Protecting And Enhancing The M68 Hc11 For Student Use

The teaching of microprocessors to undergraduates poses many problems. The least of these, at the introductory level, should be inconsistencies or difficulties in running simple experiments on the microprocessor itself. This paper presents the development efforts at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) to develop a modular platform for the teaching of the M68HC11 microprocessor. Central to this is a M68HC11EVB2 trainer board packaged in an attache case with a power supply, a buffering board for protection, and an external development platform that supports access to the ports of the M68HC11 and provides convenient interfaces to common I/O devices. An unique feature of this system is that the buffer board provides transparent buffering of the many bi-directional I/O pins of the M68HC11. The effects of using this new system will be examined with emphasis on repair and replacement of damaged units. Additionally the efforts to adapt a M68HC11EVB board to this system will be presented. Introduction There is no question that we are firmly implanted into the era of the computer. It is almost impossible to by any type of electrical consumer product that does not contain at least one microprocessor. This runs the gamut from products as simple as toasters to as complex as the automobile. Consequently it is becoming more important for engineers, in all fields, to have at least a passing knowledge of microprocessors and embedded systems. This is no more evident than in the curriculums at MSOE. Not only are embedded systems taught throughout the computer engineering curriculum (from assembly language in the sophomore year to their role in networks in their senior year) but they also play a prominent role in the sophomore year of our electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology programs as well as service roles in the mechanical engineering (junior) and mechanincal engineering technology (sophomore) programs. The requires a significant investement in infrastructure. This paper will discuss the goals of the MSOE development of this infrastructure and examine its success. It will also discuss our efforts to adapt this infrastructure to changing microprocessor boards.