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

许多未来的制造产品将由嵌入微芯片的实时软件由计算机控制，就像我们已经看到的那样，例如微波炉、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中进行实验是至关重要的，这样他们就可以培养必要的技能，在这些复杂的产品和控制系统中编写嵌入微芯片的软件。在文理学院，实时系统课程很少被纳入典型的计算机科学课程。在美国规模较大的工程学院，这个问题得到了解决。当我们与日本和其他工业化国家竞争开发未来的产品和控制系统时，所有计算机科学和工程专业的学生都将从这些技能中受益。本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)实时模型铁路调车场系统，(2)实时机器人自动化，(3)实时rom微芯片代码开发。有了这个设备，计算机科学、计算机工程和物理专业的学生将能够开发先进的实时软件项目。此外，参加高级研究项目、独立研究项目和荣誉课程的学生将能够使用该实验室开发复杂的实时工程软件。该实验室项目将为希望从事工业工作的学生提供高需求的技能，因为我们在世界市场上竞争开发未来的产品和控制系统。该实验室还将为希望继续攻读研究生院的学生提供更好的准备，因为有机会从事高级软件项目。受资助者将为该项目提供与NSF提案等额的资金。

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.