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INTRODUCTION
Computers have evolved from few, huge mainframes shared by many people,
and mini computers that were smaller but still shared to todays PCsmillions
in number, miniscule in size compared to the mainframes, and used by only
one person at a time. The net generation could be invisible, with billions being
around and each of us using more than one at a time. !elcome to the world of
embedded systems, of computers that will not loo" li"e computers and wont
function li"e anything were familiar with
WHAT IS AN EMBEDDED SYSTEM?
#s the name signifies, an embedded system is $embedded or built into
something else, which is a non%computing device, say a car, T&, or toy. 'nli"e
a PC, an embedded computer in a non%computing device will have a very
specific function, say control a car, or display !eb pages on a T& screen. (o, it
need not have all the functionality and hence all the components that a PC has.
(imilarly, the operating system and applications need not perform all the tas"s
that their counterparts from the PC sphere are epected to.
)n short, we can define an embedded system as a computing device, built into a
device that is not a computer, and meant for doing specific computing tas"s.
These computing tas"s could range from ac*uiring or transferring data about
the wor" done by the mother device to displaying information or controlling
the mother device. +mbedded systems could thus enable us to build intelligent
machines.
+mbedded systems is not a new and eotic topic that is still confined to
research theses. There are many live eamples of embedded systems around us.
,P- players .computing capability built into a music system/, P0#s
.computing in what essentially is an organizer/, car%control systems, and
intelligent toys are but a few eamples of such systems already in place.
# typical embedded system consists of hardware .typically &1() or very large%
scale integrated circuits/ specifically built for the purpose, an embedded
operating system, and the specific application or applicatiospecification is
considered to be an etension of the )(# bus specification. The PC 2345
standard has since been etended to PC2345%plus to include the PC) bus. (o,
today you have PC%based embedded systems that have the )(# bus, the PC)
bus, or both.
'nli"e with regular PCs, in the world of the embedded PC, -67s, 567s and
Pentiums are still good enough. 8esides these, there are a number of CP's
meant specifically for embedded applications, li"e the (trong#rm and the
,)P(.
!ith embedded PCs you can even go beyond the single%function definition of
an embedded system, and could build an entire PC into another machine9 a PC
inside a refrigerator, or a PC inside a car, for instance.
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HARDWARE FOR EMBEDDED DEVICES
Universal Micro syse! is a "eneral#$%r$ose &ar'(are &a can )e
$ro"ra!!e' an' %se' o 'evelo$ a$$licaions *or 'i**eren e!)e''e'
'evices
,any modern appliances li"e ,P- players, $intelligent refrigerators, and
watches use embedded systems. :owever, a common obstacle for developers
has been the need to develop different sets of hardware and software, for
different devices. #n $intelligent washing machine uses a hardware chip
different from that used by an $intelligent wristwatch. )n addition, the software
running on the hardware chip is different. This often results in increased costs
and time ta"en for development. .For more on embedded systems see PC;uest
,ay<443,page-6./
The 'niversal ,icro (ystem .',(/ from Cradle Technologies is a solution for
this problem. ',( is a general%purpose chip built around a simple instruction
set. )t can be used to develop applications for embedded devices because all the
functionality re*uired for a specific device can be modeled in the software.
UMS HARDWARE
#ny software application epects four basic re*uirements from the underlying
hardware= input unit, processing unit, memory unit, and output unit. (ince the
ma>or functionality provided in ',( is through software, the processor and
memory units must be very fast and the input%output units must be
programmable and versatile.

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',( uses a large number of high speed, low power and small ?)(C%based
processors .about @A/ on a single chip. +ach processor also called a P+
.processing +lement/ coupled with two 0igital (ignal Processors called 0(+
.0igital (ignal +ngines/ form an ,(P .,ulti (tream Processor/, which
processes voluminous chun"s .stream/ of data.
The ',( is structured into a number of ;uads. # ;uad, as shown in the
diagram to the left, consists of four ,(Ps, program or instruction cache, data
cache and a programmable 0,# .0irect ,emory #ccess/ unit. There is also a
high throughput .about 5 B82sec/ global bus interface, which interconnects all
of them in a ;uad. The use of 0(+s ensures smooth digital processing, while
the powerful P+s carry out the arithmetic and logical functions on the
processed data. Finally, the result of the processing is transferred from the local
data cache of a ;uad to an eternal (0?#, .(ynchronous 0ynamic ?andom
#ccess ,emory/ module via the 0,# unit. The ',( chip does have an
onboard 0?#, controller to interface with eternal (0?#, modules.
Feeding each ;uad with independent chun"s of data can ma"e optimal use of
the raw processing speed of the ',( chip. )t is claimed that ',( has a raw
speed of over 3A BF1CP( .Biga Floating Point Cperations per second/ while
consuming >ust 3.A watts of power.
The )nput2Cutput unit of ',( is programmable. Dou can program it to support
processing unit dependant data transfers, or do a 0,# data transfer where data
transfers can ta"e place without the intervention of the processing unit. )n fact,
the programmable )2C is claimed to be so versatile that it can be used to model
PC), (C(), Fire!ire, or 0(1 interfaces using software. )n other words, the )2C
hardware is etensively programmable through software.
SOFTWARE ON UMS
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The software design has eliminated the need for customized hardware. )t has
been left to the developer to utilize the power of the numerous processors by
using efficient software algorithms. Cptimally, each ;uad must be fed with
independent data bloc"s .called data parallelism/. This is the responsibility of
the software developer. !hat Cradle has provided are some tools to speed up
this development= a C compiler, an assembler and a cross assembler, lin"er,
debuggers, and most important, a software simulator of the hardware chip. #
custom C%#P) .#pplication Programming )nterface/, comprising of ',(
specific library functions, is also provided. These include libraries for TCP2)P,
CpenB1 -0, PC), Fire!ire, ,P+B and 0& encoding and decoding.
(o the development tools shouldnt ta"e long getting used to, as no new
programming language or paradigm has been introduced. 8ut what about the
most crucial system software for any hardware in this worldthe operating
system. ',( can use any ?TC( .?eal Time Cperating (ystem/ li"e ;EF or a
micro "ernel based 1inu. ?ed :at, the popular 1inu distribution, is porting
its version of embedded 1inu on ',( along with the development tools.
#lready a software ,P+B< decoder has been developed for ',(, while the
hardware chip itself is under eperimental stages.
)nitially ',( will not be targeted towards small devices li"e mobile phones or
wrist watches. )nstead, it will be used in devices li"e home routers and
multimedia gadgets as ready%to%use software libraries are already there for
these. 8ut the possibility of it being used in small devices cannot be ruled out.
A++,ICATIONS OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
E!)e''e' syse!s are *in'in" &eir (ay ino ro)oic oys an' elecronic
$es- inelli"en cars- an' re!oe#conrolla)le &o!e a$$liances
E,ECTRONIC +ETS
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Bone are the days
when you had
dumb stuffed toys
with no motion,
or feelings to play
with. Than"s to
the wonders of
modern
electronics, toys
are getting a new
life. They have
been given
feelings that get
affected based on
how you behave
with them. #ll the
ma>or toy ma"ers
across the world have been coming out with advanced interactive toys that can
become your friends for life. These toys are electromechanical in nature, have
sensors to listen, see, tal", and feel your touch. They have comple circuitry,
and some use micro%controller chips to control everything. They have memory
to store the code that drives the micro%controller, which in turn operates the
remaining parts. )n other words, toys are amongst the most popular eamples of
embedded systems. )n this article, well see some of the most playful pets in the
mar"et, and try to understand what ma"es them intelligent.
The rapid development of intelligent toys has been fueled by the fierce
competition amongst leading toy manufacturers. +very toy ma"er tries to
introduce some hot selling toy to gain an edge over competition. (o weve seen
the intelligence level rising in the toys.
TEDDY RU.+IN
Cne of the earliest intelligent toys was a teddy bear "nown as T+00D
?'FP)E. )t had in built cassette player which when played moved its lips
according to the song and music being played. The story telling teddy bear was
a hit among young children. 1ater on T+00D ?'FP)E( partner was
introduced and both of them narrated a story. This was however not so
intelligent as both them moved their lips according to the pre recorded stories.
THE FURBIES
Pet its bac" and it will wag its tail in a lovingly manner, tic"le its tummy and
it will laugh and pass comments. These are the few things a F'?8D is capable
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of doing. )t was manufactured by T)B+? +1+CT?CE)C( somewhere around
3GG6.
)t has no resemblance to any living creature. )ts life cycle starts
from a baby and it grows up into an adult. )t reacts differently to different
situations. )nitially it spea"s its own language called $F'?8)(:. 1ater on it
spea"s english as we interact with it. )ts beauty lies in the fact that no two
furbies are ali"e.
)t has built in vocabulary of 374 words with which it can form
3444 phrases. Thats why it reacts differently to different situations. )t has five
sensors and a built in microphone which is responsible for its varying
responses to different sounds. )t also has a light sensor to detect changes in
light.
The best part is an )? port which it uses to interact with other
furbies.
AIBO THE SMART DO/
#ibo the smart dog was
created by (CED
CC?PC?#T)CE. #)8C can
display si emotions viz.
happiness, anger, sadness,
surprise, fear and disli"e. #)
stands for artificial
intelligence and 8C stands
for robot. #ibo when
translated in $partner $ or
$pal in Hapanese. )t has
various sensors to detect
various emotions. )t can
recognize A4 words. )t learns
and matures by interacting
with people. )t has (T#T+
CF T:+ #?T &C)C+
?+CCBE)T)CE (D(T+,
that understands what you say. )t has four sensors of touch, hear, see and
balance.
)t has 36 >oints which can produce <A4 different motions. (o it sit, stand,
wal", dance and play with a ball. #ll its actions are recorded on an 6 ,8
memory stic".


DRIVE 0AMES BOND1S CAR
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Cars
manufactured today come with at least one embedded computer, which is in
charge of monitoring engine emissions and ad>usting the engine to "eep
emissions as low as possible. #broad, additional computers already manage the
air%bag system, cruise%control system, anti%loc" bra"es, and motorized seats
that remember the seat and mirror setting for multiple drivers.
+mbedded systems in cars, also "nown as telematic systems, are now being
used to provide navigational .getting directions to your destination/, security
.notifying the police in case of an emergency/, communication .ma"ing calls
through hands%free voice%activated phones or getting personalized information
from the )nternet/, and entertainment .streaming music/ services.
REMOTE CONTRO, YOUR HOME
:ome appliances, from refrigerators and air%conditioners to televisions and
microwave ovens, are going the embedded way. This means that youll soon be
able to control the temperature of your air%conditioner over the )nternet, chec"
e%mail on your refrigerator, ma"e your microwave download recipes from the
)nternet, or surf the !eb on your television. (everal home%appliance players
have already entered the embedded arena and more are epected to follow.
:eres a loo" at some products that have made an appearance
1B +lectronics 0igital 0)C( refrigerator can be used for surfing the
)nternet, chec"ing e%mail, ma"ing video phone calls, and watching T&.
)t has a 3A.3I TFT%1C0 touch screen and its own port to connect to the
)nternet.
(amsungs digital networ" refrigerator also lets you surf the )nternet and
chec" mail using a pop%up "eyboard window, ma"e video or regular
telephone calls, do instant messaging with your family members, and
watch T& or films on video tape or 0&0.
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1Bs washing machine has a communication cable that you can lin" to a
PC with an )nternet connection. Dou can then connect to the washing
machines website, download washing programs suitable to the different
types of clothes you want to wash, and store them in the washing
machine.
The microwave oven has a built%in modem that it uses to access
websites on coo"ing. )t also goes a step ahead and automatically
downloads information li"e coo"ing time and microwave level for
different recipes.
These products are a harbinger to what lies ahead. (o, you can loo" forward to
a future where you can wor" in office and wash clothes at home
simultaneously, or let your microwave do the coo"ing while you surf the
)nternet on your television.
DEVE,O+MENT INITIATIVES IN EMBEDDED
SYSTEMS
A loo2 a In*erno an' C&ai- (o $o$%lar 'evelo$!en environ!ens &a
are %se' o 'evelo$ a$$licaions *or &ar'(are %se' in e!)e''e' syse!s
# lot of development is happening on embedded systems with many
development platforms, environments, and operating systems being created to
help with this process. !e present two popular initiatives.
INFERNO
)nferno was developed by Computing (cience ?esearch Center of 8ell 1abs.
)ts core feature is a virtual machine called 0is which ma"es it portable across
various platforms, including )ntel 67, (un (parc, ,)P(, and PowerPC. (o it
can be used across all the ma>or C(s li"e !indows .ET and GA/, and many
flavors of 'ni including 1inu. )nferno runs as a service under these C(s. )t
also has its own micro"ernel, so it can be deployed on embedded devices
without a native operating system underneath.
CHAI
This development environment .runtime and compile time/ provides tools to
develop applications for embedded devices. )t is based on Hava technology and
consists of the following components=
Chai&,= The Chai virtual machine
Chai#!T= Braphics library for coding B') components
Chai(erver= For intercommunication and remote configuration of Chai
applications
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Chai#ppliance Plug and Play= an open%standard technology for
automatic and transparent connectivity between embedded devices
Chai2+%spea"= 1ibraries which enables Chai applications to act as e%
services
Chai2Cpen&iew= +nables management of Chai application by :Ps
Cpen&iew Eetwor" Eode ,anager.
ChaiFarer= # web browser for embedded devices.
racle 6i lite= 0atabase for embedded devices
EMBEDDED REA, TIME O+ERATIN/ SYSTEMS
The term embedded means combined. #n embedded hardware device contains
a single chip that contains both hardware and software components of a
computer such as memory and base operating systems. +mbedded software can
be used for a variety of purposes ranging from powering handheld PCs to large
scale factory automation. To run these software we need operating systems.
+mbedded operating systems are used in P0#s, high end cellular phones,,P-
players and palmtop computers. +mbedded Cperating (ystems come in three
flavors= !)E0C!(, 1)E'F and others. There are a few dozens of embedded
operating systems but we eplore a few.
WINDOWS CE 345
There are no fewer than four versions of !)E0C!( C+ -.4 designed for
various types of hardware. !indows C+ includes -< bit windows technology
and networ"ing support amongst other features familiar to normal windows
user. # number of development tools are available for this platform. 0atabase
support is available throtabase support is available throC+ +dition.
WINDOWS NT EMBEDDED
!indows ET +mbedded is a little different from !indows C+ +dition. )t is
developed on windows technology and it ecels in networ"ing and
communications. )ts price to most of the hardware manufacturers is higher as
compared to other operating systems and so it is less popular as compared to
other operating systems such as !indows C+ +dition.
EMBEDDED ,INU.
1inu powerful and full featured operating system and its embedded version is
no eception. +mbedded linu is free >ust li"e its PC counterpart. )ts source
code is freely available and the user can modify the core according to his
convenience without going through long procedures of licensing and paying for
the operating system. )n fact, many have predicted that the future of linu is in
+,8+00+0 !C?10.
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CONC,USION
!e are on the threshold of the net wave of rapid growth in high technology.
0uring the 3G@4s we witnessed the proliferation of semiconductors that
enabled the digital generation. )n the 3G64s came the decade of 0?#,s as
semiconductor vendors perfected their manufacturing technologies to allow a
dramatic increase in memory capacity. The 3GG4s will be remembered as the
decade of microprocessors as even the casual customer is aware of the
megahertz and the motherboard. #nd now as we have entered the new
millennium EMBEDDED SYSTEMS has become the technology of focus
with consensus epectations of eponential growth.
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