Comprehensive Embedded Systems Compendium
Embedded Systems Expert
May 28, 2025
Contents
1 Embedded Systems Fundamentals 1
1.1 Definition and Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Application Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Microcontroller Architecture 2
2.1 8051 Core Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2 Special Function Registers (SFRs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3 Input/Output Subsystems 2
3.1 Signal Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.2 8051 Pin Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4 Memory Addressing 3
4.1 Bit vs Byte Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5 Processor Architectures 3
5.1 Microprocessor vs Microcontroller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5.2 Modern Embedded Processors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1 Embedded Systems Fundamentals
1.1 Definition and Characteristics
An embedded system is a dedicated computing system with three key attributes:
• Dedicated Functionality: Single-purpose design (e.g., microwave controller)
• Real-Time Operation: Deterministic timing requirements
• Resource Constraints: Limited memory (KB-MB), power (mW-W), and processing
1.2 Application Areas
Industry Representative Applications
Automotive Engine control units (ECUs), ADAS, infotainment
Medical Patient monitors, infusion pumps, pacemakers
Industrial PLCs, motor drives, CNC machines
Consumer Smart appliances, wearables, gaming consoles
Aerospace Flight control, satellite systems, avionics
IoT Smart sensors, gateways, edge devices
Table 1: Embedded Systems Across Industries
1
2 Microcontroller Architecture
2.1 8051 Core Architecture
2×16-bit Timers
128B RAM 8-bit CPU 4KB ROM
UART
4×8-bit I/O
Figure 1: 8051 Microcontroller Architecture
2.2 Special Function Registers (SFRs)
Mnemonic Address Function
ACC E0h Accumulator for arithmetic operations
B F0h Multiplication/division register
PSW D0h Program Status Word
SP 81h Stack
(Flags:Pointer
CY,AC,OV,P)
P0-P3 80h,90h,A0h,B0h I/O Port registers
Table 2: Key 8051 SFRs
3 Input/Output Subsystems
3.1 Signal Conversion
0-5V 8-bit 8-bit 0-5V
Sensor ADC MCU DAC Actuator
e.g., MCP3008 e.g., MCP4921
Figure 2: Signal Conversion Chain
2
Pin Name Function
30 ALE Address Latch Enable (demuxes P0)
29 PSEN Program Store Enable (external ROM)
31 EA/VPP Internal/External memory selection
9 RST Reset (active high, 2 machine cycles)
Table 3: Critical 8051 Control Pins
Feature Bit Addressing Byte Addressing
Address Range 20h-2Fh (16 bytes) 00h-FFh (256 bytes)
Access Granularity Individual bits Complete bytes
Example Instruction SETB 25h.3 MOV A, 40h
Typical Use Flag manipulation Data transfer
Table 4: Addressing Mode Comparison
3.2 8051 Pin Functions
4 Memory Addressing
4.1 Bit vs Byte Addressing
5 Processor Architectures
5.1 Microprocessor vs Microcontroller
ROM
Microprocessor I/O Microcontroller Timer
RAM
RAMMicroprocessor SystemROM Microcontroller
I/O Chip
Figure 3: Architectural Differences
5.2 Modern Embedded Processors
Family Manufacturer Key Features Applications
ARM Cortex-M ARM Ltd. 32-bit RISC, low power IoT, automotive
PIC Microchip 8/16/32-bit variants Industrial control
AVR Microchip 8-bit RISC, low cost Consumer electronics
ESP32 Espressif Wi-Fi/BLE, dual-core Smart devices
RISC-V Various Open ISA, customizable Research, edge AI
Table 5: Contemporary Embedded Processors
