LESSON 2: TYPICAL EMBEDDED SYSTEM

An embedded system is a collection of three

Typical
different things: hardware, software, and
mechanical components. Its sole purpose is to

Embedded
carry out a single predetermined operation. The
controller for an embedded system often resides
on a single chip, and this chip serves as the
System system's primary processing unit.
 General Objective

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

 List the typical elements of embedded system

 Classify the core of the embedded system
 Compare and contrast the difference between program
storage memory and data memory
 List examples of sensor and actuators
Typical
Embedded
System
 Elements of Embedded System

Embedded systems are primarily intended to regulate a physical variable

(such as the temperature in an air conditioner), or to manipulate the state
of some devices, by sending some signals to the actuators or devices
connected to the output port system (such as the Microwave Oven), in
response to the input signal provided by the end users or sensors which
are connected to the input ports. This is done by sending some signals to
the actuators or devices connected to the output port system (such as
the temperature in an air conditioner). As a result, embedded systems
are capable of being interpreted as reactive systems.
 Elements of Embedded System

In a typical embedded system, examples of common user

interface input devices include keyboards, push buttons,
and switches; examples of popular user interface output
devices include LEDs, LCDs, and piezoelectric buzzers;
and so on. The particular type of user interface that is
required differs from application to application and is
determined by the domain.
Input/Output Devices
 Elements of Embedded System

There are several embedded systems that can function without any kind of
interaction from a human being.
They do this by automatically sensing the input parameters from the actual
world using the sensors that are connected at the input port. After going
through signal conditioning and digitization, the information from the sensors is
then sent to the CPU. With the assistance of the embedded firmware in the
system, the core of the system carries out a number of predefined operations
on the input data and then transmits a number of actuating signals to the
actuator link that is connected to the output port of the system.
 An embedded system that lacks code (i.e. the
control algorithm) implemented in its memory has all
of the peripherals, but it is unable to make decisions
in response to changes in the environment or the
real world.
 Core of the Embedded System

The central component of the embedded system can be classified as belonging to any
one of the following groups.
• General Purpose and Domain Specific Processors
• Microprocessor
• Microcontroller
• Digital Signal Processor
• Programmable Logic Devices
• Application Specific Integrated Circuits
• Commercial off the shelf component
 General Purpose and Domain Specific
Processor

A processor or controller forms the basis of over 80

percent of all embedded systems.
 Depending on the specifics of the application and the
domain, the processor could be a microprocessor, a
microcontroller, or a digital signal processor.
 Intel 4004

Microprocessor

 A piece of silicon that acts as a Central Processing Unit (CPU)

and is capable of carrying out arithmetic as well as logical
processes in accordance with a pre-defined set of instructions
that is unique to the maker.
 In most cases, the central processing unit (CPU) is comprised of
the Control Unit, the Working registers, and the Arithmetic and
Logic Unit (ALU).
 Microprocessor

A microprocessor is a dependent unit, and in order for it

to function properly, it must be combined with other
pieces of hardware such as memory, a timer unit, and an
interrupt controller, amongst others.
 The Intel 4004 was a 4-bit microprocessor that was
introduced in November 1971. Intel is credited with being
the company that developed the first microprocessor unit.
Developers of Microprocessor
 Microcontroller

 A highly integrated silicon chip that includes a central processing unit (CPU),
random access memory (RAM) scratch pad, special and general-purpose
register arrays, on-chip ROM/FLASH memory for program storage, timer and
interrupt control units, and specialized input/output (I/O) ports.

 It is possible to think of microcontrollers as a superset of microprocessors. A

microcontroller might have a general purpose (like the Intel 8051, which was
developed for generic applications and domains) or an application-specific
purpose (like the Automotive AVR from Atmel Corporation).
 Microcontroller

 Microcontrollers found a greater place in the embedded domain in

place of microprocessors because they contain all the necessary
functional blocks for independent working. Microcontrollers are
cheap, cost effective, and readily available on the market. The
Texas Instruments TMS 1000 is considered to be the world's first
microcontroller.
 Digital Signal Processor (DSP)

 The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is a type of microprocessor that can be thought
of as being designed to do high-speed computational operations such as "addition,"
"subtraction," "multiplication," and "division."
 A typical DSP incorporates the following key units: Program Memory, Data Memory,
Computational Engine, and I/O Unit.
Example of DSP
• Audio video signal processing
• Telecommunication; and
• Multimedia application
 Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)

 Device-to-device interface, data communication, signal processing, data

display, timing and control operations, and practically every other function
that must be performed by a system are some of the specialized capabilities
that logic devices provide.
 Fixed logic devices and programmable logic devices are the two primary
categories that fall under the umbrella term "logic devices." Once they have
been created, the circuits of a fixed logic device cannot be altered in any
way; in addition, they are permanent and only execute one function or set of
functions.
 PLDs are built on a technology known as re-writable memory, and in order to
alter the design, the device itself must be reprogrammed.
 Types of Programmable Logic Devices

 Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)

 Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs)

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)

➢ A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a specific kind of integrated
circuit that enables the electronic circuitry contained within the chip to be re-
created as the situation demands. In order to construct specialized circuits in
a manner analogous to software, the end user can "program" it to function in
a predetermined manner.
Field Programmable Gate Arrays
(FPGAs)

 Altera, which invented the first reprogrammable logic device in

1984, and Xilinx, which brought the first commercially viable FPGA
to market, were the driving forces behind the beginning of the
commercial FPGA business in the early 1980s. Altera developed
the first reprogrammable logic device.
 Each business was recently acquired by one of the big
heavyweights in the computer processing unit market. Intel bought
Altera for $16.7 billion in 2015, and AMD finished its acquisition of
Xilinx for $50 billion at the beginning of 2022. This was the largest
acquisition the chip industry has seen to that point. The impact of
these acquisitions on the role that FPGA will play in future
computing, especially in your IT stack, will be significant.
Field Programmable Gate Arrays
(FPGAs)

Altera DE1 Development Board Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA

with Cyclone II FPGA chip
Complex Programmable Logic
Devices (CPLDs)

 A complex programmable logic device, often known as a

CPLD, is a more complicated piece of technology than the
programmable logic devices.
 FPGAs are a reprogrammable processor core, a CPLD is a
reprogrammable circuit board or breadboard. FPGAs replace
microcontrollers, memory, and other components. CPLDs
absorb logic ICs, and work well with a microcontroller
Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASIC)

A microchip that has been developed to carry out a

particular or one-of-a-kind task. It is designed to take
the place of traditional general-purpose logic chips in
computing devices.
 is a special-purpose integrated circuit, which is an
integrated circuit designed and manufactured in
response to specific user requirements and the needs
of a specific electronic system.
Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASIC)

 ASIC chip modules can

be widely used in artificial
intelligence devices,
virtual currency mining
devices, consumable
printing devices, military
defense devices, and
other intelligent terminals.
Commercial off the Shelf Component
(COTS)

 COTS, which stands for commercial off-the-shelf, refers to a

product that is sold. This indicates that the piece of hardware is
a typical product that has been produced in the past and can
be purchased from various commercial outlets.
 The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) items has a
number of advantages, including lower prices, a shorter
development time, a quicker incorporation of new technology,
and lower lifecycle costs as a result of the utilization of widely
available and modern products.