Today's industrial products are increasingly being
controlled by digital electronics. Common digital control
applications include electronic fuel injection in
automotive engines, anti-lock braking systems,
numericallyconttolled machine tools, digital appliances,
sensors and actuators, etc. This proliferation of digital
controllers in traditional engineering domains necessitates
that engineers be educated about the fundamentals of
microprocessors and the use of micropmessor-based
controllers. Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering
has long taught a course on Microprocessors in
Electromechanical Systems. Experience acquired in
teaching that coum over the past decade and daily
advancements in micro-electronic technology have
suggested a number of issues that must be addressed in
developing new coutses for teaching microprocessorbased
control systems.