Course syllabus

Aim

The overall objective of this course is to introduce the principles of design, specification, modeling, analysis, and implementation of embedded control systems. Embedded control systems comprise distributed computing devices that interact with each other and the physical world through sensors and actuators. These systems are pervasive, ranging from vehicles and medical devices to factories and smart homes. As these systems grow increasingly complex, structured approaches for their development become necessary. Since these systems often operate in safety-critical environments, it is crucial to ensure their correct functionality during the design phases.

The industry is progressively adopting a model-based approach to identify and rectify errors as early as possible, thereby ensuring greater reliability. In this course, we present a systematic approach to design, specify, model, and analyze systems based on mathematically well-defined models and algorithms. Additionally, the course covers the realization of control functions using microprocessors and real-time operating systems.

Prerequisites

Strict prerequisites: Modelling and Simulation (ESS101) and Linear Control System Design (SSY285). Recommended prerequisite: Discrete Event Systems (SSY165). If you are not a registered student in the master's program in Systems, Control, and Mechatronics, you must provide transcripts proving that you fulfill the prerequisites in order to join a project group.

Examiner

Prof. Knut Åkesson, knut@chalmers.se, 031-7723717. 

Assistants

Ze Zhang (administration, project, hand-in 3), zhze@chalmers.se
Carl-Johan Heiker (project), heikerc@chalmers.se
Julius Pettersson (hand-in 1&2), pjulius@chalmers.se

Course Literature

• Principles of Cyber-Physical Systems, Rajeev Alur. MIT Press, 2015. Available as electronic version through Chalmers library.
• Robotics, Vision and Control, Peter Corke. Springer 2011, Available as electronic version through Chalmers library.
• Essential C, Nick Parlante, Technical Report.

Project

A significant part of the course involves a project focused on the model-based development of a quadrotor. The project is completed in groups of four students, with group members required to have diverse backgrounds. Further details regarding the formation of project groups and the schedule for group meetings can be found on the project group page.

Schedule

A schedule with all the course activities is presented here. Note that the weekly meetings with the project groups are compulsory as well as the final project presentations.

Examination

The grading of the project, the essay, the individual hand-ins, and a final oral examination. At least a grade pass is required on all individual parts in order to pass the course.

Grading

The final grade is decided based on the total number of points earned in the courses (i.e. 100 points).

The total points (TP) are calculated as

TP = (2*GPP + 3* IOP + 2*IAP + 1*GEP)/8

Fail: (GPP < 50) or (IAP < 50) or (GEP < 50) or (TP < 50) or (Not Active Project Participation),
3: 50 <= TP < 75,
4: 75 <= TP < 90,
5: TP >= 90.

You can earn points as follows:

Project: You can earn 0-100 points on the project (GPP). A passed project requires at least 50 GPP .

Individual Assignments: You get 0-100 points (IAP). A passed individual assignment requires at least 50 IAP. Plagiarism of solutions might be reported to Chalmers disciplinary committee and result in 0 IAP. The total credits obtained from assignments are combined by summing them together, and they are adjusted in such a way that achieving full marks on all problems equates to 100 IAP points.

Ethics Essay: 0-100 points (GEP). A passing grade requires at least 50 GEP.

Oral Examination: 0-100 points (IOP).  Without signing up for the oral examination 0 IOP points will be awarded.

Apart from the final grade for the complete course, grades are reported for the individual parts of the course, as follows.

Project (Quadrotor: 4hp): If all parts of the course are passed the grade on this project is the same as the final grade for the full course. If you have passed this project part and not yet passed the other project or the individual assignment the reported grade will be 3.

Assignment (Individual assignments, 2hp): Reported as pass (G) or fail (U).

Project (Ethics, 1.5hp): Fail (U) < 50 GEP, 3: 50 <= GEP < 75, 4: 75 >= GEP < 90, 5: GEP >= 90.

Active Project Participation: Every member in a project group has to be active in the project, attend scheduled group meetings, and actively contribute to the successful completion of the project. An individual not being fully active in the project risk, after meeting with the examiner, failing the course, or requested to complete additional individual tasks.

Although you do the project work in groups you are examined individually. Every project member should be involved in all parts of the project and essay. 

Individual Responsibilities

Every member of a project group should take a full part in every aspect of the project and be ready to answer any question. It is every group member's responsibility to make sure that every group member fully participates in the project. In case a group has a member that does not contribute and follow the project the group members should contact the teacher responsible for the group. Freeriders are not accepted and risk failing the project. Individual group evaluation at the end of the project. Members of the same group might get a different number of project points.

Academic work relies on respect for other people's knowledge and ideas. By representing someone else's work or ideas as your own you commit a serious offense and violate Chalmers rules. By violating the conditions stipulated in the document "Rules of Discipline" it is possible to be suspended or expelled from Chalmers. More information can be found in the documents below.

• Academic Honesty and Integrity at Chalmers -- What Are the Rules of the Game?   
• Rules of Discipline

'Every group has a project meeting every week. Attendance is mandatory, but every student is allowed to not attend one project meeting without contacting the examiner (in order to handle for example that people get sick). All students should be present in the final project presentation. In case you get sick you have to contact the examiner. 

Student representatives