Master’s in Real-Time Middleware and Communication Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in middleware and real-time communication engineering. 12 modules covering DDS and its quality of service, ROS 2, automotive SOME/IP, OPC UA, TSN deterministic networks, PTP time synchronisation, performance analysis and security, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Real-Time Middleware and Communication Engineering — studying from the United Kingdom
Electronics and telecommunications form a significant part of the UK technology economy, with clusters in Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and the South East. Semiconductor design firms, defence electronics suppliers, telecom operators and Internet of Things companies all require embedded systems and communications engineers. Arm, headquartered in Cambridge, is a notable example of the design sector. Engineers work on hardware, firmware, signal processing and network infrastructure, often within regulated frameworks for radio and telecoms equipment.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £4,930 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies recognise electronics, embedded systems and telecom qualifications?
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is the main UK body for electronics, embedded systems and telecoms, and the British Computer Society (BCS) covers embedded software. Chartered and incorporated engineer titles are regulated through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so you should check with the IET how your study would be assessed.
Do UK electronics and telecoms employers hire people with private online qualifications?
UK electronics, semiconductor, telecoms and embedded systems employers usually assess candidates on practical design skill, hardware and software projects, and experience. A private qualification may help show specialist learning, but how much it counts depends on each employer. A portfolio of working embedded or telecoms projects is often decisive.
Is it realistic to study this online while working in the UK, and what level of English is needed?
Online study means you can keep your UK job and study from home, with no student visa required. Teaching is in English, so you need solid technical English. Your assigned technical tutor will help you plan your work. Fees are payable in instalments, and some employers offer training support, which varies by employer. Compare the programme hours with your schedule before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Design distributed communication architectures for real-time systems.
Configure DDS middleware with suitable quality-of-service profiles.
Integrate service-oriented industrial and automotive protocols.
Plan TSN-based deterministic networks and clock synchronisation.
Measure and guarantee end-to-end latency, jitter and reliability.
Apply security mechanisms in middleware and networks.
Validate distributed systems through simulation and testing.
Who it's for
- Middleware engineers working with DDS, SOME/IP or OPC UA.
- Distributed systems architects designing real-time platforms.
- Industrial network engineers moving towards TSN and IT-OT convergence.
- Robotics software engineers building ROS 2 systems.
- Systems integration engineers in automotive, aerospace or automation.
- Automotive communications engineers working on software-defined vehicles.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to move into the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- OMG DDS Data Distribution Service 1.4 (data-centric publish-subscribe middleware)
- OMG DDS-RTPS (Real-Time Publish-Subscribe wire protocol)
- IEEE 802.1AS (timing and synchronisation for time-sensitive applications)
- IEEE 802.1Qbv (enhancements for scheduled traffic)
- IEC 62541 OPC UA (industrial interoperability architecture)
- AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform SOME/IP (service-oriented automotive communication)
- IEEE 1588 (Precision Time Protocol)
- IEC 61784-2 (Ethernet-based real-time communication profiles)
- RTI Connext DDS
- eProsima Fast DDS
- ROS 2
- Wireshark
- OMNeT++
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Characteristics of critical distributed systems1.2Client-server and publish-subscribe models1.3Data-centric versus message-centric communication1.4Latency, jitter and determinism1.5Fault tolerance and redundancy1.6Scalability requirements1.7Middleware in avionics, automotive and robotics1.8Service-oriented architectures1.9Middleware selection criteria1.10Case study: analysis of an autonomous vehicle architecture
2.1DDS global data space model2.2Domains, participants, topics and types2.3Publishers, subscribers, writers and readers2.4Dynamic entity discovery2.5RTPS wire protocol2.6Type definition with IDL and XTypes2.7Commercial and open-source implementations2.8Interoperability between implementations2.9Deployment on embedded systems2.10Practical: publish-subscribe application with Fast DDS
3.1Reliability and durability policies3.2History and resource limits3.3Deadlines, latency and liveliness3.4Exclusive ownership and redundancy3.5Content and time-based filtering3.6Partitions and logical partitioning3.7Policy compatibility between endpoints3.8XML quality-of-service profiles3.9Middleware performance tuning3.10Lab: tuning QoS policies for closed-loop control
4.1ROS 2 architecture over DDS4.2Nodes, topics, services and actions4.3RMW layer and implementation selection4.4Executors and threading model4.5Intra-process and zero-copy communication4.6Real-time ROS 24.7micro-ROS for microcontrollers4.8Security with SROS24.9ROS 2 tracing tools4.10Workshop: distributed robotic system with ROS 2
5.1Zonal and centralised E/E architectures5.2AUTOSAR Classic and COM communication5.3AUTOSAR Adaptive and services5.4SOME/IP protocol and service discovery5.5DDS in software-defined vehicles5.6CAN-Ethernet gateways5.7Diagnostics over IP (DoIP)5.8Over-the-air vehicle updates5.9Functional safety requirements5.10Case study: design of SOME/IP services for a vehicle
6.1Automation pyramid and IT-OT convergence6.2OPC UA information model6.3Client-server communication in OPC UA6.4OPC UA PubSub over UDP and MQTT6.5OPC UA over TSN6.6PROFINET and EtherCAT fieldbuses6.7Modbus TCP and legacy protocols6.8Sector-specific companion specifications6.9Integration with the industrial cloud6.10Practical: OPC UA server with an information model
7.1Limitations of standard Ethernet7.2IEEE 802.1 TSN family of standards7.3Traffic scheduling with 802.1Qbv7.4Credit-based shaping7.5802.1Qbu frame preemption7.6Redundancy with 802.1CB7.7Centralised network configuration7.8Calculating scheduling tables7.9Industrial and automotive TSN profiles7.10Lab: TSN network simulation in OMNeT++
8.1The need for a common time base8.2IEEE 1588 PTP protocol8.3IEEE 802.1AS gPTP profile8.4Boundary and transparent clocks8.5Accuracy and sources of error8.6Synchronisation in DDS and applications8.7Grandmaster clock redundancy8.8Measuring synchronisation accuracy8.9Time and network security8.10Practical: PTP synchronisation measurement
9.1End-to-end latency modelling9.2Worst-case analysis in switched networks9.3Network calculus and arrival curves9.4Latency measurement with traces9.5Capture analysis with Wireshark9.6Load and stress testing9.7Middleware CPU and memory consumption9.8Comparison of DDS implementations9.9Common bottlenecks9.10Case study: diagnosing latencies in a DDS system
10.1Threats in distributed systems10.2DDS Security specification10.3Authentication, access control and encryption10.4Security in OPC UA10.5MACsec and link-layer security10.6Industrial network segmentation10.7IEC 62443 requirements10.8Impact of security on latency10.9Certificate and key management10.10Workshop: configuring DDS Security with permissions
11.1Incremental integration strategies11.2Network and middleware simulation11.3Distributed hardware-in-the-loop testing11.4Communication fault injection11.5Monitoring in operation11.6Data recording and replay11.7Interface version management11.8Data interface documentation11.9Evidence for certification11.10Lab: distributed test bench with fault injection
12.1Definition of the distributed system12.2Communication and timing requirements12.3Middleware architecture design12.4Deterministic network design12.5Prototype implementation12.6Performance measurement12.7Security analysis12.8Conclusions and future work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is RTI Connext DDS, eProsima Fast DDS, ROS 2, Wireshark and OMNeT++, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Work is based on real procedures: designing publish-subscribe architectures with DDS, configuring deterministic TSN networks and measuring end-to-end latency and jitter. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: OMG DDS 1.4, OMG DDS-RTPS, IEEE 802.1AS, IEEE 802.1Qbv, IEC 62541 OPC UA, AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform SOME/IP, IEEE 1588, IEC 61784-2.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
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.
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 RTI Connext DDS, eProsima Fast DDS, ROS 2, Wireshark and OMNeT++, 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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