EMBEDDED SYSTEM
Introduction
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The term embedded system refers to the use of electronics and software
within a Product.
Today many devices that use electric power have an embedded computing
system.
In near future virtually all such devices will have embedded computing
systems.
Examples include cell phones, digital cameras, video cameras, calculators,
microwave ovens, home security systems, washing machines, lighting systems,
thermostats, printers, various automotive systems (e.g., transmission control,
cruise control, fuel injection, anti-lock brakes, and suspension systems), tennis
rackets, toothbrushes.
Real-time constraints imposed by the interaction with the environment.
General organization
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of an Embedded System
The Internet of Things
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The Internet of things (IoT) is a term that refers to the expanding
interconnection of smart devices, ranging from appliances to tiny sensors.
The embedding of short-range mobile transceivers into a wide array of
gadgets and everyday items, enabling new forms of communication
between people and things, and between things themselves.
The Internet now supports the interconnection of billions of industrial and
personal objects, usually through cloud systems.
These devices are low-bandwidth, low- repetition data- capture, and low-
bandwidth data- usage appliances that communicate with each other and
provide data via user interfaces.
Embedded Operating Systems
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There are two general approaches to developing an embedded
operating system (OS).
The first approach is to take an existing OS and adapt it for the
embedded application. For example, there are embedded versions of
Linux, Windows, and Mac, as well as other commercial and
proprietary operating systems specialized for embedded systems.
The other approach is to design and implement an OS intended solely
for embedded use. An example of the latter is TinyOS, widely used in
wireless sensor networks.
Application Processors versus Dedicated
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Processors
Application processors are defined by the processor’s ability to
execute complex operating systems, such as Linux, Android, and
Chrome.
Most embedded systems employ a dedicated processor, which, as the
name implies, is dedicated to one or a small number of specific tasks
required by the host device.
Microprocessors versus Microcontrollers
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Microprocessor chips included registers, an ALU, and some sort of control
unit or instruction processing logic.
A microcontroller is a single chip that contains the processor, non- volatile
memory for the program (ROM), volatile memory for input and output
(RAM), a clock, and an I/O control unit. Also called a “computer on a chip”.
Microcontrollers come in a range of physical sizes and processing power.
Processors range from 4-bit to 32-bit architectures.
Microcontrollers tend to be much slower than microprocessors, typically
operating in the MHz range rather than the GHz speeds of microprocessors.
Usually microcontroller does not provide for human interaction.
The microcontroller is programmed for a specific task, embedded in its
device, and executes as and when required.
Microprocessors versus Microcontrollers
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Microprocessor Microcontroller
Since memory and I/O are connected externally, the Since memory and I/O are present together, the internal
circuit becomes large in size. circuit is small in size.
It cannot be used in compact systems It can be used in compact systems.
Cost is high Cost is low
RAM, ROM, I/O units, and other peripherals are not RAM, ROM, CPU and other peripherals are embedded
embedded on a single chip. on a single chip.
Do not have power saving mode. Have power-saving mode.
Used in personal computers. Used in embedded systems.
Less number of registers. More number of registers.
Uses an external bus. Uses an internal controlling bus.
Complex and expensive due to large number of Simple and inexpensive due to less number of instructions
instructions to process. to process.
Can run at a very high speed. Can run up to 200MHz or more.
Embedded versus Deeply Embedded Systems
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A subset of embedded systems is referred to as deeply embedded systems.
A deeply embedded system uses a microcontroller rather than a microprocessor, is
not programmable once the program logic for the device has been burned into
ROM (read- only memory), and has no interaction with a user.
Deeply embedded systems are dedicated, single-purpose devices that detect
something in the environment, perform a basic level of processing, and then do
something with the results.
Deeply embedded systems often have wireless capability and appear in
networked configurations, such as networks of sensors deployed over a large
area (e.g., factory, agricultural field).
The Internet of things depends heavily on deeply embedded systems. Typically,
deeply embedded systems have extreme resource constraints in terms of memory,
processor size, time, and power consumption.