A Real-Time Systems Laboratory to Improve Undergraduate Instruction Computer Science

改善计算机科学本科教学的实时系统实验室

• 批准号: 9350841
• 负责人: Roger Webster
• 金额: $ 2.65万
• 依托单位: Millersville University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1993
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1993-06-01 至 1995-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9350841&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Real; Time; Systems; Laboratory; Improve

Many of the manufactured products of the future will be computer controlled by real-time software embedded in microchips as we have already seen, for example, with microwave ovens, refrigerators, and fuel-injected automobiles. In addition, real-time industrial control systems are becoming one of the fastest growing fields within computer science. Automated manufacturing is leading the advanced technology revolution as companies vie for the competitive edge utilizing real-time robotic automation systems. It is crucial for today's computer science and engineering graduates to be exposed to these complex real-time programming techniques and experiment with them in a laboratory, so that they may develop the skills necessary to write the software embedded in microchips in these sophisticated products and control systems. A Real-Time Systems course is seldom incorporated in a typical computer science program at a liberal arts college. At the nation's larger engineering schools this is addressed. As we compete with the Japanese and other industrialized nations developing the products and control systems of the future, all computer science and engineering students will benefit from exposure to these skills.This project improves the quality of instruction in computer science by providing students with a powerful computer workstation and a laboratory of three real- time platforms from which to study and experiment with the techniques of real-time systems: (1) a real-time model railroad switching yard system, (2) real-time robotic automation, and (3) real-time ROMable microchip code development. With this equipment, students majoring in computer science, computer engineering, and physics will be able to develop advanced real- time software projects. Also, students in senior research projects, independent study projects, and in the honors program will be able to develop sophisticated real-time engineering software using this laboratory. This laboratory project will give students who wish to pursue careers in industry, exposure to skills that are in high demand as we compete in a world marketplace developing the products and control systems of the future. The laboratory will also provide better preparation for students who wish to go on to graduate school because of the opportunity to engage in advanced software projects. The grantee will provide funds for this project that are an equal amount for this NSF proposal.

许多未来制造的产品将由嵌入微芯片的实时软件控制，例如我们已经看到的微波炉、冰箱和燃油喷射汽车。此外，实时工业控制系统正在成为计算机科学中发展最快的领域之一。随着企业利用实时机器人自动化系统争夺竞争优势，自动化制造正在引领先进技术革命。对于今天的计算机科学和工程专业的毕业生来说，接触这些复杂的实时编程技术并在实验室进行实验是至关重要的，这样他们才能发展必要的技能，编写这些复杂产品和控制系统中嵌入微芯片的软件。在文科大学，实时系统课程很少被纳入典型的计算机科学课程。在全国较大的工程学校，这个问题都得到了解决。随着我们与开发未来产品和控制系统的日本和其他工业化国家竞争，所有计算机科学和工程专业的学生都将从接触这些技能中受益。这个项目通过为学生提供一个强大的计算机工作站和一个由三个实时平台组成的实验室来学习和实验实时系统技术，从而提高了计算机科学的教学质量：(1)实时模型铁路转车场系统，(2)实时机器人自动化；(3)实时ROMable微芯片代码开发。有了这种设备，计算机科学、计算机工程和物理专业的学生将能够开发高级实时软件项目。此外，高级研究项目、独立学习项目和荣誉项目的学生将能够使用这个实验室开发复杂的实时工程软件。这个实验室项目将使希望从事工业职业的学生接触到随着我们在开发未来产品和控制系统的世界市场中竞争而受到高度需求的技能。该实验室还将为希望继续深造的学生提供更好的准备，因为他们有机会从事高级软件项目。受赠人将为该项目提供与NSF提案等额的资金。