FutureLearn

Design and Prototype Embedded Computer Systems (FutureLearn)

Offered by Raspberry Pi Foundation, National Centre for Computing Education,
Design and Prototype Embedded Computer Systems (FutureLearn)

Discover embedded system design and work your way through the product design lifecycle. Supported by Google. Learn how to design your own embedded system. On this course from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, you will explore how embedded systems are used in the world around us. You will learn what makes an embedded system different from a general purpose system (such as a PC) and discover how embedded systems are specialised for a particular use case.

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As you explore the iterative design process, you will discover how the purpose of a system affects how it is designed, from choosing its components to the look of the final product. You will also investigate the design of an algorithm and, ultimately, design your own embedded system.

What topics will you cover?

  • The difference between embedded systems and general-purpose systems
  • How to decompose a product into features, tasks, and components using a block diagram
  • What is real-time computing is and why is it important?
  • How to apply an iterative design process
  • Prototyping
  • Designing a finished physical product
  • Connecting a device to the internet to provide functionality

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Compare embedded systems to general-purpose systems
  • Investigate the design of a smartwatch as an example of an embedded system
  • Apply a design process to both an algorithm and a whole product
  • Develop a prototype of an embedded system

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for teachers delivering lessons on embedded systems in the classroom, at a GCSE level or equivalent.
This course will also be of interest to those with some experience of physical computing who want to move on to creating their own products.

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