of battery to the load and back to the negative terminal of the battery)
  • described by a schematic
• what are the characteristics of a battery

  provides a certain amount of electrical energy
• what are the characteristics of a light bulb

  can resist a certain amount of electrical energy
• what is voltage and what is it measured in

  The relative level of electrical energy between any two points in the circuit. Measured in Volts
• what is Current and what is it measured in?

  The amount of electrical energy passing through any point in the circuit. Measured in Amperes
• in the water flow analogy, what is the current?

  how much water (electricity) is flowing past a certain point
• in the water flow analogy, what is the voltage?

  water pressure
• what is resistance and what is it measured in?

  The amount that any component in the circuit resists the flow of current. Measured in Ohms
• what is electrical Power and what is it measured in?

  the combination of current and voltage. Measured in Watts
• in the water flow analogy, what is the resistor?

  the valve, it limits the current and voltage flowing through the pipe
• what is another way to think of resistance?

  the property of a material that controls how easy it is for current to flow
• what is Ohm's law

  V = (I)(R)
• what is a short circuit?

  a circuit with no load
• what happens during a short circuit

  the power source feeds all its power through the wires and back to itself and either the wires melt, or the battery blows up, or something might melt or stop functioning
• what do switches do

  control the flow of current through a junction in a circuit
• what do diodes do

  permit the flow of electricity in one direction and block it in the other direction. Because of this, they can only be placed in a circuit in one direction.
• how can you make an LED work

  they are polarized, meaning that they only operate when oriented correctly in the circuit. The anode of the LED connects to voltage, and the cathode connects to ground.
• what do resistors do

  • Limit the current flow in a circuit
• what is a potentiometer

  A potentiometer is a resistor that can change its resistance.