Debre Berhan University

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

Embedded Systems

Lecture 1: Introduction to Embedded Systems

Lecturer: Addisalem H.
Nov. 2022
Chapter |: Introduction to Embedded Systems

❖ Embedded Systems Definition

❖ Embedded Systems Characteristics

❖ Embedded Systems Examples

❖ Contrast Between Embedded Systems and Other Computer

Systems

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What are Embedded Systems?
❖ Computer based systems that do not appear to be computers – Complexity is
hidden from the user
❖ Complexity is embedded inside the device- the user doesn’t have to deal with the
complexity
❖ Much more common that laptops or desktops
❖ They interact with users via simple interfaces
▪ Digital camera, TV, Cellphone
❖ Embedded systems tend to be application specific
▪ Perform one task or set of related tasks
▪ Some devices blur the line(e.g. cellphones)
❖ Design is focused on one application— unlike general purpose systems(e.g.
laptops)
❖ High design efficiency is possible: Special purpose Vs. General purpose(e.g. Video games)

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What are Embedded Systems?
❖ Hardware and software often designed together
▪ General purpose systems use hardware and software developed by different
companies
❖ Takes data from the outside world and output data to the outside world

❖ Generic embedded system structure

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Embedded Systems Definition
Precisely defining Embedded System is difficult. The following definitions may, in
combination, do the job.
✓ An embedded system is a special-purpose computer system designed to
perform one or a few dedicated functions, sometimes with real-time computing
constraints
✓ Specialized computer system hardware that is used in larger systems or
machines to control devices such as automobiles, home appliances, and office
equipment .
✓ Any electronic system that uses a CPU chip, but that is not a general-purpose,
workstation, desktop or laptop computer. Such systems generally use
microprocessors, or they may use custom-designed chips or both.

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Embedded Systems Definition
✓ An embedded system is some combination of computer hardware and software,
either fixed in capability or programmable, that is specifically designed for a
particular kind of application device.

✓ An embedded system is a combination of computer circuitry and software that

is built into a product for purposes such as control, monitoring and
communication without human intervention.

✓ IEEE defines Embedded Systems as: “the devices used to control, monitor or
assist the operation of equipment, machinery or plant’’. “Embedded” reflects
the fact that they are an integral part of the system.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
Common characteristics of Embedded Systems are the following:
✓ Frequently, embedded systems are connected to the physical environment
through sensors collecting information about that environment and actuators
controlling that environment.
✓ Embedded systems have to be dependable (trusted). Many ES are safety-critical.
Examples of safety critical systems are Nuclear power plants, airplanes, trains,
cars, satellites etc.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
The important characteristics of an embedded system are
▪ Speed (bytes/sec) : should be high speed
▪ Power (watts): low power dissipation
▪ Size and weight: as far as possible small in size and low weight
▪ Percentage error: must be very accurate
▪ Adaptability: high adaptability and
▪ Accessibility Reliability: must be reliable over a long period of time

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
Dependability encompasses the following aspects of a system:
1. Reliability: Reliability is the probability that a system will not fail.

2. Maintainability: Maintainability is the probability that a failing system can be repaired

within a certain time-frame.

3. Availability: Availability is the probability that the system is available. Both the reliability
and the maintainability must be high in order to achieve a high availability.

4. Safety: This term describes the property that a failing system will not cause any harm.

5. Security: This term describes the property that confidential data remains confidential
and that authentic communication is guaranteed.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
✓ Embedded systems have to be efficient. The following metrics can be used for
evaluating the efficiency of embedded systems:
1. Energy: Many embedded systems are mobile systems obtaining their energy
through batteries. Available electrical energy must be used very efficiently.
2. Code-size: the code-size should be as small as possible for the intended
application.
3. Run-time efficiency: We should be able to meet time constraints using
the least amount of hardware resources and energy. In order to reduce the
energy consumption, clock frequencies and supply voltages should be as
small as possible.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
4. Weight: All portable systems must be of low weight. Low weight is
frequently an important argument for buying a certain system.
5. Cost: For high-volume embedded systems, especially in consumer
electronics, competitiveness on the market is an extremely crucial issue, and
efficient use of hardware components and the software development budget
are required.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
✓ These systems are dedicated towards a certain application. For example,
processors running control software in a car or a train will always run that
software, and there will be no attempt to run a computer game or spreadsheet
program on the same processor.
✓ There are mainly two reasons for this:
▪ Running additional programs would make those systems less dependable.
▪ Running additional programs is only feasible if resources such as memory are
unused. No unused resources should be present in an efficient system.

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
✓ Most embedded systems use a dedicated user-interface consisting of push-
buttons, steering wheels, pedals etc. Because of this, the user hardly recognizes
that information processing is involved.
✓ Many embedded systems must meet real-time constraints. Not completing
computations within a given time-frame can result in a serious loss of the quality
provided by the system. A time-constraint is called hard if not meeting that
constraint could result in a catastrophe. All other time constraints are called
soft

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Embedded Systems Characteristics
✓ Many embedded systems are hybrid systems in the sense that they include
analog and digital parts.
✓ Typically, embedded systems are reactive systems. A reactive system is one that
is in continual interaction with its environment and executes at a pace
determined by that environment.

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Embedded Systems Examples
❖ Even though often nearly invisible, embedded systems are ubiquitous.
❖ Embedded systems are present in many industries, including industrial automation,
defense, transportation, and aerospace. For example, NASA’s Mars Path Finder,
Lockheed Martin’s missile guidance system, and the Ford automobile all contain
numerous embedded systems.
❖ Every day, people throughout the world use embedded systems without even
knowing it.
❖ Remarkably adaptable and versatile, embedded systems can be found at home, at
work, Indeed, it is difficult to find a segment of daily life that does not involve
embedded systems in some way.

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Embedded Systems Examples
❖ Automotive electronics: Modern cars can be sold only if they contain a significant amount of
electronics. These include air bag control systems, engine control systems, anti-braking systems
(ABS), air-conditioning, GPS systems, safety features, and many more.
❖ Aircraft electronics: A significant amount of the total value of airplanes is due to the information
processing equipment, including flight control systems, anti-collision systems, pilot information
systems, and others. Dependability is of utmost importance.
❖ Trains: Again, safety features contribute significantly to the total value of trains, and dependability is
extremely important.
❖ Medical systems: There is a huge potential for improving the medical service by taking advantage of
information processing taking place within medical equipment.
❖ Military applications: Information processing has been used in military equipment for many years. In
fact, some of the very first computers analyzed military radar signals.
❖ Authentication systems: Embedded systems can be used for authentication purposes.
❖ Fabrication equipment: Fabrication equipment is a very traditional area in which embedded systems
have been employed for decades. Safety is very important for such systems, the energy consumption
is less a problem.

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Embedded Systems Examples

Smart buildings: Information processing

can be used to increase the comfort
level in buildings, can reduce the energy
consumption within buildings, and can
improve safety and security.
Robotics: Robotics is also a traditional
area in which embedded systems have
been used. Mechanical aspects are very
important for robots.

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Contrast Between Embedded Systems and Other Computer Systems
Computer Systems
Microprocessor based
Microprocessors are multitasking in nature.
RAM, ROM, I/O Ports, and Timers can be
added externally and can vary in numbers.
Designers can decide the number of memory
or I/O ports needed.
External support of external memory and
I/O ports makes a microprocessor-based system
heavier and costlier
External devices require more space and
their power consumption is higher.
Embedded Systems
Micro-controller based
Single task oriented. For example, a washing
machine is designed for washing clothes only
RAM, ROM, I/O Ports, and Timers cannot
be added externally. These components are
to be embedded together on a chip and are
fixed in numbers.
Fixed number for memory or I/O makes a
micro-controller ideal for a limited but specific task.
Micro-controllers are lightweight and cheaper
than a microprocessor.
A micro-controller-based system consumes
less power and takes less space.
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Components of Embedded Systems
❖ Microcontroller: Integrated circuit that executes a program
▪ Connected to other hardware components
▪ Sends commands and receives data
❖ Need to be programmed
• Write a program in a language, such as C
• Place the program in the mctrlr memory

Programming microcontrollers
• Write code on a host machine– regular desktop or laptop
• Programming the microcontroller– transferring the program from host to microcontroller
• Programming hardware can be used to place program in microcontroller memory

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Components of Embedded Systems
❖ Sensors: Receives information from the environment
▪ Provide simple information
• Thermistor: reports temperature
• Photoresistor: reports light intensity
▪ Complex sensors: more complicated data
• CMOS camera: Captures images
• Ethernet controller: enables network communication
❖ Actuators: Cause events to occur in the environment
▪ Simple actuators
• Light emitting diodes(LEDs)– Small lights
• LCD display– simple display
▪ Complex actuators
• Servo motor: moves something
• Ethernet controller: enables network communication

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Categories of Embedded Systems
❖ Embedded systems are classified based on performance and functional
requirements, as well as the performance of microcontrollers. These
classifications can be further divided into categories and subcategories.

❖ When classifying embedded systems based on performance and

functional requirements, embedded systems are divided into four
categories:
1. Real-time embedded systems
2. Standalone embedded systems
3. Network, or networked, embedded systems
4. Mobile embedded systems

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Categories of Embedded Systems
Real-time embedded systems
Real-time embedded systems must provide results or outputs promptly. Priority is assigned to
output generation speed, as real-time embedded systems are often used in mission-critical sectors,
such as defense and aerospace, that need important data,
Examples of real-time embedded systems include:
• Aircraft controls
• Land-vehicle and flight computers that process and transmit sensor-acquired data
• Missile defense system controls
• Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle controls
❖ Real-time embedded systems are further divided into soft real-time embedded systems and hard real-time
embedded systems to account for the importance of output generation speed.
▪ Soft real-time embedded systems have lenient output timeframes or deadlines. If outputs are not provided in a specified
timeframe, performance decline may ensue, but the consequences of this decline are relatively insignificant, do not
constitute a system or application failure, and are unlikely to result in a harmful outcome. The system's outputs are also
still considered valuable, despite their tardiness.
▪ Hard real-time embedded systems are the antithesis of soft real-time embedded systems. These systems must
consistently meet their assigned output deadlines, as not doing so is considered a system or application failure, which, in
many cases, could have catastrophic outcomes because of the hard real-time embedded system's typical deployment in
mission-critical programs and applications.

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Categories of Embedded Systems
Standalone embedded systems
Standalone embedded systems don't require a host computer to function. They
can produce outputs independently.

Examples of standalone embedded systems include:

• Digital cameras
• Digital wristwatches
• MP3 players
• Appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, and microwave ovens
• Temperature measurement systems
• Calculators

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Categories of Embedded Systems
Networked embedded systems
Network, or networked, embedded systems rely on wired or wireless networks and
communication with web servers for output generation.

Frequently cited examples of network embedded systems include:

• Home and office security systems
• Automated teller machines (ATMs)
• Point-of-sale (POS) systems

Mobile embedded systems

▪ Mobile embedded systems refer specifically to small, portable embedded devices.
▪ All mobile embedded systems are standalone embedded systems, but not all standalone
embedded systems are mobile embedded

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Categories of Embedded Systems
When classifying embedded systems based on the performance of microcontrollers,
embedded systems are divided into three categories:
• Small-scale embedded systems
• Medium-scale embedded systems
• Sophisticated embedded systems

❖ Small-scale embedded systems have an 8-bit or 16-bit microcontroller.

❖ Medium-scale embedded systems have a 16-bit or 32-bit microcontroller.
❖ Sophisticated embedded systems have multiple 32-bit or 62-bit microcontrollers.

processing speed improves as the number of microcontroller bits increase.

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