Teaching Mechanical Engineers about Embedded Programming

1 Peter H. Meckl, School of Mechanical Eng., Purdue University, 585 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2088, [email protected]. Abstract ? This paper describes an elective course on Microprocessors in Electromechanical Systems, taught in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering. The course uses a Motorola 68HC12 microcontroller in a sequence of laboratory exercises to introduce students to modular embedded programming. Students can develop embedded code to control a variety of electromechanical systems, including an air-driven engine, a controllable refrigeration cycle, an inverted pendulum, and an active mass damper applied to a small building model. Some of these hardware projects will be described in more detail.