POSTER PAPER

International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2009

Design and Development of ARM Processor

Based Web Server
1

V.Billy Rakesh Roy1, Sanket Dessai1, and S. G.Shiva Prasad Yadav 1

M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies in Collaboration with Coventry University (UK)/Embedded Design Centre,
Bangalore, India
Email: {rakesh.voola, sanketdessai0808, shivaspy}@gmail.com

AbstractAs the World-Wide Web (WWW) continues to

evolve, it is clear that its underlying technologies are useful
for much more than just browsing the web. Web browsers
have become the de facto standard user interface for a
variety of applications including embedded real time
applications such as Remote Data Acquisition System. This
brings in a need for web services being deployed on various
embedded processors such as Advanced RISC Machine
(ARM) in real time context.
The main aim of the project is to develop an embedded web
server using ARM9 processor and a Real Time Operating
System, C/OS-II. C/OS-II is used to monitor all the tasks
of the web server. Embedded C language has been used for
the software implementation of the embedded web server.
The web pages which are required for the web server were
developed using HTML. The C/OS-II was successfully
ported on the ARM and the web server application is
configured with the operating system (C/OS-II). Both, the
operating system and the web server application are ported
on the ARM9. This embedded web server is tested for its
working, using a data acquisition web application hosted
over a network of PC's.
This embedded web server which is developed by using
Embedded C language can be beneficial for mission critical
applications, remote data acquisition systems, ATM
network and more. The developed web server accelerates
business performance by automating and orchestrating
processes across total enterprises. Enterprise users can
collaborate more flexibly and cost-effectively with business
and trading partners.

Fig 2. Embedded Web Server Architecture

Fig 1. shows a typical client-server architecture where,

the client accesses the server through the LAN router and
the Internet. Whenever, the client wants to access the
sever, it sends the request to the server, this request is
taken by the router, which is connected to the Internet.
The web processes the request made and finally connects
to the desired web server, access the requested data and
sends the data to the client.
Embedded Web Servers: General web servers, which
were developed for general-purpose computers such as
NT servers or Unix and Linux workstations, typically
require megabytes of memory, a fast processor, a
preemptive multitasking operating system, and other
resources. A web server can be embedded in a device to
provide remote access to the device from a web browser.
The embedded system can be utilized to serve the
embedded web documents, including static and dynamic
information about embedded systems, to web browsers.
This type of web server is called an Embedded Web
Server.
An embedded web server is a microcontroller that
contains an Internet software suite as well as application
code for monitoring and controlling systems. Embedded
web servers are integral part of an embedded network and
paves way for faster time to market products.
Fig 1. Shows the general-purpose web server where, it
requires a huge amount of memory, special hardware,
software and an operating system. An embedded web
server can replace the Fig 1., which is a single hardware
with an RTOS and the application. Fig 2. Shows typical
embedded web server architecture. The web server is the
board that has the application and the RTOS (C/OS-II).

Index Terms Embedded Web Server, C/OS-II, ARM,

Web

I. INTRODUCTION
A web server is a system which hosts a web site and
provides services for any requesting clients. The generalpurpose web servers compose of an operating system, the
web pages or the application and a huge amount of
memory and sometimes a special hardware.

Fig 1. Client - Server Architecture

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International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2009
The operating system manages all the tasks such as
sending the HTML pages, connecting to new users etc.
The RTOS manages all the required tasks in parallel, and
in small amounts of time. Web-based management user
interfaces using embedded web servers have many
advantages: ubiquity, user-friendliness, low development
cost and high maintainability. Embedded web servers
have different requirements, such as low resource usage,
high reliability, security and portability, for which general
web server technologies are unsuitable. There are also
design issues such as HTTP and embedded API.

B. System Design
The Fig 4 gives the overall system design. The main
components of the system are Hardware, RTOS, HTML
Pages, Transfer of Data.
Hardware: The hardware used for embedded web
server is ARM9 based board. The board has the html
pages saved on it.
RTOS: The application runs in the form of tasks. Each
user connecting to the server is treated as a task. To
manage the users, connections, an operating system is
required, that performs the operations in real time. The
embedded web server is implemented using C/OS-II a
powerful but small RTOS kernel. It is highly CPU
independent and has been ported to numerous
microprocessor platforms.
HTML Pages: To interact with the clients, the client
has to send the data to them. In the embedded web server,
web pages are selected as the media of interaction. The
web pages are designed using HTML. The designed web
pages look as in the Figure 5.

II. DESIGN
A. Design of the System Flow
Fig 3. Shows the basic block diagram of the embedded
web server. The necessary requirement analysis is done
on the RTOS, web server, TCP/IP and the target board.
Based on the requirement analysis, the C/OS-II is
configured, as per the target board. After configuring
C/OS-II, the port for STR9 is generated and targeted to
STR9 using Keil uVision3 tool using hyper terminal. The
target along with the RTOS is tested, by booting the
target with the RTOS. The application is written and is
made specific to the RTOS and both the web server and
the RTOS are ported on the target. The web server
application is tested for its functioning.

Fig 5. Designed Web Pages

C. Porting C/OS-II
INCLUDES.H:INCLUDES.H is a MASTER include
file and is found at the top of all .C files.
INCLUDES.H allows every .C file in the project to be
written without concerns about which header file will
actually be needed. The INCLUDES.H includes header
files that are not pertinent to the actual .C file being
compiled.
OS_CPU.H:OS_CPU.H contains processor and
implementation specific #defines constants, macros, and
typedefs
OS_CPU_A.ASM: A C/OS-II port requires that need
to write four assembly language functions:
OSStartHighRdy (), OSCtxSw (), OSIntCtxSw (),
OSTickISR (),
OSStartHighRdy () function is called by OSStart () to
start
the
highest
priority
task
ready-to-run.
OSStartHighRdy() assumes that OSTCBHighRdy points
to the task control block of the task with the highest
priority
OSCtxSw() is executed when an interrupt is
encountered. OSCtxSw()
is a interrupt
service routine. The sequence of events that
leads C/OS-II to vector to OSCtxSw() is as

Fig 3. Basic Design of the System

Fig 4: Overall System Design

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International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2009

follows. The current task calls a service

provided by C/OS-II which causes a higher
priority task to be ready-to-run.
OSIntCtxSw() function is called by
OSIntExit() to perform a context switch from
an Interrupt Service Routine. OSIntCtxSw() is
called from an ISR, it is assumed that all the
processor registers are already properly saved
onto
the
interrupted
tasks
stack
OSTimeTickHook().
The only function that is actually necessary is
OSTaskStkInit(). The other five functions
must be declared but theres no need to
contain any code inside them.
OSTaskStkInit() function is called by
OSTaskCreate() and OSTaskCreateExt() to
initialize the stack frame of a task

D. Compilation and Porting Procedure for C/OS-II on

STR9:
All the required files of C/OS-II are copied on a
single folder and the code is compiled using the ARM
specific cross compiler. The output of this is the hex file
that is to be ported on to the board. The generated hex file
is loaded onto the target using the hyper terminal. The
following steps are to be performed to load the code on
the target.
Open hyper terminal.
The connection settings of the hyper terminal
are as below.
Bits per second 57600 Data bits 8
Parity None Stop bits - 1
Flow Control Hardware
The null modem cable from the serial port on
the host-PC is connected to the target
development board
The RJ-45 socket on the development board is
connected to the host-PC using a cross-over
Ethernet cable
The power cable is connected to the power
socket of the target development board and
the other end is connected to the USB socket
of the PC. Now, in the terminal window, it
can be seen the U-Boot startup messages
attempting to tftpboot over the network once
power is applied to the target hardware
Hit any key to stop tftpboot autoboot, as the
environment settings for the target hardware
must first be configured

F. Embedded Web Server Process Structure:

The Embedded web server is a finite state machine
(FSM), which processes an HTTP request as a sequence
of discrete steps. Figure 6 shows the finite state machine
for the embedded web server.

Fig 6: Embedded Web Server Process Structure

E. Booting from on-board Flash and Running the

Developed Application on Board:
Start the hyper terminal
Set the BootOs variable to boot the kernel
image from Flash memory 0x40000. Upon a
reset the kernel will boot from Flash.
ARMcore> BootOs 40000
ARMcore > saveenv
To boot the kernel from Flash through the
hyper terminal program without resetting the

In order to support multiple connections in a single

thread environment, multiple finite state machines are run
by a scheduling system that uses a lightweight task
structure, which consists of a pointer to the function
being run, a variable holding the state in the finite state
machine, and a flag indicating whether the finite state
machine can be run or blocked. The scheduling system
allocates an available finite state machine for an accepted
connection, checks each finite state machine to see if it is
blocked or runable and moves the finite state machine
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2009 ACADEMY PUBLISHER

target hardware, enter the following

command:
ARMcore> Bootm 40000
Successful kernel start-up will return a bootup message in the hyper terminal window
showing the complete system configuration
information. At the end of these initialization
messages the login prompt can be seen
The configuration file and the kernel image
which is to be ported on the target processor
has to be copied from the host pc on to the
board using the using a tftp Ethernet
connection into RAM
ARMcore@root> tftp get ip:filename
destination:filename
The application which is copied from the host
pc is a kernel image which is compiled in
such an environment that it supports the
target. The kernel image which is the
developed application supports the board, can
be run on the board my giving the below
command
ARMcore@root>./webserver-arm
All the steps above are to be performed and
the target will be loaded with the required OS
and the application.

POSTER PAPER
International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2009
one step if it is runable. Each state in a finite state
machine can check for the presence of data that is ready
to be processed at the entry point; if none is ready, the
finite state machine can block itself until data arrives.
When data becomes available at the entry point, the finite
state machine can then be unblocked so its handler can
perform the task of state, and turn over the result to the
next state by changing the state flag and pointer to the
handler.
II. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
A. Experimental Setup of the Embedded Web Server:
The experimental setup of the embedded web server is
shown in Fig 7. The target is connected to the ethernet
controller of the network, the power to the target is given
through USB and the debugger is connected to the USB
of the system and the other end to the board.

Fig 9: Booting the target using C/OS-II

C/OS-II. And the web server application is executed for

that users application, running in a task.
When a new connection is established, a new task is
created and the users application is executed in a
separate task as a separate application. This process is
continued for all the users connecting to the server. Fig 8
shows the flowchart of the embedded web server and the
RTOS, managing the incoming connections.

B. Integrating RTOS and Embedded Web Server

The main part of the embedded web server is the
RTOS handling the web server application. Whenever,
a connection is established, a new task is created using

C. Porting the Web Server

The Embedded web server application and the RTOS
are ready and are to be ported on the target. The porting is
done using Keil uVision3 compiler. Now, the code is
loaded on the target and the target is configured over the
network, to work as an embedded web server.
D. Testing the Embedded Web Server
Testing: Initially, the target is tested for the working of
operating system. This is done by booting the target using
the hyper terminal. Fig 9 shows the target booting using
RTOS.
After the target is successfully booted with C/OS-II,
it is tested over the network using ping command. Fig 10
shows the embedded web server, responding to the ping
command made by the client. Now the embedded web
server is responding to the clients, request is made to the
server, embedded web server, by typing the IP address of
the server in the clients browser.
The user has to enter 10.1.1.26 IP to access the
server. This request is taken by the operating system of
the client and given to the LAN controller of the client
system. The LAN controller sends the request to the
router that processes and checks for the system connected
to the network with the particular IP address. If the IP
address entered is correct and matches to that of the
server, a request is sent to the LAN controller of the
server and a session is established and a TCP/IP
connection is establishes and the server starts sending the
web pages to the client.
Fig 11 shows the client entering the IP address of the
server and the server send the html page to the requested
clients. Fig 12 shows various clients connecting to the
server and getting the html page.

Fig 7: Experimental Setup

Fig 8: C/OS-II and Embedded Web Server Tasks

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International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2009
web server replaces the PC, which is required for remote
labs with special hard- and software.
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Fig 10: Pinging the Embedded Web Server over the network

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Fig 11: User Entering The IP Address

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Fig 12: Application Running on Different Systems on Network

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CONCLUSIONS
The embedded web server that has been designed can be
used in educational institutions, offices and many other
places. For web-based network element management
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more powerful user interface without additional
hardware. Software contention and architectures can
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