An Integration of Open-Source Resources in Distance Teaching for Real-Time Embedded System Using Arduino Microcontroller and Freertos

Abstract

Distance learning has become a crucial alternativein education system worldwide since the Covid-19 pandemic happened. An affordable and accessible solution is essentialto enable a quality remote teaching and learning experience for each student. Real-Time Embedded System (RTES) is about applying real-time system in an embedded system (e.g., microcontroller) in ways that both logical and temporal requirements are fulfilled. A special attention shall be on the temporal response analysis so that students can have a clear distinction between microcontrollers with and without real-time system.Since there is a lack of accessible traceable studies about how to utilize the open-source platform inintroducing the key RTES concepts, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an integration of open-source resources (i.e., SimSo simulator, Arduino platform and FreeRTOSAPI) in teaching RTES remotely and to provide real-time learning experience about RTES concepts without additional components or wiring out of school. First, each student was introduced to the ways to integrate existing open-source resources so that each of them could develop RTES in their placesusing a FreeRTOS compatible microcontroller.RTES concepts of task, hyperperiod, task scheduling, pre-emption,static-priority scheduling algorithms, and mutual exclusion in resource sharing were delivered using the proposed infrastructure. Results show that an obvious context switch could be observed when pre-emption happened. Finding indicates that the proposed integration was useful for students to understand the complex RTES concepts e.g., task scheduling, pre-emption, and mutuallyexclusion.Since positive responses were received from students in two consecutive semesters, the proposed infrastructure is an affordable and accessible distance learning alternative in assisting students to understand RTES concepts.