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Section 700: Monday/Wednesday 2:30PM-4:00PM 1500 EECS

Microprocessors And Music: An Introduction To Computing Systems

Peter M. Chen/Erik Hildinger

Students in this course will design and build a microprocessor-based music synthesizer. In the first half of the course, students will learn how to create digital logic circuits and will use this knowledge to implement and program a working microprocessor.

In the second half of the course, each team of students will design and build a music synthesizer. The synthesizer will be implemented as an assembly-language program running on the team's microprocessor. The synthesizer will use a variety of I/O devices, such as a speaker, microphone, keyboard, mouse, LCD module, VGA monitor, SD card, and serial port.

Students will experience the complete life cycle of a substantial engineering project: (1) analyzing competing products, (2) proposing, designing, implementing, and testing a product; and (3) demonstrating and documenting the product. Through the project, students will learn technical communication, teamwork, and problem solving. Students will write and present reports on the motivation, design, and implementation of their music synthesizer.

Lectures will cover topics such as number representation, digital circuits, assembly-language programming, computer architecture, I/O devices, digital audio, technical communication, teamwork, and societal, environmental, and ethical implications of computing systems.

The assignments for the course will include weekly labs in the first half of the semester, the main project in the second half of the semester, and written and oral reports throughout.

Prior programming experience is required (e.g., from a high school class or ENGR 101, or by being self taught). Students should be comfortable using the following programming concepts: variables, if-then-else statements, loops, functions, and arrays.

This section will be of interest to students interested in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or music technology.