Labs
| Assignment | Prelab? | Supporting Files | Due Dates (all times EDT) |
| Lab 0 | None! |
CCS Install Instructions blink.c Lab 0 demo template (Video) Lab 0 introduction (E21 version) (Video) Puzzles demo (E21) (Video) Puzzles concepts (E21) |
Signoff due: Thu, 26 May by 6pm EDT Report due: Fri, 27 May by 11:59pm EDT |
| Lab 1 | See assignment |
State machine example Lab 1 template Older State machine example (E21) (Video) Old state machine tutorial (E21) |
Signoff: 7 Jun by 6pm EDT Report: 10 Jun by 11:59pm EDT |
| Lab 2 | See assignment |
Lab template Decoder example Stopwatch example |
Prelab: Tue, June 14 by 6pm EDT Signoff: Thurs, June 30 by 6pm EDT Report: Fri, Jul 1 by 11:59pm EDT |
| Lab 3 | See assignment |
Prelab: TBA Signoff: TBA Report TBA |
Lab materials
During the course, we will be developing for the TI MSP430 architecture using a platform based on TI’s MSP430 Launchpad development board. At the beginning of term, you will be assigned a development board to use for your labs and homework assignments. Our development boards contain a TI Launchpad, an LCD display, and a custom hardware board developed at WPI with some peripherals for us to use.
At the end of term, you must return the board with all components (board, box, cables, etc.) in working condition. Until your board is returned, you will not receive a grade for the course!
Working on the labs
You will work on the labs during your scheduled lab section and on your own time. In our online course, our “lab section” is another instance of office hours–feel free to join while you work on the lab so that you can ask questions and hear other discussions about the lab. However, no new material will be presented during the lab section, so you are not obligated to attend.
You are encouraged to come to office hours or make discussion board posts with questions about the lab. If you would like help with any part of the lab–even if you don’t know what to ask–we encourage you to reach out to us, we are here to help you! Also, if would like help but none of the scheduled office hours are convenient for you, please send us a message to make an appointment and we will find a time to accommodate you.
Our labs utilize the MSP430 development environment provided by Code Composer Studio (CCS). For instructions on how to install CCS on your computer, please see the install instructions.
CCS is available on all of the lab computers in AK113 and the other ECE labs (AK227 and AK317), which have all the necessary resources for working on your labs.
You may also run CCS on your own computer, though this is not required. If you are interested, please see the install instructions.
Lab “signoffs”
In an in-person version of the course, we typically ask students to demonstrate their lab to the course staff for a signoff. We find that in-person signoffs are a good way to talk with you after the lab and hear about your experience and any questions you may have. This term, we offer two options for signoffs:
- Synchronous signoffs
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If it is feasible for you, we ask that you come to office hours or schedule a time with us to meet and demonstrate your work. We are happy to schedule signoffs/meetings at times outside normal office hours (even if you have a large time difference)–just ask!
- Asynchronous signoffs
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We strongly encourage you to schedule a synchronous signoff so that you have an opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time feedback about the lab. However, if a synchronous signoff is not feasible for you, you may upload a short (<4min) video demonstrating your lab running on your MSP430 launchpad. Your video should show your program running for a complete flow of what you have implemented. For example, if your lab involves implementing a game: play the full game (or as much a you have implemented) at least once. During the video, you should also talk about something you learned during the lab, or any questions you have. Your video should be uploaded as an extra file with your report and code submission.
Submission guidelines
All labs have two separate deadlines: one for the completion of all signoff components, and one for completion of the report.
- Signoff deadlines
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You may acquire signoffs for portions of the lab during your schedule lab time or during office hours. If you need a signoff outside these times, please contact the course staff to set up an appointment and we will do our best to accommodate you. After the signoff deadline, you may not receive signoffs for other non-bonus portions of the lab–the goal of this is so that you can focus on writing a good lab report.
- Report deadlines
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Lab reports are submitted electronically using Canvas. Your submission will include a copy of your report, and an archive of your code for the lab. Instructions on how to package your code for submission are included in the lab 0 assignment.
Late policy
See Late and Absence Policies.
Lab report guidelines
See each assignment for details on what you should include in each report. Also, make sure you answer all of the questions asked in the assignment!
You can view an example lab report here. Note that this report provides an example of the general structure and content you should include–you do NOT need to copy its exact formatting!
Example Survey
Want to help us understand how students write embedded code, and receive bonus points? If you encounter a bug, solution, or other aspect of the program that you think is interesting, please submit it using the Code Examples Survey.
For each submission, you will receive 5 bonus points added to the lab used for the example, up to 10 points per lab, starting with lab 1.
If you find more than 2 interesting examples per lab, you are still encouraged to submit them!