Automotive Embedded Systems Course

Lesson 1 • Automotive Industry Standards and Safety Norms

Introduces functional safety and quality frameworks governing automotive electronics. Provides context for design decisions made in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Embedded Systems Concepts

Defines embedded systems and contrasts them with general-purpose computing. Establishes vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Development Toolchain and Environment Setup

Guides students through configuring a professional embedded development environment. Ensures readiness for hands-on exercises in subsequent chapters.

Lesson 4 • Microcontroller Fundamentals for Vehicles

Covers microcontroller architecture components relevant to automotive use. Students select appropriate MCU features for given vehicle functions.

Lesson 1 • Protocol Analysis and Network Diagnostics

Applies protocol knowledge using bus analysers and logging tools. Students diagnose real network faults and interpret captured traffic.

Lesson 2 • LIN Protocol for Low-Speed Networks

Covers LIN master-slave topology and scheduling for body electronics. Complements CAN knowledge with a cost-optimised alternative.

Lesson 3 • Automotive Ethernet and High-Speed Data

Examines Ethernet variants optimised for in-vehicle use and their role in ADAS. Extends protocol knowledge to gigabit-class bandwidth requirements.

Lesson 4 • FlexRay and Time-Triggered Communication

Introduces deterministic, fault-tolerant communication for safety-critical systems. Builds on CAN concepts to address higher bandwidth and timing needs.

Lesson 1 • Inter-Task Communication and Synchronisation

Teaches semaphores, mutexes, and message queues for safe data sharing. Addresses priority inversion and deadlock prevention in automotive contexts.

Lesson 2 • Memory Management in Automotive RTOS

Addresses stack sizing, memory protection, and heap avoidance strategies. Prepares students to write robust, deterministic embedded software.

Lesson 3 • RTOS Concepts and Scheduling Fundamentals

Defines real-time constraints and scheduling algorithms used in automotive software. Provides the theoretical basis for all RTOS implementation topics.

Lesson 4 • Interrupt Handling and Timing Services

Explains ISR design, latency budgeting, and hardware timer configuration. Ensures students can meet strict timing requirements in ECU firmware.

Lesson 1 • Basic Software Modules and Configuration

Surveys key BSW modules including COM, DCM, and NvM. Students configure modules using AUTOSAR tooling and validate generated code.

Lesson 2 • Runtime Environment and Communication

Explains how the RTE mediates data exchange between SWCs and the BSW. Students trace data flow from application to hardware abstraction.

Lesson 3 • AUTOSAR Layered Architecture Principles

Describes the three-layer AUTOSAR model and the role of each layer. Establishes the architectural framework used in all subsequent AUTOSAR topics.

Lesson 4 • AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform Fundamentals

Introduces the service-oriented Adaptive Platform for high-compute ECUs. Contrasts with Classic AUTOSAR to guide platform selection decisions.

Lesson 1 • Automotive C Coding Standards

Introduces MISRA C rules and their rationale for safety-critical software. Students apply static analysis tools to enforce compliance.

Lesson 2 • Defensive Programming and Error Handling

Applies defensive coding patterns to detect and recover from runtime faults. Reinforces safety-critical software reliability requirements.

Lesson 3 • Hardware Register Access and Peripheral Drivers

Teaches memory-mapped register access patterns and driver abstraction layers. Connects C programming skills to direct hardware control.

Lesson 4 • Memory Optimisation Techniques

Addresses ROM, RAM, and stack footprint reduction strategies. Prepares students to meet tight memory budgets on automotive MCUs.

Lesson 1 • Hardware Safety Mechanisms

Examines on-chip safety features such as ECC memory and lockstep cores. Students configure hardware safety mechanisms in automotive MCUs.

Lesson 2 • Safety Architecture and Redundancy Design

Covers hardware and software redundancy patterns for fault tolerance. Students design dual-channel and monitoring architectures for ASIL-D targets.

Lesson 3 • Software Safety Mechanisms

Implements software-level safety measures including flow monitoring and CRC checks. Connects safety requirements to concrete firmware implementation.

Lesson 4 • Safety Verification and Validation

Covers safety analysis methods including FMEA and FTA for verification. Students produce evidence artefacts required for functional safety audits.

Lesson 1 • XCP Calibration Protocol and Workflow

Explains XCP on CAN and Ethernet for parameter measurement and calibration. Students connect a calibration tool to an ECU and adjust live parameters.

Lesson 2 • Unified Diagnostic Services Protocol

Covers UDS service structure, session management, and security access. Students implement diagnostic server software in an ECU firmware stack.

Lesson 3 • ECU Flash Programming and Bootloader Design

Teaches bootloader architecture and over-the-air flash update sequences. Students implement a secure bootloader with integrity verification.

Lesson 4 • End-of-Line Testing and Production Diagnostics

Covers EOL test sequences, variant coding, and production diagnostic routines. Prepares students to support manufacturing and after-sales diagnostic processes.

Lesson 1 • Perception Pipeline Design

Designs end-to-end perception pipelines from raw sensor data to object lists. Integrates RTOS scheduling and memory management skills for pipeline execution.

Lesson 2 • Embedded Machine Learning Deployment

Covers model quantisation, pruning, and deployment on automotive AI accelerators. Students convert trained models to run within ECU memory and latency budgets.

Lesson 3 • ADAS Sensor Technologies and Interfaces

Surveys radar, lidar, camera, and ultrasonic sensors and their ECU interfaces. Establishes the sensor data foundation for fusion and perception algorithms.

Lesson 4 • Safety Validation of ADAS Functions

Applies functional safety and testing methods to ADAS perception and control. Students define safety metrics and design scenario-based validation campaigns.