Mechatronicseducationispresentedanddiscussed.Then,focusisshiftedtotheMechatronicseducationintheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringattheUniversityofSouthCarolina.cations；Simulation；Interfacingsoftware；Electro-mechanical；Sensing；Actuation；Functionalmodules*Correspondingauthor.Tel.:fax:E-mailaddress:(V.Giurgiutiu).Mechatronics15(2005)102510360957-4158/$-seefrontmatterC2112005ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.Subsequently,thepaperexaminesthehardwareandsoftwareusedformechatronics/micro-controllereducation.ExamplesaregivenoftheMC68HC11microcontrollerandthedierentevaluationboardsusedfor(a)codedevelopment；(b)embeddedapplications.Then,attentionisgiventothesoftwareusedinthemechatronics/microcontrollereducation.TheTHRSim11comprehensivesimulationandinterfacingsoftwareisdescribed.Finally,thepaperdiscussestheinterfacingbetweenthemicrocontrollerandthevariouselectro-mechanicalsensingandactuationcomponentsusedinamechatronicsproject.Theuseoffunctionalmodulesforteachinginterfacingskillstomechanicalengineeringstudentsisdescribed.Thepapernisheswithconclusionsandfurtherwork.C2112005ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.Keywords:Mechatronics；Microcontrollereducation；MC68HC11；Evaluationboards；Embeddedappli-Mechatronics/microcontrollereducationformechanicalengineeringstudentsattheUniversityofSouthCarolinaVictorGiurgiutiu*,JedLyons,DavidRocheleau,WeipingLiuDepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,UniversityofSouthCarolina,Columbia,SC29208,USAAccepted31May2005AbstractAprojecttoenhancethemechatronics/microcontrollereducationofmechanicalengineer-ingstudentsattheUniversityofSouthCarolinaispresented.First,thestateoftheartindoi:10.1016/j.mechatronics.2005.06.0021026V.Giurgiutiuetal./Mechatronics15(2005)102510361.Introduction1.1.TheneedformechatronicseducationDuetotheacceleratedgrowthofelectronics,computersandinformationtechnol-ogyindustries,agaphasemergedbetweentheteachingsoftraditionalnon-ElectricalEngineeringeducation(e.g.,MechanicalEngineering,CivilEngineering,ChemicalEngineering,etc.)andtheskillsexpectedofnon-EEgraduatesenteringthejobmarket.Adelugeofcomputers,sensors,microcontrollers,actuatorshaspermeatedpresent-daysociety.Microcontroller-baseddevicesandappliancesarefoundinallaspectsofoureverydaylife.Eventheautoindustry,atraditionalmechanicalengi-neeringefdom,isputtingtensofmicrocontrollersinamodernautomobile,andplanstoincreasethisnumbermultifoldasnewtechnologiesarebeingintroduced.AsrevealedbyarecentsitevisittoouruniversitybyBMWautoplantrepresenta-tives,hybridpropulsion,42-Voltswiringbus,steer-by-wire,brake-by-wire,col-lisionavoidance,autopilot,etc.arebeingcurrentlydeveloped,andautomobileswithsuchcapabilitieswillhitthemarketinthenearfuture.1.2.MechatronicseducationinUSandworldwideHowever,traditionalengineeringeducationofstudentscoversonlyminimalelec-trical,electronics,andinformationtechnologyinstruction.Thehigh-techcompo-nentsofanon-EEeducationaremuchbelowexpectations,inspiteofcleardemand.Becauseofthisdisparity,thenon-EEengineeringgraduatesenteringthejobmarketareataconsiderablehandicap.Toacquirehigh-techskillsrequiredinthejobmarket,somemechanicalengineeringstudentstrytoregisterinupper-divisionEEcourses.However,lackingtheproperlower-divisionbackground,thispracticeputsthematadisadvantage,andnegativelyaectstheirGPAandcourseload.Inre-sponsetothissituation,aninterdisciplinaryengineeringbranch,thatspansmechan-icalengineering,electronics,embeddedmicrocontrollers/digitalsignalprocessing,controls,andinformationtechnology,hasemergedunderthenameofMechatronics.Nationwide,eortstointroducemechatronicseducationinnon-EEcurriculumhavesprunginovertwentyUSuniversities,andseveralworldwide27,10,11,1316,1820.1.3.TheneedformechatronicseducationinSouthCarolinaAttheUniversityofSouthCarolina,thenon-EEengineeringstudentsalsohaveanacuteneedforeducationintheinterdisciplinaryeldofmechatronics/microcon-trollers.ThestateofSouthCarolinaisgoingthroughanintenseeconomicaldevel-opmenteortfocusedonhigh-techbusinessesandcompanies.ThiseortisaimedatbridgingthetechnologicaldividethathasplacedSouthCarolinaamongthelastinthenationinahigh-techeconomy.Criticaltothisstatewideeort,isthedevelop-mentofanadequatecadreofwelltrainedpersonnelthatcanhitthegroundrun-ninginthegrowingtechnology-orientedjobmarket.Akintosimilareortsgoingemergingengineeringeducationeld.DME-USCestablishedacourseforteach-ingmicrocontrollerstomechanicalengineeringstudentsEMCH367,http:/V.Giurgiutiuetal./Mechatronics15(2005)102510361027/courses/emch367.Thecourseconsistsoffourmajorcomponents:(a)classroominstruction；(b)homework；(c)laboratory；(d)project.Theclassroominstructionisfocusedoninstillinginstudentsthebasicknowledgerelatedtoprogrammingandusingthemicrocontroller.Partoftheclassroominstructionisperformedinacomputerlaboratory,wherethestudentsinteractwithsimulationsoftwareonaone-on-onebasis.ThehomeworkisfocusedonthestudentsC213under-standingandretentionoftheconceptsinaself-teachingstyle,anditconsistsofexamplesthatstudentsfollowandexercisesthatthestudentsperformandreturntotheTeachingAssistantsviaemail.Thelaboratoryconsistsofvesessionsthatgraduallytakethestudentsfromsimplemicrocontrollerprogrammingthroughtheusageofitsvariousfunctionssuchasparallelports,serialcommunication,eventtim-ing(detectionandgeneration),DCmotortachometer,steppermotorcontrol,andanalog-to-digitalconversion.Thecapstoneofthecourseisaone-monthprojectinwhichthestudentsworkinpairstoachievethedevelopment,design,coding,con-struction,anddemonstrationofamicrocontroller-baseprojectoftheirownchoice.Theprojectculminateswithawrittenreport,anoralpresentation,andahands-ondemonstration.Pleaserefertothecoursewebsite/courses/emch367forsamplesofpastprojects.TheengineeringstudentsattheUniversityofSouthCarolina,ofwhich22%arewomenand30%areminority,areinneedofsupporttoexpandandenhancethemechatronics/microcontrollereducation.TheprojectcurrentlyundertakenwithNSFsupportwillempowertheUniversityofSouthCarolinaengineeringstudentswiththeknowledgeandhands-onexperiencerequiredforsuccessintodayC213stechno-logicallycompetitiveeconomyandmarketplace.2.Hardwareformechatronics/microcontrollereducationThehardwareissueisalsochallengingbecauseofthelargevarietyofmicrocon-trolleroptionsavailableonthemarket.Ourobjectiveindevelopingthiscoursehasbeentondamicrocontrollerthatiswidelyusedandacceptedintheindustry.Anothercriterioninourselectionwastochooseamicrocontrollerthathastheessen-tialfunctionsthatneedtobeconveyedtothestudents.Thethirdselectioncriterionwascost,i.e.,aninexpensivemicrocontroller.Therearemanymicrocontrollersavail-oninotherplaces(e.g.,SouthernCalifornia),thiswillpermitthebuildingofacrit-icalmassoftalentthatlocalcompaniescandrawfrom1.1.4.Microcontroller/mechatronicseducationinthedepartmentofmechanicalengineeringattheUniversityofSouthCarolinaTheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringattheUniversityofSouthCarolina(DME-USC)iswellpositionedtoparticipateinpromotinganddevelopingthisableonthemarkettoday.However,noneisbetterthanthe68HC11microcontroller1028V.Giurgiutiuetal./Mechatronics15(2005)10251036fortheclassroomatmosphere.ManyOTPmicrocontrollersmayoerabettersolu-tioninaparticularapplication,buttheircomputerarchitecturesandinstructionsetarenotsuitabletoageneraleducationalpurpose.The68HC11oersapowerfulandeasy-to-memorizeinstructionsetandhasbeenaroundformorethan10years.Onceyouhavebuiltyoursolidfoundationof68HC11microcontrollerexpertise,youcaneasilyapplyyour68HC11knowledgetotheHC12familyorothermicrocontrollersinthefuture.Plus,thereisalotofapplicationsoftwarethatcanbedownloadedfromtheweb.Therefore,thenalchoicewasfortheMotorolaMC68HC11micro-controller.2.1.Themicrocontrollerevaluationboard(EVB)Forembeddedapplications,themicrocontrollerisusuallyusedinsinglechipmode.Inembeddedapplications,themicrocontrollercomeswiththeprogramal-readyburnedintoitsROMmemory.Theuseronlyhastoplacethemicrocontrol-lerinitsintendedlocation,topoweritupandinitiatetheprogram.Then,themicrocontrollerwillrunbyitself.ThestorageoftheprograminROMisdoneduringthefabricationprocess.Forcodedevelopmentapplications,themicrocontrollermustbeusedinconnec-tionwithahostcomputer(PC)and/oraterminal.Theprogrammercandeveloptheprogramonthehostcomputerandthentestitonthemicrocontroller.Alternatively,theprogrammercandeveloptheprogramdirectlyonthemicrocontrollerusingtheterminalinterface.TheelectroniccircuitryandICchipsassociatedwiththisprocessareplacedonanevaluationboard(EVB).TheEVBcontainsexpandedmemorychips,aportreplacementunit,aswellasICchipsforservicingtheconnectiontothehostcomputerand/oraterminal.TheEVBisessentialforprogramdevelopment,sinceitallowsthesoftwareprogrammertodevelopandtestthemicrocontrollerapplicationsoftware.Oncethemicrocontrollerapplicationsoftwareisdevelopedandtested,thenitwillbeburnedintotheROMofthemassproductionmicro-controllers.ByusingtheEVBexpandedsystemcon