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Master'sElectronics, Embedded Systems & Telecom Applications open

Master’s in Middleware and Real-Time Communication

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in middleware and real-time communication (DDS/RTPS, ROS 2, SOME/IP, OPC UA, TSN and PTP): 12 modules covering distributed real-time systems, DDS, ROS 2, automotive and industrial middleware, deterministic networks, time synchronisation and performance analysis, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1,900 hours · 12–14 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor

Master’s in Middleware and Real-Time Communication — studying from New Zealand

Electronics and telecommunications are significant New Zealand industries, with Chorus operating the national fibre network and Spark, One NZ and 2degrees providing mobile services. Embedded systems and electronics design are strong in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, serving agricultural technology, medical devices and industrial automation. Engineers in this field work for telecommunications providers, electronics manufacturers and research groups, and the Radio Spectrum Management team within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment oversees spectrum use.

Fees for New Zealand: NZ$13,700 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in New Zealand

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) New Zealand Section
  • Radio Spectrum Management (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment)
  • Telecommunications Carriers' Forum

Typical roles

  • Embedded Systems Engineer
  • Telecommunications Engineer
  • Electronics Design Engineer
  • Firmware Engineer

Questions from New Zealand

How do New Zealand bodies recognise electronics and telecom engineers?

Engineering New Zealand is the body for engineering registration, including Chartered Professional Engineer status. Telecommunications is overseen by the Commerce Commission and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and radio spectrum is managed by MBIE. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers decide their weight.

Which New Zealand employers hire embedded systems and telecom engineers?

Employers include telecommunications operators, electronics manufacturers, device makers, defence and aerospace suppliers, and research institutions. Hiring often prioritises practical embedded work, firmware projects and certifications relevant to the role. A private online qualification may help your application, but it does not guarantee an offer.

Is this manageable online from New Zealand, and what study load should I expect?

The programmes are online and in English, so no student visa is needed to study from New Zealand. Each has an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's programmes 1,900. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, so check funding options first.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse communication requirements in real-time systems.

02

Develop applications with DDS and ROS 2.

03

Apply middleware in automotive and industrial settings.

04

Configure TSN deterministic networks.

05

Synchronise clocks in distributed systems.

06

Analyse end-to-end performance.

07

Integrate secure and reliable communications.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Middleware engineers looking to deepen their expertise in real-time communication.
  • Robotics software engineers working with ROS 2 and DDS.
  • Distributed systems engineers who need deterministic, low-latency communication.
  • Industrial communications engineers moving towards OPC UA PubSub and TSN.
  • Automotive software engineers working with SOME/IP and AUTOSAR.
  • Real-time systems architects.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter robotics.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • OMG DDS 1.4 (Data Distribution Service specification)
  • OMG DDSI-RTPS 2.5 (DDS interoperability wire protocol)
  • IEEE 802.1AS (time synchronisation for TSN)
  • IEEE 802.1Qbv (time-aware traffic scheduling)
  • IEEE 1588 (Precision Time Protocol)
  • IEC 62541 (OPC UA) (OPC Unified Architecture)
  • AUTOSAR SOME/IP Protocol Specification (scalable service-oriented middleware over IP)
  • IEC 61784-2 (real-time Ethernet communication profiles)
  • ROS 2
  • eProsima Fast DDS
  • Eclipse Cyclone DDS
  • Eclipse Zenoh
  • Wireshark
Syllabus

12 modules

  1. 1.1Hard and soft real-time requirements
  2. 1.2Determinism and latency
  3. 1.3Distributed architectures
  4. 1.4Publish-subscribe models
  5. 1.5Client-server models
  6. 1.6Quality of service
  7. 1.7Middleware: concept and functions
  8. 1.8Cases in robotics, automotive and industry
  9. 1.9Scalability challenges
  10. 1.10Case study: communication requirements of a mobile robot
  1. 2.1OMG DDS specification
  2. 2.2Domains, topics and partitions
  3. 2.3QoS policies
  4. 2.4Discovery
  5. 2.5RTPS as the wire protocol
  6. 2.6Fast DDS and Cyclone DDS implementations
  7. 2.7DDS Security
  8. 2.8Performance and tuning
  9. 2.9DDS in critical systems
  10. 2.10Lab: DDS application with Fast DDS
  1. 3.1ROS 2 architecture
  2. 3.2Nodes, topics and services
  3. 3.3Actions and parameters
  4. 3.4RMW layer
  5. 3.5Executors and callbacks
  6. 3.6QoS in ROS 2
  7. 3.7Components and composition
  8. 3.8Real-time ROS 2
  9. 3.9micro-ROS on microcontrollers
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: ROS 2 system with latency requirements
  1. 4.1SOME/IP
  2. 4.2AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive
  3. 4.3Service-oriented communication
  4. 4.4Zenoh
  5. 4.5CAN-Ethernet gateways
  6. 4.6Zonal architectures
  7. 4.7Middleware for ADAS
  8. 4.8Determinism in automotive systems
  9. 4.9Analysis tools
  10. 4.10Lab: SOME/IP service with vsomeip
  1. 5.1OPC UA client-server
  2. 5.2OPC UA PubSub
  3. 5.3Information models
  4. 5.4PROFINET and EtherCAT
  5. 5.5Deterministic communication on the plant floor
  6. 5.6IT/OT integration
  7. 5.7MQTT and Sparkplug
  8. 5.8OPC UA security
  9. 5.9Interoperability
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: OPC UA PubSub over UDP
  1. 6.1Time-Sensitive Networking
  2. 6.2IEEE 802.1AS synchronisation
  3. 6.3802.1Qbv time-aware scheduling
  4. 6.4Frame preemption
  5. 6.5Resource reservation
  6. 6.6Centralised configuration
  7. 6.7TSN in automotive and industry
  8. 6.8Configuration tools
  9. 6.9Latency measurement
  10. 6.10Lab: configuring a TSN network
  1. 7.1Clocks and drift
  2. 7.2NTP
  3. 7.3PTP IEEE 1588
  4. 7.4PTP profiles
  5. 7.5Hardware timestamping
  6. 7.6Synchronisation in DDS and ROS 2
  7. 7.7Accuracy and measurement
  8. 7.8Synchronisation failures
  9. 7.9Sensor fusion applications
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: PTP synchronisation between nodes
  1. 8.1Linux with PREEMPT_RT
  2. 8.2RTOS: Zephyr and FreeRTOS
  3. 8.3Network stack and latency
  4. 8.4CPU affinity and isolation
  5. 8.5Shared memory and zero-copy
  6. 8.6Iceoryx
  7. 8.7Hypervisors
  8. 8.8Thread scheduling
  9. 8.9Latency measurement with cyclictest
  10. 8.10Lab: zero-copy communication with iceoryx
  1. 9.1Latency and jitter metrics
  2. 9.2Throughput and loss
  3. 9.3Tracing tools
  4. 9.4Middleware profiling
  5. 9.5End-to-end analysis
  6. 9.6Bottlenecks
  7. 9.7QoS tuning
  8. 9.8Benchmarks
  9. 9.9Performance reports
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: comparing DDS and Zenoh latencies
  1. 10.1Middleware security
  2. 10.2Authentication and encryption
  3. 10.3Access control
  4. 10.4Fault tolerance
  5. 10.5Communication redundancy
  6. 10.6Functional safety
  7. 10.7Middleware certification
  8. 10.8Runtime monitoring
  9. 10.9Error handling
  10. 10.10Case study: failure analysis of a distributed system
  1. 11.1Hybrid architectures
  2. 11.2Bridges between middleware
  3. 11.3Edge and cloud
  4. 11.4Container-based deployment
  5. 11.5Orchestration on robots
  6. 11.6Simulation and testing
  7. 11.7Continuous integration
  8. 11.8Interface documentation
  9. 11.9Message versioning
  10. 11.10Workshop: ROS 2 to OPC UA bridge
  1. 12.1System and timing requirements
  2. 12.2Communication architecture
  3. 12.3Middleware selection
  4. 12.4QoS and network configuration
  5. 12.5Implementation
  6. 12.6Time synchronisation
  7. 12.7Performance analysis
  8. 12.8Conclusions
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded lectures and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ROS 2, eProsima Fast DDS, Eclipse Cyclone DDS, Eclipse Zenoh and Wireshark, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied on real procedures: end-to-end latency and jitter measurement, PTP synchronisation tests and middleware load tests. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: OMG DDS 1.4, OMG DDSI-RTPS 2.5, IEEE 802.1AS, IEEE 802.1Qbv, IEEE 1588, IEC 62541 (OPC UA), AUTOSAR SOME/IP Protocol Specification, IEC 61784-2.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of OMG DDS 1.4, OMG DDSI-RTPS 2.5 and IEEE 802.1AS applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:ROS 2, eProsima Fast DDS, Eclipse Cyclone DDS, Eclipse Zenoh and Wireshark, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A real-time communication system designed end to end, from timing requirements and middleware selection to QoS, network configuration and performance analysis, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Timing requirements
Define the system and its hard and soft real-time communication requirements.
DDS and ROS 2 implementation
Build the publish-subscribe layer with Fast DDS and ROS 2, tuning QoS policies.
Deterministic network
Configure a TSN network and PTP synchronisation between nodes.
Performance benchmarking
Measure end-to-end latency and jitter, comparing DDS and Zenoh.
Master's Thesis
A complete real-time communication system architecture with its performance analysis, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Middleware EngineerRobotics Software EngineerDistributed Systems EngineerIndustrial Communications EngineerAutomotive Software EngineerReal-Time Systems Architect
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with ROS 2, eProsima Fast DDS, Eclipse Cyclone DDS, Eclipse Zenoh and Wireshark, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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