SC2104 - Sensors, Interfacing & Digital Control
Course Summary
This course focuses on digital sensors, interfacing techniques, and digital control systems with applications in modern technologies. The course is taught by Dr. Lin Weisi and Dr. Clement Chia in the first part, with Prof. Deepu Rajan leading lab sessions. The topics covered include:
Electronic components and circuit interfacing Digital interfacing (SPI and I²C) Digital sensors (Ultrasonic, IMU, Accelerometer, Gyroscope) Sensor fusion techniques (Complementary Filter and Kalman Filter) Digital filters (Running Average, FIR filter) Motors and encoder operations Digital control loop (P, I, D controller implementation)
The course emphasizes the transition from analog to digital sensors, highlighting how modern digital sensors interface seamlessly with embedded systems and are well-suited for software-based digital processing and control. The knowledge gained has applications in autonomous vehicles, drones, robots, mobile phones, and other emerging technologies.
Workload
The workload for this course is hands-on and practical, with a strong emphasis on lab exercises. There are 5 laboratory sessions that build upon each other to develop a comprehensive understanding of sensors and digital control:
LAB 1: Code development for STM32 board (using STMCubeIDE & SWD debugger) LAB 2: Program development to read data from the IMU (Accelerometer & Gyroscope) LAB 3: Optimization of IMU performance using Kalman Filter LAB 4: Digital control system implementation for DC motor position control LAB 5: Application combining IMU and PID for a Self-Leveling Platform
(Take note that each lab has a graded quiz at the end of the lab)
The course also includes tutorials (1-4 for Part 1) that should be completed before the tutorial sessions. The workload is manageable if you keep up with the material and don't let concepts accumulate or compound.
Projects
The course is primarily lab-based, with each lab building toward a final application. The culminating project (lab) would be the Self Leveling Platform in LAB 5, which combines the IMU sensor knowledge with PID control algorithms.
Tips to Do Well
Make sure to prepare for the labs beforehand. Do free access labs prior to the actual lab. If you finish the lab earlier, make sure to study for the graded lab quizzes as they tend to be related to the lab and rather easy to score on.
Written by LKT