A BRIEF HISTORY OF

EMBEDDED SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
What is meant by a system ?
What is embedded system ?
What are the components in the
embedded system?
Examples of embedded system.

EMBEDDED SYSTEM
Embedded system is a system that has
computer- hardware and embedded
software,which makes it a system in dedicated
for an application (s) or specific part of an
application or product or part of a larger system.
Embedded system is a single purpose
computer built in to larger system for processing
the control and monitoring the system.

Cont..
Embedded System:
A computer which is integrated into another
system, the embedding system

Features of an embedded system

components of embedded computer:
hardware and software
Timeliness: controller must be able to
respond fast enough to keep its
operation within a safe region
System interconnection
Reliability

EMBEDDED SYSTEM
CONSTRAINTS
An embedded system is designed to keep in
view three constraints:
Available system memory
Available processor speed
The need to limit the power dissipation
When running the system continuously in
cycles of wait for events, run, stop and
wakeup and sleep.

COMPONENTS OF EMBEDDED
SYSTEM

It has Hardware
Processor, Timers, Interrupt controller, I/O Devices,
Memories, Ports, etc.
It has main Application Software
Which may perform concurrently the series of tasks or
multiple tasks.
It has Real Time Operating System (RTOS)
RTOS defines the way the system work. Which supervise
the application software. It sets the rules during the
execution of the application program. A small scale
embedded system may not need an RTOS.

Processor
Processor is the heart of the embedded system. It consists
of two units:
Two Essential Units:
Operations
Control Unit (CU),
Fetch
Execution Unit (EU)
Execute- It includes
ALU and executes the program task, say, halt, interrupt and
jump or another set of instructions
Processor runs the cycle of fetch and execute. processor
mostly in the form of IC or in the form of Core ASIP
[Application Specific Instruction Processor] or Soc [System
on Chip], core means a part of functional circuit on VLSI
chip.

Cont..
An embedded system processor chip
or core can be one of the following
General purpose processor [GPP]
Microrpocessor
Microcontroller
single purpose processor:
coprocessor,graphics
processor,pixel coprocessor etc..

Cont..
Application Specific System Processor [ASSP]
Multipurpose system using general purpose
processor [GPPs]
GPP CORE or ASIP core integrated in to an
ASIP or VLSI[Very Large Scale Integrated
circuit] or FPGA[Fast Programmable Gate Array]
integrated with processor units in the VLSI chip.

Embedded HW units and devices in

a system
Power supply
1. System own supply with separate supply rails
for IOs, clock, basic processor and memory and
analog units, or
2. Supply from a system to which the embedded
system interfaces, for example in a network
card,
OR
Charge pump concept used in a system of little
power needs, for examples, in the mouse or
contact less smart card

Cont..
(ii) Clock Oscillator Circuit and Clocking
Units
1. Appropriate clock oscillator circuit
2. Real Time Clock*( System Clock) and
Timers driving hardware and software

Cont..
(iii) Reset Circuit
1. Reset on Power-up
2. External and Internal Reset circuit
3. Reset on Timeout of Watchdog timer
MEMORY

IO Communication Unit
a. Communication Driver(s) Network Ethernet or serial
driver to communicate with host embedded system
Expansion
b. Media IO Control Element
c. Keypad or Keyboard IO Interface
d. LCD Display System Interface
e. ADC Single or Multi channel
f. DAC
g. GPIB Interface Element
h. Pulse Dialing Element
i. Modem and j. Bluetooth, 802.11, IrDA.

Interrupts Handler
Interrupt Handling element for the external
port interrupts, IO interrupts, timer and
RTC interrupts, software interrupts and
Exceptions.

Embedded software in a system

Coding in a machine code.
Software in processor specific assembly
language.
Software in high level language.
Software for concurrent processing and
scheduling of multiple tasks and ISRs
using RTOS.

Note: specific to the microcontroller

or processor used

And the list goes on and on

An embedded system example

-- a digital camera

Single-functioned -- always a digital

camera
Tightly-constrained -- Low cost, low
power, small, fast
Reactive and real-time -- only to a
small extent