Introduction to Embedded Systems OBJECTIVES Afier reading this chapten you will be able to: © Understand what is an embedded system © List the various application areas in which embedded systems are used © Categorize embedded systems © Gain knowledge of the architecture of an embedded system > Understand the requirements of embedded systems ‘© Learn about the recent trends in embedded system development in Embedded systems are omnipresent. We find them everywhere—at our homes, in our office shopping malls, in hospitals, in cars, in aircraft and so on. In this introductory chapter, we will d an embedded system and study the various market segments for the embedded systems. We will study dled systems can be divided into different categories based on theit functional. We how the embec will discuss the architecture of an embedded system and the special requirements of these systems. We will also discuss the recent trends in embedded system development. (An embedded system can be defined as a computing device that does a sp job. Appliances such as the air-conditioner, VCD player, DVD player, printer, fax machine, mobile phone ete. are examples of embedded systems. Each of these appliances will have @ processor and special hardware rion along with the embedded software that is executed to meet the specific requirement of the appl by the processor for meeting that specific requirement. The embedded software is also called “firmware”.Ne Introduction to Embedded Systems ee control. These generation and ‘fic tasks such se embedded systems for process nuclear energy, electricity designed to catry out sped u fad then take appropriate Industrial automation: Today a lot of industries include pharmaceutical, cement, sugar, oil exploration, jon. The embedded systems for industrial use are transmi as monitoring the temperature, pressure, humidity, voltage, current <>, an basatletilae maoaivored levels cokebitteotier devices or © stad iO apa E centralized presence has to be avoided, In hazardous industrial environment, where human monitoring station. robots are used, which are programmed to do speci ec Sra powerful and carry out many interesting and complicat Medical electronics: Almost every medical equipment inthe hy equipments include diagnostic aids, such 2 ECC, EEG, blood prestst ©) snners; equipment used in blood analysis, radiation, colonoscopy, endoseoPY © rredical elesronice have ied,wry ferimuorelsccurare. agnor, Oc Aiea king products such as bridges, routers Tantegrated Services Transfer Mode (ATM), X.25 and frame relay switches are data communication protocols. For example, 4 the two neeworks may be running different protocol stacks. The «hate from incoming ports, analyze the packets and send chem protocol conversion. Most networking equipments other pase to access the networks, are embedded systems. tclecommunications, the embedded systems can be categorized as subscriber terminals and network equipment. The subscriber terminals such as key telephones, ISDN phones, terminal adapters, web cameras are mnbedded systems. The network equipment includes Frultiplexers, multiple access systems, Packer Assemblers Disassembers (PADs),