Embedded and control systems
The majority of embedded applications, from washing machines to cars and robotic manufacturing cells to autonomous air or ground robots, perform control related tasks. Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) control and monitor energy supply systems, utilities, rail and road transport networks, and various manufacturing processes from oil refineries to pharmaceutical plants. The design, implementation, and operation of such systems require state-of-the-art sensing, control, signal processing, and actuator technologies. Our goal is to train electrical engineers with the related competencies to solve the task of designing embedded control systems which realize the sense-think-act loop.
Our department contributes to the education of the embedded and control systems specialization block in the BSc degree program in electrical engineering.
Courses
Industrial Control (IIT, 5th semester)
In addition to the traditional reliability and efficiency requirements, the acquisition and processing of production parameters and the flexible operation of equipment play an increasingly important role in manufacturing and process technologies. Engineers who design, deliver and maintain industrial control systems must have extensive knowledge of the supporting technologies, including the sensors, controllers and actuators.
The course presents the sensing principles for physical quantities that are most often required in industrial practice. Such quantities include the temperature, force, pressure and flow. Students also gain in-depth knowledge of the operation and programming of control devices used for industrial automation: programmable logic controllers, distributed and supervisory control systems, field buses.
Microcontroller based systems (AUT, 5th semester)
The aim of the course is to provide students with the most widely used microcontroller architectures in the industry and their selection aspects. With the acquired knowledge, students will be able to design the hardware and implement a low-level software system for microcontroller-based systems.
Embedded and Ambient Systems (MIT, Semester 5)
The basic aim of the course is to develop the system integration skills required for the design of embedded systems (system design, specification of system components, analysis and specification of relationships between components). The topic deals not only with the design of hardware and software elements suitable for signal processing but also with the processing of information and teaches the basic signal processing methods important in embedded systems (filtering, multirate processing, efficient spectrum calculation, etc.).
Laboratory (6th semester)
During the laboratory course jointly defined by the participating departments, students can try out the application of the elements of the embedded and control systems learned during the lectures. The topics provided by our department include position control with rapid prototype design tools; process model control with PLC, programming a MELFA industrial robot arm.
