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Training courses

We offer the following 5-day public training courses:

All of our training courses are designed to help participants who wish to improve the reliability of the embedded systems produced by their organisation. Beyond this general goal, some courses have a sharper focus on techniques which are appropriate for use in safety-related or safety-critical systems: a summary of these links is provided in the table below (please click on the table to increase the text size).

Table linking to training courses to safety levels

A key to terms in the above table:

  • Embedded processors now have an enormous impact in many products, including - for example - high-end consumer applications such as washing machines and set-top boxes and various automotive applications (for example, control of door mirrors). Manufacturers need to maximise the reliability of such systems in order to reduce the cost of warranty repairs, minimise product recalls and ensure repeat orders. All of our courses are designed to support the developers of such reliable embedded systems.
  • In many cases, embedded processors are employed in safety-related systems: these include automotive, medical and industrial systems. In a safety-related design, the embedded processor will never have total control: there will always be some form of backup device — or “backup person” — available in the event that the embedded system operates incorrectly (or fails to operate at all). For example: [i] an automotive “anti-lock” braking system (ABS) may have a mechanical backup; [ii] a medical system may be used to provide information to a qualified clinician: the doctor will make the final treatment decision; [iii] a train control system may require final authorisation from the driver before moving the vehicle. Even with the availability of a “backup” option, great reliance is placed on safety-related embedded systems and they must — clearly — be developed with great care.
  • The challenges facing the developer become even more significant when we start to consider safety-critical embedded systems. In such systems the system cannot rely on external backups option, and failure is likely to result in injury or death, either to users of the system (for example, with a medical design) or those in the vicinity (for example, with an aerospace or industrial design). Without doubt, the development of safety-critical embedded systems represents one of the greatest challenges faced by engineers on the planet today.

It should also be noted that — while failure of a particular embedded system may not result in loss of life — it may still be appropriate to develop the systems to “safety critical” standards. Such an approach may be considered (for example) when developing business-related applications where failure would result in huge financial losses (for example, some forms of electronic trading system for use in a stock exchange, or a system used to monitor electricity usage in consumer homes).

Courses dates

These modules are delivered on various dates, in both the UK and in Malaysia.

Links to MSc in Reliable Embedded Systems

In most cases (both in the UK and in Malaysia), these short courses can be taken as the first step in a part-time MSc in Reliable Embedded Systems from the University of Leicester.

To ensure that the training is of the highest quality and that you gain maximum benefit from discussions with the trainers, the total class size is strictly limited.

Course fees

Our training services are cost effective.

Please refer to our fees page for full information.

Accommodation

Please note that accommodation is not included in the course fee. Recommendations for cost-effective accommodation can be provided.

Venues

In the UK, the training takes place at the University of Leicester.

In Malaysia, the training takes places in the Executive Learning Centre at PSDC.

On-site training

In addition to public courses, we offer on-site training courses on a worldwide basis. For example, our popular 5-day course on“Design patterns for reliable embedded systems” can be delivered on your site at any time.

Any of our short courses can be delivered on your company premises on dates of your choosing.

Courses can also be fully customised to match your requirements. For example, we can present highlights of a 5-day course in a 2- or 3-day format, or we can combine the contents of multiple courses to match your requirements.

Please contact us for further information.