Development of a novel Modular Integrated Stackable Layer — Analog System Environment (MISL — ASE) platform for embedded systems education

With the support of Texas Instruments and NASA, a novel Modular Integrated Stackable Layer - Analog System Environment (MISL - ASE) platform has been developed to provide a comprehensive educational hardware environment for three embedded system design courses and two capstone design courses in the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET) program at Texas A&M University. The MISL-ASE platform uses the TI-MSP430 intelligence layer of the MISL architecture as the main core and control system that can be directly interfaced to the ASE board. Moreover, the MISL-ASE platform encompasses various analog and digital peripherals, such as GPIO outputs/inputs, LEDs, 7-segment displays, audio system, switches, keypad, and TFT LCD with touch screen, typical signal conditioning circuits such as A/D and D/A conversion for analog voltage simulation, battery life and light density measurement, 3-axis accelerometer, high-resolution external ADC converter, multiple analog signal generators, and motor control, etc. Several communication interfaces and protocols are also available such as UART (USB, RS-232/485, Bluetooth, and Zigbee), SPI (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Micro SD card, and flash memory), I²C (DAC and EEPROM), and 1-wire communication devices. Additionally, the robust design of the ASE board facilitates it being interfaced to a number of other embedded intelligence boards such as the Launchpad development system. This paper will discuss the overall design and capabilities of the MISL-ASE platform and the development of a series of laboratory assignments that can be accomplished using this novel MISL-ASE environment in the area of analog electronics, digital interfacing, and communications.