Introduction to Embedded and

Real-Time Systems
By: Dr. RP Singh
Assistant Professor
School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Haramaya Institute of Technology
 What is an embedded system?
1. Special Purpose Computer System
2. Embedded or ‘hidden’ in another system
3. Has several restrictions in design / development / operation
4. Embedded systems are Reactive
5. Often, it may have real-time restrictions (requirements for
responding before a deadline expires)

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 What is an Embedded System?
◼ First, it is a computer system: anything that uses a
microprocessor, but is not a general-purpose computer:
◼ Consumer electronics:

◼ cellular phones, settop boxes, televisions, remote controls, game

consoles, Internet appliances, PDAs, Alarm Systems, hi-fi systems,
home cinemas,…
4

◼ Home appliances (“White Appliances”) like refrigerators, washing

machines (…which now-days include microprocessors and may also
have internet connection…)
◼ Telecommunications systems equipment
◼ Defense and weapon systems
◼ Automotive systems
◼ Systems for Process control
◼ Robots, Cars, Planes, Nuclear plants,…, include several
microprocessors / embedded systems

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 What is an Embedded System?
◼ Second, it is embedded, or ‘hidden’ inside another system:
◼ the user interacts with a special-purpose system, and not with

the computer inside the system

◼ the end-user typically does not or cannot modify or upgrade

the internal system himself

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 What is an embedded system?
◼ Third, it has many sets of constraints / limitations, from the following:
◼ Cost (€0.1 adds up over thousand/million units…)

◼ Processor speed (for cost, size reasons)

◼ Memory (probably no hard disk, sometimes only few Kbytes only)

◼ Display and user interface (…also it may target users that are computer

illiterate)
◼ Network bandwidth (if network connection at all)

◼ Low Power Consumption (limited battery, lack of cooling system)

◼ Small Size, Low Weight (handheld devices, transportation cost issues)

◼ Reliability

◼ Safety-critical (must function correctly, must not function incorrectly)

◼ Security

◼ Operation in Harsh environmental conditions (Heat, vibration, shock,

power fluctuations, RF interference, lightning,…)

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 What is an embedded system?
◼ Fourth: Embedded Systems are Reactive:
◼ computations occur in response to external events, that may
be:
◼ Periodic events (e.g., rotating machinery and control loops, timers,…)
◼ Aperiodic events (e.g., button closures, user interactions)
◼ Fifth: it may have real-time requirements (responding before a
deadline expires)
◼ Real-Time: timing correctness is part of system
correctness
◼ Hard real-time
◼ Absolute deadline, beyond which answer is useless
◼ Deadline may include minimum time as well as maximum time
◼ Soft real-time
◼ Occasionally missing a deadline is not catastrophic
◼ Utility of answer degrades with time difference from deadline
◼ In general, Real Time does not mean Real Fast

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 A Typical Embedded System
An Embedded Designer's View…
◼CPU: Performance, Compilers, Operating Systems, Cost.
◼Memory Size, I/O connections, peripherals, Cost.

◼Functionality, Time to market, Cost & Cost.

And a customer’s
view…:
Memory ◼Reduced Cost
◼Increased Functionality

Cache ◼Improved Performance

Microcontroller ◼Increased Dependability

Sensors A/D CPU D/A Actuator

Diagnostic Auxiliary Systems

MMI I/O (power, cooling)
tools
Electro-mechanical
backup and safety

External
Environment

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 Examples
◼ General Computing
◼ DiTV Set-top boxes, Home-
Gateways, Home Networking
◼ Interactive TV Applications /
Electronic Program Guides
(embedded software)
◼ Content Distribution Systems
◼ Fleet Management Systems
◼ Systems and terminal equipment
for lottery operations
◼ Information kiosks
◼ Smart Cards Applications
◼ Cash Registers
◼ Energy Meters

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 Examples: Refrigerator

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 Examples: Car Door

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Examples: Electronic Ping-pong

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Examples: bot Autonomous Guided Vehicle

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Examples: bot Autonomous Guided Vehicle

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 Computer Essentials

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Elements of a computer

Processor

Common Bus (address, data, & control)

Control Unit

Datapath

Arithmetic
Logic Unit Memory
Output Input
Program Data
Units Units
Registers Storage Storage

Figure 1.1 Computer Organization

 Computer Essentials
◼ Instruction Sets
◼ CISC: Complex Instruction Set Computer

◼ RISC: Reduced Instruction Set Computer

◼ Memory Types
◼ Volatile: Random Access Memory (RAM)

◼ Non-volatile: Read Only Memory (ROM)

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Organizing memory
 Microprocessor
◼ There exists at least one microprocessor in (the heart of) an
embedded system
◼ Microprocessor: CPU, memory, cache
◼ Microcontroller:
◼ Microprocessor, plus:

◼ Controllers for I/Os, peripherals, A/D-D/As, DMAs,

special devices tailored for specific application, etc.

◼ Extra Memory / Caches

◼ Microprocessors are general purpose - target a broad application

area
◼ Microcontrollers are specialized, tailored for specific applications
(e.g. for DVDs the microcontroller includes MPEG-2 hardware).

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 Microprocessor
◼ A processor implemented in a single integrated circuit (IC).
• The first microprocessor, Intel 4004, was introduced in 1968.
• The Intel 8008, the first 8-bit microprocessor from Intel, was introduced in 1972.
• A microprocessor requires peripheral ICs to interface with I/O devices.
• A microprocessor does not have peripheral functions such as timers, A/D converters, D/A converters, parallel
I/O ports, and memory.
• The designer need to add peripheral ICs and memory devices to the microprocessor in order to build a product.
Data
Bus
RAM

CPU
ROM
(registers)

+ High Performance
+ Choice of Peripherals and Memory Configurations I/O

- Expensive Address
- Power Consumption (Heat) Bus
- Size
Microcontroller Vs. Microprocessor
• A microcontroller incorporates the processor and one or more of
the following peripheral functions and memory in one very large-
scale integrated circuit (VLSI):
1. Memory
2. Timer functions

3. Serial communication interface such as UART, I2C, SPI,

CAN, and Ethernet

Microcontroller
4. A/D converter Data
Bus

5. D/A converter RAM

6. Direct memory access CPU

ROM

7. Parallel I/O ports

(registers)

8. Memory component interface I/O

Address
9. Software debug support Bus
Microprocessors and Microcontrollers

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Microprocessors and Microcontrollers

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Dimming a Light using a microprocessor
Dimming a light using a microcontroller
Inside Microcontrollers
Microcontroller packaging and appearance
Microchip and the PIC microcontroller
◼ Background : General Instruments, Peripheral Interface
Controller ,PIC 1650 and 1655 late 1970s, RISC, 30 instructions,
Microchip, 8-bit
◼ PIC 8-bit microcontrollers today
Characteristics that all have in common.
◼ Lowcost,

◼ Self-contained,

◼ Pipelined,

◼ RISC,

◼ Harvard structure,

◼ Single accumulator (the Working, or W, register),

◼ Fixed reset vector.

Comparison of 8-bit PIC families

10, 12, 16, 18 : series

C: CMOS
F: Flash
A: Technology Upgrade
An introduction to PIC microcontrollers using the Baseline Series
The architecture of the 12F508
 Types of Microcontrollers

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 ….Contd

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 END

CHAPTER - 1

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