Embedded Systems

Normal everyday items contain computer chips,

complete with CPU, memory, programs

Television, Entt. Center, Automobiles, Irrigation,

MP3, cell phones, GPS,
microwave, home alarms, thermostats,
network routers, game consoles

Special purpose machines contain computers

Manufacturing, metering, sensing,
ATM machines, kiosks
Medical Instruments, Aircraft, Satellites,
Need to know:
Hardware
Software

IMPACT
$45 billion market in 2004, rising to $88 billion in 2009
Many more embedded processors per person, than
general purpose processors
A cell phone may have 20-100 separate processors
Value of embedded electronics in Automobiles: 25% of total cost,
to rise to 35% by 2015
Embedded market is 50 times the desktop market

Application Domains:
Automotive, Avionics, Industrial Automation, Telecommunication,
Consumer Electronics, Medical, IT hardware

Cutting edge:
Multicore processors, Network on Chip, System on chip (e.g. the
iPhone, PS-3)

Embedded Systems
A special purpose unit
e.g. simple cell phone (it does not run MS-Word)

Has a CPU, memory and programs that control

mainly physical things
The program is preinstalled and cannot be changed
easily

Has limited processing power and limited

electrical power and limited data storage
Has intelligence
Can be configured, personalized, programmed
Need to know:
Computer
Architecture

Schematic
Output
device
(screen)

Input device
(keyboard)

program
CPU
Memory

Sensors
to measure
physical
values

bus

Permanent Memory

Actuators
to
control
physical
things

Need to know:
Digital Logic, Electrical Circuits, Computer Architecture

The Seven Segment Display

Clock
Display
Controller

Counter

0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
..

DSL Router

Netgear DG632 ADSL Modem/router.

1. Telephone decoupling electronics (for ADSL).
2. Multicolor LED (displaying network status).
3. Single color LED (displaying USB status).
4. Main processor, a TNETD7300GDU, a member of
Texas Instruments' AR7 product line.

5. JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) test

and programming port.
6. RAM, a single ESMT M12L64164A 8
MB chip.
7. Flash memory, obscured by sticker.
8. Power supply regulator.
9. Main power supply fuse.
10. Power connector.
11. Reset button.
12. Quartz crystal.
13. Ethernet port.
14. Ethernet transformer, Delta LF8505.
15. KS8721B Ethernet PHY transmitter
receiver.
16. USB port.
17. Telephone (RJ11) port.
18. Telephone connector fuses.

MP3 player
Large flash memory to store songs
Songs (audio) stored in digital form, then compressed
to a set of numbers that are of the MP3 format

CPU runs program in main memory

Decompresses audio and generates raw digital
audio
Gets user input from button
Displays information on screen

Digital-Analog converter generates audible

sound waves and sends to speaker/headphones
Need to know:
Software Algorithms, Device Drivers and programming

GPS Navigator
Complex system with many components

GPS Radio
GPS signal processor
Map database
Processor to control display and compute routes,
locations, points of interest
Video image processor to control actual screen

May contain several different CPUs in one

package

GPS Radio
Receives data from several
satellites, converts RF to
digital signals
Separate for each satellite

Radio
receiver
circuitry

A set of at least 24 Medium

Earth Orbit satellites that
transmit precise microwave
signals,
A GPS receiver can
determine its location,
speed, direction, and time.

Signals
(digital) from
each
satellite
on separate
wires

GPS signal processor

Correlates satellite signals
Computes timing differences
triangulates location

GPS data
processor

Current location in
latitude and longitude

Need to know:
Radio, Signal processing, Algorithms

GPS Navigator
The user interface show location on map and
provide useful other information

GPS Computer

Display
Processor

MAP database
Touch Sensor
Need to know:
Computer Graphics, Graph Theory

Cell Phone (basic)

Multi-channel Radio (transmit and receive)
Digital processor for CDMA or TDMA processing
GSM is TDMA each person communicates in a preassigned slice of time on channel
CDMA is a complex code modulation method

Encryption/Decryption hardware
Channel and tower hopping
Transmit power control
Analog to digital to RF conversions
Display, phone book and other electronic
functions
Need to know:
Radio Modulation, Digital Signal Processing

Automobile Computers
Engine control computer
Advanced diagnostics
Simplification of the manufacture and design of
cars
Reduction of the amount of wiring in cars
New safety features
New comfort and convenience features

Need to know:
Control Systems, Electrical Circuits, Real Time Control

Engine Control Computer (ECU)

Read sensors (temp, pedal position, exhaust)
and control fuel injector timing and spark timing
Control engine fan and other actuators
Handle the CAN (communication area
networking) that is becoming common in cars.
Interface with climate and
other passenger controls
Provide diagnostics
Need to know:
Real Time Operating Systems

Other computers in car

There are more processors in the car other than
ECU

ABS system
Climate control
Cruise control
Radio
Dashboard
Automatic doors, lights and such

Cars also have networks for simplified wiring

as well as automotive control networks.

Simplified Wiring
OLD

NEW

L
A
M
P
S

S
W
I
T
C
H
E
S

Many connecting
wires

Switches +
signal
encoders

One wire runs all

over the vehicle
and carries
power and signal

Lamps +
signal
decoders

Automobile Networking
As multiple computing units get into cars, a
networking standard is being used
CAN 2.0 is predominant

Functions

Communicate between subsystems

Reduce wires
Multiplexing standard
Network addressing
multiple networks
coming in the future
Need to know:
Computer Networking

Embedded Systems
There are more embedded systems in the
world than regular computers
Explosive growth
Research directions:

Power management
system on a chip
network on a chip
Low resource but high impact computing
Intelligent coupling of small wireless devices
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