EMBEDDED SYSTEM & MICROCONTROLLER
INTRODUCTION TO MICROCONTROLLER SYSTEMS
Embedded systems are controllers with on chip control. They consist
of microcontroller, input and output devices, memories etc., on chip and they
can be used for a specific application.
A small computer designed in a single chip is called a single chip
microcomputer.
single
chip
microcomputer
typically
includes
microprocessor RAM, ROM, timer, interrupt and peripheral controller in a
single chip. This single chip microcomputer is also called as microcontroller;
These Microcontrollers are used for variety of applications where it replaces
the computer. The usage of this microcomputer for a specific application, in
which the microcontrollers a part of application, is called embedded systems.
Embedded systems are used for real time applications with high
reliability, accuracy and precision, Embedded systems are operated with
Real Time Operating systems like WinCE, RT Linux, VxWorks, PSOS, etc..,
Embedded systems are very popular these days Most of the
Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, Medical, Space and
many more areas have the embedded systems in their applications
APPLICATION OF EMBEDDED SYSTEM
Embedded systems are used in the following areas;
Robotics
Aviation
Telecommunication and Broadcasting
Mobile Phones and mobiles networking
Wires Application
Satellite Communication
Military Application
Medical Instruments
Toy industries
Blue Tooth
Electronic sensors
Home Appliances etc
ROLE OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Embedded systems are compact, smart, efficient, and economical
and user friendly, they are closed systems and respond to the real world
situation very fast, closed system means, everything required for a specific
application is embedded on the chip and hence, they do not call for external
requirement for their functioning.
SEGMENTS OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Embedded systems basically consists of the following four segments
Embedded Controllers (8-bit,16-bit,32-bit,64-bit,128-bit,..)
Embedded softwares (RTOS)
Embedded Memories (DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, Flash etc)
Embedded Boards
MICROCONTROLLER VERSUS MICROPROCESSORS
Microcontrollers differ from a microprocessor in many ways, first and
the most important is its functionality. In order for a microprocessor to be
used, other components for receiving and sending data must be added to it,
In short that means that microprocessor is the very heart of the computer.
On the other hand, microcontroller is designed to be all of that in one, No
other external components are needed for its application because all
necessary peripherals are already built into, thus, one can save the time and
space needed to construct device.
The difference can be highlighted as follows:
MICROPROCESSORS
MICROCONTROLLER
Contains ALU,GP registers, SP, PC,
In addition, it contains inbuilt ROM,
clock timing circuit and interrupts
RAM I/O devices, Timers/Counters,
etc..,
Many instructions
to
move
data
One or two instructions to move
between Memory and CPU
data between memory and CPU
One or two bit handling instructions
Powerful
are available
instruction set is available
Access time for memory and I/O
Less
devices are more
memory and I/O devices
Requires more hardware, increase in
Requires less hardware, reduced
PCB size
PCB size and increased reliability
More flexible from design point of
Less Flexible
Boolean
access
time
processor
for
inbuilt
view
Single memory map for data and
Separate memory Map for data and
code
code
Few pins are multifunctional
More pins are multifunctional
Microprocessor based computers are
Microcontroller based systems are
normally
operated
with
normally operated with RTOS like
purpose
operating
systems
general
like
Windows, Unix etc..,
tiny RTOS, VxWorks, PSOS, RT
Linux, etc..,
CROSS-COMPILER
Cross-compiler is a software program, which is used to convert high
level language program like C to machine language of a specific
Microcontroller, using cross-compiler user can write programs in C language,
which speeds up the development process.
SIMULATOR
Simulator is software, which implements the features of a specific
Microcontroller on PC. It helps in testing and debugging the programs and
interfaces that are to be actually implemented on a Microcontroller at a later
stage. Using simulator, the program can be executed and tested without
using the evaluation kit, usually the program is simulated under pc
environment.
EMULATOR
Emulator is an in-circuit Microcontroller emulation probe, which
provides the user with substantial control over all of the Microcontroller
functions and responsibilities. It provides hardware assistance for debugging
the most difficult real time problems. Emulators offer visibility into system
initialization, before software based debuggers can function, Emulators can
identify the code corrupting a data structure, it can also be used to determine
how often a particular function is invoked,
DEBUGGER
It is a software tool used to debug the programs. A debugger detects
the non-workability of the program by detecting the errors online (i.e. while
the program is running in the target it has the capability to detect proper
functioning of the application program.)
