"Hands-on" approach to microcomputer education

Microprocessors and programmable LSI circuits provide increasingly cost-effective alternatives to traditional hardwired electronic or electromechanical circuits and subsystems used in automatic control, data processing, communication, and instrumentation. The design engineer, however, must learn new skills, i.e., digital system architecture and programming, in order to take advantage of this rapidly evolving new technology. This paper describes the experience of developing an effective approach to microcomputer education for both students and practicing engineers at the University of California, Berkeley.