Placement Accelerator Program For Job Roles Core Domains – Embedded, VLSI & Scada
Duration – 10 Days
Program Summary
Embedded Systems
Database:
- Covers strong foundations in analogue and digital electronics, embedded C, OS concepts, debugging, and protocols with hands-on labs.
- Focuses on practical embedded system development, interfacing, debugging mindset, and interview readiness.
- Provides end-to-end exposure to RTL design, Verilog coding, ASIC design flow, timing, CDC, synthesis, and signoff concepts.
- Emphasises industry-relevant RTL practices, quality checks, low-power design, and verification awareness.
- Introduces industrial automation, SCADA architecture, PLC–SCADA communication, alarms, trends, and HMI design.
- Hands-on focus on SCADA software, tag configuration, real-time monitoring, and power/electrical system use cases.
Pre-requisites
- Basic understanding of electronics fundamentals (voltage, current, resistance).
- Basic knowledge of C programming (loops, functions, variables).
- Familiarity with digital logic concepts (gates, binary numbers).
- Basic computer skills (Windows/Linux usage).
- Interest in Embedded Systems, VLSI, or Industrial Automation.
- No prior experience in RTL, SCADA, or OS required (covered from basics).
Take away
After completing this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand analogue and digital electronics used in embedded systems.
- Analyse and debug real-world electronic circuits.
- Write and debug Embedded C programs.
- Understand embedded debugging techniques used in industry.
- Gain clarity on RTOS concepts and system-level debugging.
- Use Python for automation and log analysis.
- Understand communication protocols (UART, I2C, SPI, USB, SD, PCIe).
- Design and analyse RTL using Verilog.
- Understand ASIC design flow, timing, CDC, and synthesis.
- Gain exposure to SCADA architecture and industrial automation.
- Configure SCADA tags, alarms, and HMI screens.
- Develop strong interview readiness for Embedded, VLSI, and SCADA roles.
Tools/Software/Hardware
- Software: Keil / STM32CubeIDE, Python, Verilog Simulator, SCADA Software (Ignition / WinCC – demo), Serial Monitor Tools.
- Hardware: ARM Microcontroller Boards, Sensors, Power Supply, Basic Electronic Components.
- Protocols & Interfaces: UART, I2C, SPI, USB, Modbus.
- Debugging & Design Tools: JTAG/SWD, Register Debugging, Logic Analysis, RTL Simulation.
- SCADA & Automation: PLC Simulation, HMI Design, Alarm & Trend Configuration.
Day 2: Digital Electronics & Embedded System Overview
- Digital Electronics Fundamentals, Number systems & conversions, 1’s and 2’s complement, Boolean algebra & DeMorgan’s theorem, K-map simplification (SOP & POS), Logic gates
- Combinational circuits: Adders, Encoders & decoders, Multiplexers & demultiplexers, Code converters, Sequential circuits: Latches & flip-flops, Registers, Flip-flop conversions, Counters (sync/async, ring, Johnson), FSM – Mealy & Moore (conceptual), Basics of Timing Analysis
- Embedded system block diagram, Embedded hardware vs software, Standard communication interfaces: UART, I2C, SPI, USB (overview)
- • Reading electronic schematics, Identifying pins, symbols, and blocks, Datasheet structure: Absolute maximum ratings, Electrical characteristics, Pin description, How datasheets are used in interviews & industry
Digital Circuit Design
Embedded Systems & Interface Fundamentals
Understanding Schematics & Datasheets
Day 3: Embedded C Programming & System Debugging Foundations
Embedded Systems & Debugging Mindset
- Embedded systems vs. general-purpose systems.
- Real-world embedded failures (boot issues, hangs, data corruption).
- Debugging mindset: symptoms → root cause → fix.
- Tools used in industry: JTAG/SWD, register inspection, logs, and assertions.
- Identify faults from given embedded failure scenarios.
- Analyse system behaviour using logs and variable tracing.
- Embedded C vs Desktop C.
- Memory model: Stack vs Heap, Flash vs RAM.
- Critical C concepts for interviews: volatile, const, bitwise operations, structures & padding, pointers & pointer pitfalls, ISR-safe coding.
- Write C programs for: Register-level GPIO control, Bit manipulation for peripheral registers, Memory-efficient data structures, Debug common mistakes (pointer errors, infinite loops)
- Types of bugs: compile-time, run-time, and logical bugs.
- Debugging techniques: breakpoints, watch variables, and stack inspection.
- Common interview debugging questions.
- Debug a faulty embedded C program: timer not triggering, incorrect register configuration, unexpected system reset.
- Define a dummy peripheral register using a macro. Set, clear, and toggle specific bits. Observe behaviour using the debugger watch window.
Hands-on
Embedded C Programming Essentials
Hands-on Lab
Debugging Embedded C Programs
Hands-on Lab
DAY 4: Embedded OS Concepts & Python Scripting
Embedded OS & System Concepts
- Why OS in embedded systems?
- Bare-metal vs RTOS vs Embedded Linux (conceptual).
- Core OS concepts: tasks/threads, scheduling, context switching, interrupts vs tasks, memory management concepts.
- Analyse task execution using timing diagrams.
- Identify race conditions and priority issues.
- Typical OS-related issues: deadlocks, starvation, priority inversion.
- Debugging timing and synchronization issues.
- Solve scheduling and synchronisation problems.
- Trace task execution order from logs.
- Why Python for embedded roles?
- Python use cases: test automation, log analysis, serial communication.
- Python basics: data types, loops & functions, file handling.
Hands-on Activity
Practical OS-Level Problem Solving
Hands-on
Python Scripting for Embedded Engineers
Hands-on Lab
Write Python scripts to: Parse embedded system logs, Simulate sensor data, Automate test cases.
DAY 5: Protocol Fundamentals & Interview Readiness
Communication Protocol Fundamentals
- Why protocols matter in system roles.
- Protocol stack concepts.
- USB, SD & PCIe – conceptual & debug perspective.
- USB: enumeration process, endpoints, descriptors, common USB failures & debugging approach.
- SD Card: SD card states, initialization sequence, data read/write flow.
- PCIe: PCIe architecture (lanes, link training), transaction types.
- Analyse protocol failure scenarios, identify where debugging is done (host vs device)
Hands-on / Case Studies
Day 6: RTL Design & ASIC Front-End Foundation
Industry ASIC Design Flow
- Product requirements → micro-architecture.
- Front-end vs back-end roles.
- RTL → synthesis → STA → P&R → signoff.
- IP-based design methodology.
- PPA (power, performance, area) trade-offs.
- Design documentation & spec interpretation.
- Design hierarchy & modular coding.
- Ports, parameters, defines.
- wire vs reg (synthesis meaning).
- Blocking vs non-blocking (industry rules).
- Always blocks (always @(*), always_ff).
- Reset strategies (sync vs async).
- Coding for reusability & readability.
- Combinational logic inference.
- Avoiding latches (lint-driven view).
- Sequential logic (FFs, registers).
- Clock enable implementation.
- Reset trees (conceptual).
- Common RTL bugs seen in industry.
- RTL linting (why & what it catches).
- Unused logic, X-propagation.
- Synthesis warnings & fixes.
- Design reviews & checklist culture.
Verilog HDL – Industry Coding Style
Combinational & Sequential RTL Design
RTL Quality Checks (Pre-silicon sanity checks)
Day 7: Design Complexity, Timing & Clocking
FSM & Control Logic (Industry View)
- FSM design methodology.
- State encoding techniques.
- Safe FSM coding.
- Handling illegal states.
- Low-power FSM considerations.
- FSM debug in simulation.
- Why multiple clocks exist.
- Clock domain crossing problems.
- Metastability basics.
- Synchronizer structures.
- Handshake vs FIFO-based CDC.
- CDC verification concepts.
- Setup & hold time.
- Timing paths (reg-to-reg, I/O).
- Clock skew & uncertainty.
- Slack interpretation.
- RTL impact on timing closure.
- Typical timing violations & RTL fixes.
- Why constraints matter.
- Basic SDC concepts: clock definition, input/output delays.
- False paths & multicycle paths (intro).
- Reading STA reports (high-level).
Multi-Clock Designs & CDC (Critical real-world topic)
Timing Concepts for RTL Engineers
Constraints & STA Awareness (What RTL engineers must know)
Day 8: Synthesis, Power, Verification & Signoff Awareness
RTL Synthesis (Industry Flow)
Low-Power Design Techniques
Verification Concepts for Designers
Signoff, LEC & Industry Practices
DAY 9: SCADA Fundamentals & System Architecture
Introduction to Industrial Automation & SCADA
SCADA System Architecture
Hands-on / Demo
SCADA Software & Tag Configuration
Hands-on Lab
HMI Screen Design Basics
Hands-on Lab
Design simple HMI screen: Motor ON/OFF indication, Tank level visualisation, Status indicators
DAY 10: Communication, Alarms, Trends
PLC–SCADA Communication & Protocols
- Why communication is critical in SCADA, Common industrial protocols: Modbus RTU / TCP, Profibus (overview), OPC / OPC-UA, Ethernet/IP (overview), Address mapping concepts
- Simulated PLC–SCADA communication, Reading & writing values from SCADA
- Alarm concepts: High / Low alarms , Priority levels , Acknowledgement , Event logging , Historical data & trends , Importance in plant operation & safety
- Configure alarms for: Over-temperature, Motor fault, Create real-time trend display
- SCADA in substations.
- Monitoring: voltage, current, power, breaker status.
- SCADA role in smart grids.
- Load monitoring & fault indication.
- PLC ladder logic basics.
- Substation SCADA example.
- Power distribution monitoring screen.
- Short design task: design SCADA screen for water tank system.
Hands-on / Demo
Alarms, Events & Trending
Hands-on Lab
SCADA in Power & Electrical Systems
Case Study
