An Integration of Open-Source Resources in Distance Teaching for Real-Time Embedded System Using Arduino Microcontroller and Freertos

Distance learning has become a crucial alternative in education system worldwide since the Covid-19 pandemic happened. An affordable and accessible solution is essential to enable a quality remote teaching and learning experience for each student. Real-Time Embedded System (RTES) is about applying real-time system in an embedded system (e.g., microcontroller) in ways that both logical and temporal requirements are fulfilled. A special attention shall be on the temporal response analysis so that students can have a clear distinction between microcontrollers with and without real-time system. Since there is a lack of accessible traceable studies about how to utilize the open-source platform in introducing the key RTES concepts, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an integration of open-source resources (i.e., SimSo simulator, Arduino platform and FreeRTOS API) in teaching RTES remotely and to provide real-time learning experience about RTES concepts without additional components or wiring out of school. First, each student was introduced to the ways to integrate existing open-source resources so that each of them could develop RTES in their places using a FreeRTOS compatible microcontroller. RTES concepts of task, hyperperiod, task scheduling, pre-emption, static-priority scheduling algorithms, and mutual exclusion in resource sharing were delivered using the proposed infrastructure. Results show that an obvious context switch could be observed when pre-emption happened. Finding indicates that the proposed integration was useful for students to understand the complex RTES concepts e.g., task scheduling, pre-emption, and mutually exclusion. Since positive responses were received from students in two consecutive semesters, the proposed infrastructure is an affordable and accessible distance learning alternative in assisting students to understand RTES concepts.