This course focuses on the interface between the digital world and the physical world. Hardware and software design methodology for embedded microcomputers. Open laboratory and projects and considerable hands-on work. Architecture, hardware, I/O, interrupts, memory organization and decoding. Uses the TI MSP430 family microcontrollers. Peripheral devices including general digital I/O, timers, analog to digital converters, and synchronous serial interfaces SPI and I2C. The course stresses the dependency of hardware and software design on project identification, rationale, and goals. Includes lab.