1999 Summer Short Course

Firmware Engineering

Time and Place

Tuesday to Thursday - June 15, 16, & 17, 1999
8:15 am - 5:15 pm
Santa Clara University
Engineering Continuing Education
School of Engineering

Description

This course teaches the principles and practices of firmware engineering based on Forth, a programming language and operating system best suited for firmware development. Hands on experiments using a 8051 based board facilitate the learning of Forth and moving applications into firmware. Only through the tools and techniques provided in Forth can such a difficult discipline be presented clearly and effectively in a short course.

Instructor

C. H. Ting earned a Ph. D. in Chemistry at University of Chicago, but has been in firmware engineering for the last 25 years. He is currently with Fortrend Corp building automated wafer transfer systems. He is an expert on the programming language Forth, applying it to a broad spectrum of embedded applications. His hobbies include building Forth microprocessors and digitizing Bach's organ music.

Topics

• The difference between firmware and software
• The challenge to commit software to read-only memory
• Real time operating systems for embedded systems
• Real time requirements of embedded systems
• Do we need an operating system for embedded applications?
• What do we need in an operating system?
• Forth as a programming language
• The interpreter and the compiler in Forth
• Syntax of Forth and its programming practice
• Stacks and the manipulation of numbers
• Structured programming
• Forth as a real time operating system
• Importance and versatility of a serial port
• Interactive control over hardware components
• Management of source code and files
• Application programming in Forth
• Simple input and output devices
• Complicated input and output devices
• Devices controlled by micro-controllers
• Firmware integration and production
• Compiling application software on target system
• Test and debug application software
• Integrate application into the operating system
• Move final system into read-only memory
• Porting Forth to other embedded systems
• A kernel of primitive functions
• The OS functions in high level
• Guidelines of porting Forth to other systems
• Optimization of the target Forth system

Registration

Santa Clara University
Engineering Continuing Education
School of Engineering, Room 324
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-0588
408/554-2334 or 408/554-6864
408/554-5474 fax

Fees

Course Fees: $825

Fees include all course notes. Fees are payable by check, purchase order and credit card (MasterCard or Visa). In order to receive a full refund, cancellations must be received five working days prior to the beginning of a course. Cancellations received less than five working days are subject to a $100 service charge. Substitutions may be made to fill a cancellation.