Virtual Electronic Boards for Teaching Embedded Systems Programming

The authors describe a system suitable for teaching courses in embedded systems and microcontroller programming. In the traditional approach each student is given access to hardware boards, components, and programmers; the courses are taught entirely or partially in an electronic laboratory environment. The authors' approach consists of a computer program that visually imitates an electronic demo board and functionally emulates the microcontroller hardware programmer and other programmable or interactive board components. The virtual demo board programs have several useful features: monetary savings in the purchase of demonstration boards and hardware programming devices, elimination or reduction of equipment and laboratory facilities, and facilitating the learning process.