1. Controlling Sensors Efficiently with MCUs
MCUs as Sensor Controllers
Course Description/Overview:
The growing applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) will rely fundamentally on acquiring data from the world around us. Sensors will be used invariably, gathering information on temperature, pressure, light levels, speed, direction, altitude -- the list goes on and on. In most applications, microcontrollers (MCU) will be used to control a variety of sensors while processing sensor data and communicating important results to a centralized monitor. This course will discuss techniques for most efficient sensor control using MCUs, so your designs can be optimized for your application requirements.
Titles for Each Class and 50-word Description:
1) Sensors in the IoT
Sensors will be, literally, the eyes and ears of the IoT. This class will describe several common sensors and their requirements for use in efficient MCU-based designs.
2) MCUs as Sensor Controllers
This class will review several key MCU features -- like low power, serial communications, and data processing -- that are critical for efficient MCU-based sensor implementations.
3) Example MCU-based Sensor Designs
Many MCU manufacturers have targeted sensor designs and provided reference designs and product examples. This class will explore some of these resources that can help you more efficiently implement your designs.
4) More Example Designs
This class will continue exploring reference designs and development platforms provided by MCU manufacturers to help you more quickly and efficiently create MCU-based sensor designs.
5) Future Trends
This class will review some of the most recent trends in MCU-based sensor designs in order to explore the future types of applications MCUs will need to address and the most likely enhancements they will need to be successful.
Sept 15th, 2015 Warren Miller

2. Course Overview
IoT applications will rely fundamentally on acquiring data from the world around us.
Sensors will gather information on temperature, pressure, light levels, speed…
MCUs will be used to control sensors while processing data and communicating results.
This course will discuss techniques for most efficient sensor control using MCUs.
Course Description/Overview:
The growing applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) will rely fundamentally on acquiring data from the world around us. Sensors will be used invariably, gathering information on temperature, pressure, light levels, speed, direction, altitude -- the list goes on and on. In most applications, microcontrollers (MCU) will be used to control a variety of sensors while processing sensor data and communicating important results to a centralized monitor. This course will discuss techniques for most efficient sensor control using MCUs, so your designs can be optimized for your application requirements.
Titles for Each Class and 50-word Description:
1) Sensors in the IoT
Sensors will be, literally, the eyes and ears of the IoT. This class will describe several common sensors and their requirements for use in efficient MCU-based designs.
2) MCUs as Sensor Controllers
This class will review several key MCU features -- like low power, serial communications, and data processing -- that are critical for efficient MCU-based sensor implementations.
3) Example MCU-based Sensor Designs
Many MCU manufacturers have targeted sensor designs and provided reference designs and product examples. This class will explore some of these resources that can help you more efficiently implement your designs.
4) More Example Designs
This class will continue exploring reference designs and development platforms provided by MCU manufacturers to help you more quickly and efficiently create MCU-based sensor designs.
5) Future Trends
This class will review some of the most recent trends in MCU-based sensor designs in order to explore the future types of applications MCUs will need to address and the most likely enhancements they will need to be successful.

3. This Week’s Agenda
9/14/15 Sensors in the IoT 9/15/15 MCUs as Sensor Controllers 9/16/15 Example MCU-based Sensor Designs 9/17/15 More Example Designs 9/18/15 Future Trends
2) MCUs as Sensor Controllers
This class will review several key MCU features -- like low power, serial communications, and data processing -- that are critical for efficient MCU-based sensor implementations.

4. Today’s Goals and Objectives
Provide an overview of the key features and functions MCUs need/use for sensor control.
What will an MCU do?
What are the key features used/needed?
Resources and Example Applications
1) Sensors in the IoT
Sensors will be, literally, the eyes and ears of the IoT. This class will describe several common sensors and their requirements for use in efficient MCU-based designs.

5. What is the IoT?
Things, people and cloud services getting connected via the Internet to enable new applications and business models
Different from M2M
Enabling technology- not a market

6. What Will MCUs Do? Control Data Collection and processing
Communications
Power management
Facilitate energy harvesting

7. Control Key Features/Functions Implement algorithms Decisions
State machines
Command parsing and execution
Efficiency
Peripherals
DMA, Event Link Control

8. Data Collection Key Features/Functions Analog Inputs Serial Interfaces
DMA
Low Power Modes
Buffering
Simple Filters (Average, Decimation, etc)
Control
Timing

9. Data Processing Key Features/Functions Implement Algorithms
Digital Filters, DSP
Moving Averages
Sensor Fusion
Command Processing
Floating Point
Real-time: Time dependencies
Latency
Control Loops!

10. Communications Key Features/Functions Communications standards
Simple serial interfaces
I2C, SPI
Host communications
USB, Ethernet, Wireless
System interfaces
Other devices, FPGAs, etc
DMA
Buffer memory

11. Communications- Wireless
From TI Portfolio, as an example

12. Peripherals Key Features/Functions Clocks ADC, DAC Timers
Serial Interfaces
DMA, Event Link
Efficiency
Peripherals
DMA, Event Link Control

13. Peripherals- Serial Interfaces
Key Features/Functions
Flexibility
Multiple standards
UART, I2C, SPI, etc
Autonomous control
DMA and Event Link
Independent baud rate control
Low power
Renesas RL78 Serial Array Unit

14. Energy Harvesting Solar (Photovoltaic) Thermal (TEG)
2W peak for a 160cm2 surface area
Thermal (TEG)
Thermal to Electrical or Visa Versa
Pressure/Vibration (Piezoelectric)
5mW for .1 in displacement at 75Hz 16 grams
Air/Fluid Flow
Fans in reverse!

15. Energy Harvesting Key MCU Features/Functions
Monitor and Control Energy Source
Monitor and Control Storage
Other Devices

16. Resources for Todays Class
CEC Courses: ARM Architecture MCU Software Development Embedded Software Design Designing with ARM Cortex-M4 (and a dev board) PIC MCUs Mastering the Embedded Software Development Cycle Getting the Most Out of Low Power MCUs Understanding Smart Sensors Understanding Smart Sensors 2

17. This Week’s Agenda
9/14/15 Sensors in the IoT 9/15/15 MCUs as Sensor Controllers 9/16/15 Example MCU-based Sensor Designs 9/17/15 More Example Designs 9/18/15 Future Trends