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Lecture10 Real-Time and Embedded v2

This document provides an overview of embedded computing, real-time systems, and LabVIEW tools for developing embedded applications. It discusses embedded processors, operating systems, hard and soft real-time systems, and how LabVIEW Real-Time extends LabVIEW to target real-time embedded platforms like NI CompactRIO and Single-Board RIO. It also covers interrupt-driven programming, deterministic communication, and approaches to data acquisition like polling, DMA, and interrupts.

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Enrique Contreras
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55 views

Lecture10 Real-Time and Embedded v2

This document provides an overview of embedded computing, real-time systems, and LabVIEW tools for developing embedded applications. It discusses embedded processors, operating systems, hard and soft real-time systems, and how LabVIEW Real-Time extends LabVIEW to target real-time embedded platforms like NI CompactRIO and Single-Board RIO. It also covers interrupt-driven programming, deterministic communication, and approaches to data acquisition like polling, DMA, and interrupts.

Uploaded by

Enrique Contreras
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FYS3240 PC-based instrumentation and microcontrollers

LabVIEW Real-Time and Embedded


Spring 2011 Lecture #10

Bekkeng, 11.5.2011

Embedded Computing
An embedded system is a computer system designed to perform one or a few dedicated functions, often with realtime computing constraints. Embedded processors can be microprocessors, microcontrollers or FPGAs. Embedded systems run with limited computer hardware resources: limited memory, small or non-existent keyboard and/or screen

General Purpose Operating Systems


Windows, Linux, MacOS, Unix
Processor time shared between programs OS can preempt high priority threads Service interrupts keyboard, mouse, Ethernet Cannot ensure that code finish within specified time limits!

What is a real-time system


A real-time system gives you determinism
real-time does not mean real fast (it can be slower)! real-time means that you can determine (predict) accurately when a section of your program will execute

Hard real-time
systems where it is absolutely imperative that responses occur within the required deadline (Example: Flight control systems)

Soft real-time
allows for some deadlines to be missed with only a slight degradation in performance but not a complete failure (example: DAQ-systems)

In contrast, on an ordinary desktop PC (with Windows) the OS operates on a fairness basis


Each application gets time on the CPU regardless of its priority Even our most time-critical application can be suspended for some routine maintenance

LabVIEW Real-time (RT) systems


The LabVIEW Real-Time Module extends LabVIEW to be able to target off-the-shelf real-time targets
LabVIEW code can be made to execute with hard real-time performance

The application is developed under Windows on a regular PC, and then downloaded to run on the real-time target

Build vs. Buy for Embedded systems


Buy COTS (Commercial-off-the-shelf) hardware when possible Examples of when a custom build in necessary:
High volumes (10,000+) An iteration on an existing custom design Custom size or shape required Very stringent technical requirements (such as ultralow power consumption)
PCB designers

NI paper

Real-time hardware platforms


Desktop PC with real-time OS (RTOS)
as long as the hardware meets certain system requirements

PXI with real-time controller


often used for high-performance real-time systems such as hardware-inthe-loop testing

NI FPGA NI CompactRIO NI Single-Board RIO NI CompactVision Industrial PCs/Controllers NI Compact FieldPoint


a PLC (programmable logic controller)

PXI - NI Real-Time Hypervisor


Can run real-time OS and Windows on the same controller!

NI CompactRIO platform
CompactRIO (cRIO) combines a real-time processor, a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA), and I/O modules in a small, rugged form factor. Serial, USB, and Ethernet ports are built in to the controller. When using CompactRIO, your I/O modules (e.g. for digital I/O, bus communication, A/D conversion) are connected to the FPGA for fast processing in hardware, and then you exchange data between the FPGA and the real-time processor as desired. 4 and 8 slot versions available
Programmed using LabVIEW Real-Time Module

Programmed using LabVIEW FPGA Module

NI Single Board RIO


NI Single-Board RIO systems are identical in architecture to CompactRIO systems, only in a single circuit board form factor Single-Board RIO hardware features a real-time processor and programmable FPGA just as with CompactRIO, and several I/O modules are also available in a board-only form factor. Users can easily port applications prototyped on NI CompactRIO hardware to the Single Board RIO (e.g. for high-volume applications)

Input/Output Device comparison

Performance comparison

Ruggedness and portability comparison

LabVIEW Timed loops


Simplifies the way you shedule real-time execution order (by giving it a priority, a periode/frequency and offset) for parallel loops

double-click

Deterministic communication between real-time threads with shared variables

Shared variable

Can enable use of RT FIFO

Shared Variables: Can enable buffering (to avoid losing data)

Single-Process Shared Variables and LabVIEW Real-Time FIFO


In order to maintain determinism, a real-time application requires the use of a nonblocking, deterministic mechanism to transfer data from deterministic sections of the code, such as higher-priority timed loops and time-critical priority VIs, to nondeterministic sections of the code. When you install the LabVIEW Real-Time Module, you can configure a shared variable to use real-time FIFOs by enabling the real-time FIFO feature from the Shared Variable Properties dialog box. National Instruments recommends using real-time FIFOs to transfer data between a time-critical and a lower-priority loop. You can avoid using the low-level real-time FIFO VIs by enabling the real-time FIFO on a single-process shared variable.

NI & LabVIEW Embedded products

With the NI LabVIEW C Code Generator, you can port your algorithm designed using the LabVIEW programming environment to any processor of your choice.

LabVIEW Embedded

LabVIEW Embedded

LabVIEW Embedded system application development


Developing the LabVIEW FPGA application for Input/Output (I/O), timing, synchronization, high speed control and signal processing. Developing the LabVIEW Real-Time application for deterministic floating point analysis and control as well as communication with a networked host computer. Developing the LabVIEW for Windows application for graphical user interfaces, supervisory control and data logging.

NI CompactRIO Reconfigurable Embedded System


Note that most communication protocols are non-deterministic, so, in order to ensure deterministic performance in your time-critical code, you should not perform communication from within the time-critical VI. Transfer the data to a normal priority VI also running on the RT side to perform your communication.

Architecture for Advanced CompactRIO Applications

Using Network-Published Shared variables

Data storage is non-deterministic

R-series Intelligent DAQ System Embedded System

Interrupt-Driven Programming
In interrupt-driven systems software is designed such that when a registered event, such as a timer, is received, a response is fired to respond to this event. There are two components of any interrupt-driven system: the interrupt and the interrupt handler. An interrupt is a signal that is generated by hardware, which indicates an event has occurred that should halt the currently executing program. Interrupt handlers (also referred to as interrupt service routines - ISRs) are portions of code that are registered with the processor to execute once a particular interrupt has occurred. Once the processor is aware of an interrupt, it halts the currently executing process, performs a context switch to save the state of the system, and executes the interrupt handler. Once the interrupt handler code has executed, the processor returns control to the previously running program.

Interrupt-Driven Programming II
For Interrupt-Driven Programming hardware events are detected and responded to, compared to event driven programming (on a PC) where user interface events trigger some code to be executed

LabVIEW: Interrupts on ARM processors


The Interrupt Configuration Wizard makes it easier for you to add hardware interrupt support to hardware targets supported in LabVIEW. Using the project build specifications, select an interrupt and a LabVIEW VI to act as the interrupt handler in your application Use the Manage Interrupts page of the ARM Build Specification Properties dialog box to enable interrupts and create and configure ISR VIs. Using a series of dialogs, you can customize any available hardware interrupt in LabVIEW

Interrupts for Data Acquisition


In general, there are three approaches to acquiring data from an external device or synchronizing communication between devices. These three approaches are described as follows:
Polling This method involves periodically reading the status of the device to determine whether the device needs attention. Direct Memory Access (DMA) A dedicated processor, the DMA controller, transparently transfers data from the device to computer memory, or vice versa. Interrupts the device is configured to interrupt the processor whenever the device requires attention.

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