March 7, 2017
The Day the Microprocessors Died
Author(s)
http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/collection/detail.html?case_id=288&id=288Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Oklahoma State University
sohum.sohoni@okstate.edu
Technical Staff
GMA Industries
mtreiten@gmail.com
Abstract
The storyline of this case study describes a failure of a central system (much like the Internet of today) that occurs in the future, with some degree of mystery as to the cause. Originally designed for a junior level introductory course on microprocessors for computer engineering students, this icebreaker case study illustrates our increasing reliance on technology, particularly highlighting the importance and ubiquity of microprocessors. The discussion involves a number of new technologies and lays the groundwork for future discussions on good system design and integration of secure processors for embedded systems.
Objectives
- Demosntrate how technology plays an important role in our lives by showing how many “microprocessors” we interact with and depend on each day.
- Introduce and discuss new terms such as 8-bit processors, embedded systems, pervasive computing, and OLEDs.
- Show how widely 8-bit or 16-bit microprocessors are still used.
- Discuss system design, security, and good practices in engineering design.
Keywords
Microprocessor; ubiquitous computing; system design; system failure; embedded system; biometrics; organic light emitting diode; OLEDEducational Level
Undergraduate upper divisionFormat
PDFType Methods
DiscussionLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering
Date Posted
04/29/07Teaching Notes
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Answer Key
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