UNIT CODE: SIT 409
UNIT TITLE: SIT409: EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
LECTURE HOURS: 45 Prerequisite: Operating Systems
Learning Objectives
• Understand the scientific principles and concepts
behind embedded systems
• Understand the basics of embedded system
application concepts such as signal processing and
feedback control
• Develop a variety of applications for use in Real Time
• Employ MDD (model-driven development) to obtain
optimum RTA performance using UML (Unified
Modeling Language).
Embedded Systems
• It is a special-purpose computing device designed to perform
dedicated functions.
• An embedded system consists of its hardware and software.
• The hardware includes microprocessor or microcontroller with
additional attached external memory, I/O, and other
components such as sensors, keypad, LEDs, LCDs, and any kind
of actuators.
• The embedded software is the driving force of an
embedded system.
• The embedded software is usually called
firmware because this type software is loaded to
ROM, EPROM, or Flash memory and once it is
loaded, it will never be changed unless it needs
to be reloaded for replacement.
• For a general-purpose computer you can install
any software to do all kinds of jobs such as
word processing, book keeping, database
management, and others depending on your
purposes.
• The embedded systems are only used to
repeatedly carry particular designated function.
Categories of Embedded Systems
Stand-alone embedded systems
• Features
– works alone by itself.
– Takes either digital or analog inputs from its input
ports, calibrates, converts, and processes the data,
and outputs the result data to its attached output
device .
– The entertainment devices of video game console
and MP3, digital camera, and microwave are such
typical systems that fall into this category
Real-time embedded systems
• A system is said to be real-time if the response time is critical meaning a
task has to be done in a specified time period.
• In addition to functional correctness, the time constraint must be satisfied.
• There are two type real-time embedded systems: hard real-time and soft
real-time embedded systems.
– Hard real-time systems. For a hard or immediate real-time system, the completion
of an operation after its deadline may lead to a critical failure and result in life, loss
and property damage. The response time deadline for such system is very critical
(in milliseconds or even shorter).
– Examples of Hard real-time systems : Car Airbag Systems
Aircrafts Oxygen Mask Sytsmems
Soft real-time system
• In some other embedded system, there is response deadline but the
lateness can be tolerated to some degrees.
• The violation of time constraints will result in degraded quality, but the
system can continue to operate.
• Microwave and washing machine fall into this sub-category. Although
there is a response time deadline for any operation, the allowed latency
delay can be seconds rather than ms.
• In soft real-time systems, the design focus is to offer a guaranteed
bandwidth to each real-time task and allocate a percentage of the
resources to each task.
Many real-time systems have both hard event and soft events mixed.
The hardware resource (CPU time) and software resources (high priority interrupts) should
be allocated to these processes handling hard-real-time events.
Networked embedded systems
• The networked embedded systems are connected to network with
network interfaces to be accessed or to access other resources.
• The connected network can be a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area
Network(WAN), or the Internet. The connection can be wired or wireless.
• In many systems these two type systems are merged together. A home
security system is an example of a LAN networked embedded system
where all sensors (e.g. motion detectors,press sensors, light sensors, or
smoke sensors) are wired and running on the TCP/IP protocol.
• A home security system can be integrated into a web based security
system with additional web camera running on HTTPprotocol.
Other Classifications
• Small scaled embedded system supported by single 8-16 bit
microprocessor or microcontroller with on-chip RAM and
ROM is designed to perform simple tasks.
• Medium scaled embedded system supported by a 16/32 bit
microprocessor or microcontroller with external RAM and
ROM to perform more complex operations;
• Large scaled networked embedded system supported by 32-
bit or 64-bit multiple chips which conduct distributed jobs.
Embedded systems applications
• Face recognition, finger recognition, eye
recognition
• Navigation system, automatic landing system,
flight attitude controller,
• Dishwasher, washing machine, garden
sprinkler system
Lesson Two
Embedded Systems Characteristics
1. Sophisticated functionality
2. Real time behavior
3. Low manufacturing cost
4. Low power consumption
5. User friendly
Hardware Components
• Power Supply
• Processor
• Memory
• Timers-Counters
• Communication Ports
• Input and Output
• Application Specific Circuits
The Processor
• Microprocessor:
• A microprocessor is a controlling unit of a micro-
computer, fabricated on a small chip capable of
performing ALU (Arithmetic Logical Unit) operations and
communicating with the other devices connected to it.
• Microprocessor consists of an ALU, register array, and a
control unit. ALU performs arithmetical and logical
operations on the data received from the memory or an
input device.
• The control unit controls the flow of data and
instructions within the computer.
Microcontrollers:
• A microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit
designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded
system.
• The simplest microcontrollers facilitate the operation of
electromechanical systems found in everyday
convenience items, such as ovens, refrigerators,
toasters, mobile devices, key fobs, video games,
televisions, and lawn-watering systems.
Technical Differences
Microprocessor acts as a heart of computer Microcontroller acts as a heart of
system. embedded system.
It is a processor in which memory and I/O It is a controlling device in which memory
output component is connected and I/O output component is present
externally. internally.
The microprocessor has fewer registers.
The microcontroller has more registers.
Therefore most of the operations are
memory-based. Therefore a program is easier to write.
General Considerations
• Availability of Supplier for a given core
• Easy to upgrade to higher or lower power
consumption mode
• Availability of supporting firmware and
technical support
• Power Consumption
Memory
• Primary Memory
• The primary memory stores data if power is available. The primary memories
are SRAM and DRAM.
• Secondary Memory
• The secondary memory will store the data and information even if the power
supply is unavailable. The secondary memories are Flash, EPROM, PROM,
Masked ROM, EEPROM, and NVRAM.
• Primary memories are used where we want to store temporary data and
information and secondary memories are used where we want to store data and
information permanently.
SRAM Vs DRAM
• 01. SRAM
• SRAM - Static random access memory, this memory consumes less power
compared to the DRAM. The static random access memory is 4 times
faster than the DRAM. The cost of is memory is high compared to DRAM.
• Applications Of SRAM
• Computers and laptops, Servers, Mobile phones
• 02. DRAM
• DRAM stands for dynamic random access memory, this memory consumes
more power compared to the SRAM. The dynamic random access memory
is 4 times slower than the SRAM. There is need to refresh the data
continuously in this memory even though the power supply is there. The
cost of this memory is low compared to the SRAM.
• Applications Of DRAM
• Servers, Personal computers, workstations
• 02. PROM
Secondary Memory
• PROM - This memory can be programmed only one time and can’t
reprogram this memory again or erase the program.
• Applications Of PROM
• In digital electronic devices to store permanent data. Such as Cell phones,
Video game console, Medical devices
• 03. EPROM
• Program in this memory can be erased and reprogram the memory with
new data. In this memory, there is a glass window on the top, when it is
exposed in the sunlight, the data stored in the memory will be erased.
• Applications Of EPROM
• To store computer BIOS,
• 04. EEPROM
• This memory is the same as EPROM but can data can be erased through
electricity .
• Applications Of EEPROM
• Computers, Remote keyless system In microcontrollers
Flash memory
• It has all the qualities of EEPROMs except one. EEPROMs
are reprogrammable one bit at a time, while flash
storage is a reprogrammable one block at a time.
• The block size (X number of bytes) usually can be found
on the given chip’s specifications.
• usually, microcontrollers, are used for storing firmware
of large sizes and other constant data and large lookup
tables as needed by the application.
•
NVRAM
Non Volatile Random Access Memory
• It is a special type of RAM that can store data permanently. It aims at
accomplishing the speed of a RAM and non-volatility of data like ROM.
• The downside is that SRAM per byte is very expensive compared to any of the
types mentioned above and hence not very cost-effective.
• Functions and application areas
• Used in applications where startup time is extremely important, and we
cannot afford to lose microseconds of time trying to load a program from
slower storages like flash or EEPROM.
• They are usually accompanied by a backup memory (that stores the original
code and compile-time data) of one of the types about so that when the time
comes to replace the battery, all the runtime data can be backed up to
another(slower) non volatile memory (like EEPROM or flash memory) and once
the battery is replaced, it can load the code and data from this memory and
start working again from where it left off.
Masked ROM
• The main characteristic of this device is the fact
that the data is written onto the device as it gets
manufactured and it is impossible to change them.
• This is done by designing the chip in such a manner
so that it already contains the necessary data.
• This type of storage is generally used in mass-
produced, long term devices where each penny
counts.
