Abstract:

This article describes a teaching approach that goes from the acquisition of data from sensors, through the processing of measured data to the graphical representation of the acquired data to the user. We chose this approach and tested it in teaching on a subject focused on data transmission, so that students could practically test the knowledge acquired in the lectures. The students welcome the practical teaching model at the exercises. Sensors recording desired physical quantities such as magnetic field strength, acceleration, temperature, humidity provide information to the superior system. Data from the sensors is obtained through ADC, UART, I2C, SPI and other communication peripherals. The students task is to create software to ensure the reception of data in the MCU and their subsequent sending to the PC. Lectures are based on the STM32 Nucleo development kits. On the computer, students work in the NodeRED environment. Node-RED provides a browser-based flow editor that makes it easy to wire together flows using the wide range of nodes in the palette. Flows can then be deployed to the runtime. The final output of the lesson is the combination of the individual parts of the exercise and the creative visualization of the processed data in the Node-RED dashboard, so that the students stay motivated and enjoy their work in the lesson.

Keywords:

Embedded systems, data transfer, signal processing, visualisation, Node-RED.