Embedded Systems: Introduction to Robotics

This book is one of four books that teach the fundamentals of embedded systems as applied to the Texas Instruments MSP432 microcontroller. An embedded system is a system that performs a specific task and has a computer embedded inside. A system is comprised of components and interfaces connected together for a common purpose. This book teaches the fundamentals of microcontroller interfacing and real-time programming in the context of robotics. There is a chapter on assembly language to expose important concepts of the microcontroller architecture. However, most of the software development occurs in C. This book can be used with Texas Instruments Robot Systems Learning Kit (TI-RSLK). This book provides an introduction to robots that could be used at the college level with little or no prerequisites. Specific topics include microcontrollers, fixed-point numbers, the design of software in C, elementary data structures, programming input/output including interrupts, analog to digital conversion, digital to analog conversion, power, sensor interfacing, motor interfacing, an introduction to digital signal processing, control systems, and communication systems. The book shows how you deploy both Bluetooth Low Energy, and wifi onto the robot, creating an internet of things. This book employs a bottom-up approach to learning. It will not include an exhaustive recapitulation of the information in data sheets. First, it begins with basic fundamentals, which allows the reader to solve new problems with new technology. Second, the book presents many detailed design examples. These examples illustrate the process of design. There are multiple structural components that assist learning. Checkpoints, with answers in the back, are short easy to answer questions providing immediate feedback while reading. The book includes an index and a glossary so that information can be searched. The most important learning experiences in a class like this are of course the laboratories. Specifically for this volume, look at the lab assignments for TI-RSLK curriculum. There is a web site accompanying this book: http://users.ece.utexas.edu/~valvano/arm/robotics.htm