General Notes

In this unit, you should do the following:

1. Actively participate in lectures by attending, taking comprehensive notes, and engaging in discussions.
2. Attend your workshop or practical sessions, and actively seek feedback from your lecturer regarding your assignments.
3. Thoroughly prepare for and aim to excel in quizzes, demonstrating a strong understanding of the content.
4. Engage with the assigned readings, supplementing your notes and formulating questions for further clarification during discussions with your lecturer or tutor.
5. Thoughtfully craft responses to workshop questions, demonstrating a deep understanding of the material.
6. Dedicate time to complete any assigned tasks or projects within the given timeframe.

Attendance and Participation Recommendations

1. It is strongly advised to attend the majority of classes, actively participate in discussions, ask and answer questions, and contribute perspectives from personal backgrounds and workplaces.
2. Supplementary resources, such as lecture material and digital recordings of lectures accessible through Echo360 via iLearn login, are available for review purposes and in the event of missed lectures. However, it is important to note that these recordings should not be solely relied upon, and copyrighted material may be excluded.
3. For effective out-of-class communication and engaging in discussions on various topics, iLearn is the primary platform. Accessible at http://learn.mq.edu.au, iLearn provides forums for active participation and is a valuable resource for information dissemination. Regularly reviewing iLearn and conducting background reading before each class is highly encouraged to enhance your overall learning experience.

Assignment and Quizzes Submission

Your assignment is to be submitted online using iLearn.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.  For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

For example, if the assignment is worth 8 marks (of the entire unit) and your submission is late by 19 hours (or 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds), 0.4 marks (5% of 8 marks) will be deducted. If your submission is late by 24 hours (or 47 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds), 0.8 marks (10% of 8 marks) will be deducted, and so on.

Methods of Communication 

Our primary means of communication will be through your university email and announcements on iLearn. It is crucial to consistently check your university email for important updates and information related to the course. Additionally, significant announcements will be posted on iLearn, a centralized platform for accessing vital details about the course. Should you have any queries or require assistance from the teaching staff, including the unit convenor, you have two communication channels. Firstly, you can post your questions on the iLearn discussion board, providing an interactive space for instructors and peers to engage in discussions. Alternatively, you may send emails to the corresponding addresses of the teaching staff using your university email address for official communication. Through these communication methods, we aim to ensure effective and timely dissemination of information and provide the necessary support throughout the course.

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted

• Assignment 1 - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Assignment 2 - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Quizzes - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Exam - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted

Supplementary Exam

If you receive Special Consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled after the normal exam period following the release of marks. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. Approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

Requirements to Pass this Unit

In this unit, the final mark will be calculated by combining the marks for all assessment tasks according to the percentage weightings shown in the assessment summary. Concretely, in order to pass the unit, you must obtain an overall total mark of 50% or higher. Students obtaining a higher grade than a pass in this unit will (in addition to the above): have a total mark of 85% or higher to obtain High Distinction; have a total mark of 75% or higher to obtain Distinction; have a total mark of 65% or higher to obtain Credit. This unit does not have hurdle assessments.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au. 

COMP8291 is taught via lectures and workshop sessions. Lecture classes are held online on Mondays from 12 PM to 2 PM, and the workshop classes are held onsite on Mondays from 5 PM to 7 PM. Lecture classes will begin in week 1, and workshops will start in week 2.

Lectures

The lecture sessions for COMP8291 are dedicated to exploring real-time operating systems (RTOS) through a blend of theoretical concepts and hands-on applications, particularly utilizing the STM32 microcontroller. This approach aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the internal workings and design principles of RTOS, with a focus on their practical implementation in building embedded systems for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Various RTOS simulation software tools, including STM32 Cube and FreeRTOS, will be employed throughout the unit to support the learning process. Lecture sessions will lay the foundation for grasping RTOS intricacies, and this knowledge will be put into practice during workshops. The workshops will involve running and porting the FreeRTOS Real-Time Operating System on STM32-based Microcontrollers.

While lecture notes will be provided weekly, viewing them as a guide rather than a substitute for personal notes or the recommended reading list is essential. Students are encouraged to engage with the material actively, supplementing their understanding through the provided lecture notes, personal notes, and the suggested reading list for each week. This proactive approach will contribute to a robust comprehension of the syllabus topics and enhance the overall learning experience in real-time operating systems.

Quizzes

Quizzes are pivotal in assessing student understanding, accounting for 10% of the total course grade. The quiz schedule is structured into two phases: quizzes 1 to 3 occur during weeks 4 to 6, while quizzes 4 and 5 are slated for weeks 11 and 12. Each quiz comprises short questions directly tied to the material covered on the same day, fostering the immediate application of acquired knowledge. To ensure timely submission, students must submit their quizzes within a 2-day window, in other words, at the latest, 11.59 on the second day. All submissions should be made through the designated iLearn system, streamlining the evaluation process and maintaining organizational consistency.

Assignments

Students are allotted a four-week timeframe to complete each assignment, emphasizing a structured and thorough approach to their work. Assignments 1 and 2 contribute 20% of each assignment to the overall course grade. Evaluation criteria for assignments encompass three key components: Firstly, 10% of the assessment is dedicated to gauging the complexity of the designed programming application. Secondly, 5% is allocated for evaluating students' understanding of the assignment, as reflected in their presentation. Lastly, as conveyed through the project report (a template will be provided to guide you through this process), an additional 5% is assigned for demonstrating comprehension of the Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) concept. The completed report is then to be submitted through the designated system. Additionally, one week after the submission deadline, you will have the opportunity to present your work. This presentation is a platform to showcase your understanding of the material and the practical applications of RTOS programming concepts.

Assignment 1 is expected by 11:55 PM on Sunday, ending Week 7, while Assignment 2 is to be submitted by 11:55 PM on Sunday, ending Week 11. Both assignments involve tackling real-world problems through the lens of Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) programming. Throughout these assignments, you will delve into problem-solving cases around RTOS programming. The objective is to enable you to apply the theoretical concepts you've learned using one of the widely recognized commercial open-source RTOS platforms.

Workshop

The workshop sessions will be onsite across 12 meetings from Week 2 to Week 13. During weeks 2 to 11, students will concentrate on practical modules, while Week 12 and Week 13 are designated for make-up sessions. Make-up classes are exclusively for students unable to attend previous workshops, and each student is limited to taking only two make-up courses. This workshop component contributes 20% to the overall score, with each meeting assigned a task with a value of 2 marks, making a maximum of 20 marks for the entire workshop.

Attendance at all sessions is highly recommended for students to comprehensively understand implementing Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) with the STM32 microcontroller. Full participation ensures a thorough grasp of the practical aspects of RTOS application in real-world scenarios.

Note: practical classes will start in week 2.

Final Exam

The final exam is a comprehensive onsite assessment encompassing practical coding exercises and theoretical concepts related to Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS). This examination holds significant weight, constituting 30% of the course evaluation. Each question in the final exam is assigned a specific percentage value, reflecting its relative importance in the overall assessment. The primary objective of the final exam is to evaluate students' proficiency per the course's specified learning outcomes. Combining both practical and theoretical components, the exam provides a holistic measure of students' grasp of RTOS concepts and their ability to apply them in real-world scenarios.

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Course Reading Material Information - COMP8291

Please be aware that there isn't a single textbook covering all the content for this unit. However, your lecturer will provide comprehensive reading materials and detailed notes corresponding to each week's lecture topics. These resources will be provided every week for your convenience. It's essential to note that purchasing these books is not obligatory; their inclusion is based on individual preferences and needs. Students are encouraged to evaluate their requirements and determine whether acquiring these supplementary resources aligns with their learning preferences and objectives.

1. Jim Cooling, "Real-time Operating Systems Book 1," ISBN: 1795340657
2. Jim Cooling, "Real-time Operating Systems Book 2 - The Practice: Using STM Cube, FreeRTOS and the STM32 Discovery Board: 1," ISBN: 1973409933

Methods of Communication: Our primary means of communication will be through your university email and announcements on iLearn. It is crucial to consistently check your university email for important updates and information related to the course. Additionally, significant announcements will be posted on iLearn, a centralized platform for accessing vital details about the course. Should you have any queries or require assistance from the teaching staff, including the unit convenor, you have two communication channels. Firstly, you can post your questions on the iLearn discussion board, providing an interactive space for instructors and peers to engage in discussions. Alternatively, you may send emails to the corresponding addresses of the teaching staff using your university email address for official communication. Through these communication methods, we aim to ensure effective and timely dissemination of information and provide the necessary support throughout the course.

COVID Information 

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.