Abstract :
An outline of a syllabus for the education of real-time-systems engineers is given. This comprises the treatment of basic concepts, real-time software engineering, and programming in high-level real-time languages, real-time operating systems with special emphasis on such topics as task scheduling, hardware architectures, and especially distributed automation structures, process interfacing, system reliability and fault-tolerance, and integrated project development support systems. Accompanying course material and laboratory work are outlined, and suggestions for establishing a laboratory with advanced, but low-cost, hardware and software are provided. How the curriculum can be extended into a second semester is discussed, and areas for possible graduate research are listed. The suitable selection of a high-level real-time language and supporting operating system for teaching purposes is considered
Keywords :
control systems; educational courses; real-time systems; software engineering; teaching; course material; curriculum; distributed automation structures; education; fault-tolerance; graduate research; hardware architectures; high-level language programming; integrated project development support systems; laboratory work; process interfacing; real-time operating systems; real-time-systems engineers; reliability; software engineering; syllabus; task scheduling; teaching; Automatic control; Computer science education; Control engineering education; Control systems; Educational programs; Hardware; Laboratories; Operating systems; Real time systems; Systems engineering and theory;
