1. EEL 6686: Embedded Systems Seminar

2. General Information
Instructor: Ann Gordon-Ross Office: Benton Office Hours – By appointment only on TR Web page: linked from Nothing on E-learning or Sakai.
Communication: When sending , include [EEL6935] in the subject line
Everything will be linked off of the course schedule! That will be the most important page for you!

3. How this Class is Different!
Seminar style course geared for those with prior embedded systems background and interested in more in depth knowledge
No required textbook
No class projects
Required readings include conference and journal publications – state-of-the-art, cutting edge research
Class presentations over the material

4. How this Class is Different!
What you will learn:
How to identify current, quality research
Conference and journal quality
Different for computer science vs. engineering
How to read research papers
Difficult to learn the process, MUST practice to get better
Learn what research really is, how to evaluate it
Is a PhD for you?
Gain presentation skills
Excellent for job interviews
Progressive feedback from peers and myself

5. How this Class is Different!
What you will learn:
Wide knowledge of embedded system design aspects
In depth knowledge of your chosen topics
I love this class!
Always learn new things
Review of 60 papers, but only read approximately 6
No project
Group work
Public speaking

6. Course Information Prerequisites Reading Computer architecture
Digital logic design
Programming experience with C and/or C++
Assembly languages
Basic UNIX/LINUX OS and compiler knowledge
Reading
No textbook
Research papers as assigned, linked off of course schedule

7. Course Components Tests - 45% (not cumulative)
3 Midterms, each 15%
Questions covering presentations and related papers
Midterm 3 will be the last day of class – Tues April 22
Class Presentation – 40%
2 Long – 40 minutes over 2 related papers
1 Short – 20 minutes over 1 paper
Class Participation – 15%

8. Groups You will be required to work in groups
Each group will be exactly 2 members
Large class, maybe 4 groups of 3
First requests will get consideration
Approved/denied after add drop deadline Jan 11:59pm
Must submit group requests via to me by Jan 8pm

9. Class Presentations
Each group will give several short/long presentations
5 minutes for questions/answers
Each presentation will cover 1/2 papers (short/long, respectively)
2 papers for long presentations must be related
You will choose them and I will approve them
Must submit papers via to me for approval at least 2 weeks prior to presentation day
Each presentation will cover a different topic
Select topics via by Jan 8pm
Limited slots per topic, first come first serve
Presentation date will be assigned, but will roughly follow topic list…

10. Class Presentation Topics
Must choose different topics:
Topic 1 - Sensor Networks
Topic 2 - Communications
Topic 3 - Aero-space Applications
Topic 4 - Real-time Systems
Topic 5 - Reconfiguable Computing
Topic 6 - Hardware-Software Partitioning and Co-Design Principles
Topic 7 - Memory/Cache Optimization Techniques
Topic 8 - General Low Power/Energy Optimization Techniques
Topic 9 - Architectural Optimizations

11. Paper Selection Search top embedded system conferences….
CASES, CODE+ISSS, ISPLED, SOCC, LCTES, DAC, FCCM, DATE, ICCAD, etc.
Consider tier 1 vs tier 2 vs tier 3 conferences
Search top embedded systems journals…
IEEE TVLSI, IEEE TCAD, ACM Transactions on Computers, IEEE Transactions on Computers, DAES, TACO, etc.
Not just IEEE or ACM
Google Scholar and Citeseer

12. Presentation Preparation
Cover enough background so that viewers can understand
Cover details of the papers’ implementations
Results
Last slide by identify questions/shortfalls/disadvantages/future directions
Number slides X of Y

13. Presentation Preparation
Submit PPT to me via by 8PM the night before your presentation so I can post it
Each person must submit 4 potential test questions with answers via by 8PM the night before your presentation
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

14. Presentation Deliverables
Papers submitted for approval 2 weeks before presentation date
Presentation and questions (each person submits their own questions) by 8 PM the day before your talk

15. Presentation Timeline
9 topics, roughly 12 presentation weeks
Topic choice gives you a rough idea of when your talk will be, I will assign the date
Midterm dates will be added
Special topics/guests may be added
Talks begin Jan 20!
Just a little over a week to prepare
If you choose topic 1, you might present Jan 20 or Jan 22 but you will get 10% extra credit, and you can choose your own topic.

16. Grading Criteria Timing – 20/40 minutes
Preparation – slides are presentable and understandable with good formatting and use of visual aids
Submitting papers/slides/questions on time
Presentation clarity
Ability to answer audience questions
Identification of questions/shortfalls/disadvantages/future directions
If groups, each student talks for ½ of time (1/3 if group of 3)

17. Class Participation 15% of Grade
Presenter feedback
During each presentation, audience will note strengths/weaknesses for each presenter
Anonymous, just leave the notes at the front of the class for the speakers
Honor system
Question participation
Ask questions after talk
I will record, and keep track of each question