Embedded Systems

Design

By
AJAL.A.J
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Electronics & Communication
1
Engineering Dept
 Name of University
- Class Title

What Is An Embedded System ?

A type of computer system.

Some of the Most Common Traditional Definitions :
Embedded systems are more limited in hardware
and/or software functionality then the PC.
An embedded system is designed to perform a
dedicated function

Why dont these definitions entirely apply, today?
 What is an Embedded System [Continued] ?Name of University
- Class Title

Automotive
i.e. : Ignition Systems, Engine Control, Antilock Braking System,
Consumer Electronics
i.e. : TVs, STBs, appliances, toys, automobiles, cell phones
Industrial Control
i.e. : robotics, control systems
Medical
i.e. : Infusion Pumps, Dialysis Machines, Prosthetic Devices,Cardiac
Monitors,
Networking
i.e. : routers, hubs, gateways,
Office Automation
i.e. : fax machines, photocopiers, printers, monitors,

** Aside from being types of computer systems, there is no single

definition or characterization of embedded systems reflecting them all.
 Systems engineering point
of view:
When approaching embedded systems
architecture design from a systems
engineering point of view, several
models can be applied to describe the
cycle of embedded system design.
Most of these models are based upon
one or some combination of the
following four development
models:
System Engineering Life
Cycle Models

four development models:

 four development
models:

[Link] big-bang model

[Link] code-and-fix
model
[Link] waterfall model
[Link] spiral model
 big-bang model

The big-bang model, in which there is

no
essentially

planning or
processes in place before and during
the development of a system.
Ad HOC MODEL
 Name of University
- Class Title

Big-Bang Model
Developer receives problem statement.

Developerworks in isolation for some

extended time period.

Developer delivers result.

Developer hopes client is satisfied.

 code-and-fix model
The code-and-fix model, in which

product requirements are

defined
But
no formal processes
are in place before the start of
development.
 waterfall model
The waterfall model, in which
there is a process for
developing a system in steps,
one step
where results of
flow into the next
step.
 Waterfall Model with Back Flow
(sometimes this is implied by waterfall)

Requirements

Design

Implementation

Test
Adjustments made to immediately previous phase
based on issues with successive phase.
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Why Not Waterfall?
1. Complete Requirements Not Known at Project Start

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
Source: Applied
his Software Measurement,
kind permission. Capers
Slides avaialble online Jones, 1997. Based on 6,700 systems.
at [Link]
 Function Point?
A function point is a unit of complexity
used in software cost estimation. Function
points are based on number of user
interactions, files to be read/written, etc.
SLOC means number of source lines of
code, also a measure of program
complexity.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Why Not Waterfall?
2. Requirements are not stable/unchanging.

The market changesconstantly.

The technology changes.

The goals of the stakeholders change.

Source: Craig Larman

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Why Not Waterfall?
3. The design may need to change during
implementation.
Requirements are incomplete and changing.

Too many variables, unknowns, and novelties.

A complete specification must be as detailed as code itself.

Software is very hard.

Discover Magazine, 1999: Software characterized as the most
complex machine humankind builds.

Source: Craig Larman

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 spiral model
The spiral model, in which there is a
process for developing a system in
steps,
and
throughout the various steps,
feedback is obtained and
incorporated back into the
process.
 Life-Cycle Models .
Iterative Models
Spiral Model & Variants
ROPES Model
Controlled Iteration Model: Unified Process
Time Box Model
Scrum Model
Fountain Model

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Boehm Spiral Model
(of which some other models are variants)

An iterative model developed by Barry

Boehm at TRW (1988), now Prof. at USC
Iterates cycles of these project phases:
1 Requirements definition
2 Risk analysis
3 Prototyping
4 Simulate, benchmark
5 Design, implement, test
6 Plan next cycle (if any)
Prof. Barry
Boehm
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Boehm Spiral Model

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Risk? What risk?

One major area of risk is that the

scope and difficulty of the task is not
well understood at the outset.

This is the so-called wicked problem

phenomenon.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Wicked Problems
Many software development projects have
been characterized as wicked problems,
meaning:

problems that are fully understood only

after they are solved the first time
(however poorly)

Does not apply only to software

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
Source of some of this
Prentice-Hall, 1990

basically a criticism of the

waterfall model

wicked term first used in

H. Rittel and M. Webber,
Dilemmas in a general
theory of planning, Policy
Sciences, 4, pp. 155-169,
Elsevier, 1973.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Some Roots of Wickedness

Risk: A customer not knowing exactly what

he/she wants; changing expectations as
project progresses.

Risk: Staff who are inexperienced in the

problem domain, or with the appropriate
implementation techniques.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 The Waffle Principle

Plan to throw the first one away; you will

anyhow.

Fred Brooks, The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software

Engineering, Addison Wesley, 1975.
Revised in 1995.

another indication that building a large

software system is wicked

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Wicked Problems

The presence of wickedness is what

makes the iterative / incremental
approaches most appealing.

Methodologies and organizational

techniques can help control the
degree of wickedness.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 US Air Force
Risk Classification
Performance risk: The project might not
meet requirements or otherwise be fit for
use.
Cost risk: The budget might get overrun.
Support risk: The software might not be
adaptable, maintainable, extendable
Schedule risk: The project might be
delivered too late.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Ways to Manage Risk
Risk cannot be eliminated; it must be
managed.
Do thorough requirements analysis before the
design.
Use tools to track requirements, responsibilities,
implementations, etc.
Build small prototypes to test and demonstrate
concepts and assess the approach, prior to
building full product.
Prototype integration as well as components.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Front-Loading
Tackle the unknown and harder parts earlier rather
than later.

Better to find out about infeasible, intractable, or

very hard problems early.

The easy parts will be worthless if the hard parts are

impossible.

Find out about design flaws early rather than upon

completion of a major phase.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 ROPES Model - Similar to Spiral
Rapid Object-Oriented Process for Embedded Systems
Bruce Douglass

Iterates the following

sequence of phases
repeatedly:
Requirements analysis Detailed design
System analysis Coding
Object analysis Unit testing
Architectural design Integration testing
Design Validation testing
Mechanistic design Iterative prototypes

[Link]
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 ROPES Model
Rapid Object-Oriented Process for Embedded Systems
Bruce Douglass

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Controlled-Iteration Model

Four phases per major cycle

Inception: Negotiate and define product for
this iteration
Elaboration: Design
Construction: Create fully functional product
Transition: Deliver product of phase as
specified
The next phase is started before the end of the
previous phase (say at 80% point).

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Rational Unified Process
(a form of controlled iteration)

Phases
Process Workflows Inception Elaboration Construction Transition

Business Modeling
Requirements
Analysis & Design
Implementation
Test
Deployment
Supporting Workflows
Configuration Mgmt
Management
Environment
Preliminary Iter. Iter. Iter. Iter. Iter. Iter. Iter.
Iteration(s) #1 #2 #n #n+1 #n+2 #m #m+1

Iterations within phases

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Time-Box Requirement
(can be used in iterative or incremental)

Requirements analysis
Initial design
while( not done )
{
Develop a version within a bounded time
Deliver to customer
Get feedback
Plan next version
}

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Scrum,
A cure for the Wicked?

Scrum first mentioned in

The New New Product Development Game (Harvard Business Review 86116:137-146, 1986)

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Scrum Model
(incremental model,
includes some aspects of team structure, as well as process)

Start

A small group is responsible for picking

up the ball and moving it toward the
goal.
Goal

See [Link]
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Argument for the Scrum Model
over other iterative models

A software development project might not

be compartmentalizable into nice clean
phases as the Spiral models suggest.

Scrum may be just the thing for wicked

problems, because the team can quickly
react to new information.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Some Principles of Scrum Model
Always have a product that you can theoretically
ship: done can be declared at any time.
Build early, build often.
Continuously test the product as you build it.
Assume requirements may change; Have ablility to
adapt to marketplace changes during development.
Small teams work in parallel to maximize
communication and minimize overhead.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Concepts Used in Scrum
(from [Link]

Backlog - an identification of all requirements that should be fulfilled in the

completed product. Backlog items are prioritized.
Objects/Components - self-contained reusable modules
Packets - a group of objects within which a backlog item will be implemented.
Coupling between the objects within a packet is high. Coupling between packets
is low.
Team - a group of 6 or fewer members that works on a packet.
Problem - what must be solved by a team member to implement a backlog item
within an object(s) (includes removing errors)
Issues - Concerns that must be resolved prior to a backlog item being assigned
to a packet or a problem being solved by a change to a packet
Solution - the resolution of an issue or problem
Changes - the activities that are performed to resolve a problem
Risks - the risk associated with a problem, issue, or backlog item

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Use of Iteration in Scrum
[Link]

Each iteration consists of all of the standard Waterfall

phases,
but each iteration only addresses one set of functionality.
Overall project deliverable has been partitioned into
prioritized subsystems, each with clean interfaces.
Test the feasibility of subsystems and technology in the
initial iterations.
Further iterations can add resources to the project while
ramping up the speed of delivery.
Underlying development processes are still defined and
linear.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Fountain Model
(Ian Graham, et al., The OPEN Process Specification
OPEN = Object-oriented Process Environment and Notation )

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
Additional Models/Acronyms
RAD (Rapid Application Development):
time-boxed, iterative prototyping

JAD (Joint Application Development): Focus

on developing models shared between users
and developers.

See [Link] for

additional points.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Extreme Programming (XP)
(cf. [Link]

User stories (something like use cases) are

written by the customer.
Complex stories are broken down into simpler ones
(like a WBS).
Stories are used to estimate the required amount
of work.
Stories are used to create acceptance tests.
A release plan is devised that determines which
stories will be available in which release.
Dont hesitate to change what doesnt work.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Extreme Programming (XP)
Each release is preceded by a release planning
meeting.
Each day begins with a stand-up meeting to share
problems and concerns.
CRC cards are used for design. [XP and CRC were
created by the same person, Kent Beck.]
Spike solutions are done to assess risks.
The customer is always available.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Extreme Programming (XP)
All code must pass unit tests, which are coded
before the code being tested (test-driven
design).
Refactoring is done constantly.
Integration is done by one pair.
Integration is done frequently.
Optimization is done last.
Acceptance tests are run often.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 System Metaphor?
Choose a system metaphor to keep the team on the same page by
naming classes and methods consistently. What you name your
objects is very important for understanding the overall design of
the system and code reuse as well. Being able to guess at what
something might be named if it already existed and being right is a
real time saver. Choose a system of names for your objects that
everyone can relate to without specific, hard to earn knowledge
about the system.

For example the Chrysler payroll system was built as a production

line. At another auto manufacturer car sales were structured as a
bill of materials. There is also a metaphor known as the naive
metaphor which is based on your domain itself. But don't choose the
naive metaphor unless it is simple enough.

These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Kellers Roll-Your-Own
Software Life-Cycle Construction
Kit
Requirements System Design Prototype Validate
Elicitation
Program Design Simulate Verify
Requirements
Analysis Detailed Design Implement Integration Test

Requirements Code Unit Test

Design Review Walkthrough
Specification
Acceptance Test
Risk Analysis Document Integrate
Port Train
Fix Errors
Cost Analysis Evaluate

Configure

Maintain

Party
These slides prepared by Prof. Bob Keller of Harvery Mudd College and printed for ERAU/Prescott SE300 usage with
his kind permission. Slides avaialble online at [Link]
 Embedded Systems
Design and
Development Lifecycle
Model
Lifecycle Model
Life Cycle Model
 Embedded System Life
Cycle Models

(1)3V Model

(2) Multiple V Model

 V Model
Each phase has corresponding test or validation counterpart

Requirements Acceptance
Analysis Test

System Design Integration

Test

Program Design Unit Test

Implementation
1. 3V model
3V model
 Sawtooth Model (Brugge)

Requirements Demo Demo

Acceptance
Analysis Prototype 1 Prototype 2
Test

System Design Integration

Test

Program Unit Test

Design

Implementatio
n
2. Multiple v model
Advanced Life Cycle
Models

(1)MDA

(2) Y-Model

(3) Platform-Based Design

 1. MDA MODEL

MODEL DRIVEN ARCHITECTURE

2. Y - MODEL
3. PLATFORM BASED DESIGN
MODEL
Approach used in Platform based
Model
Embedded design life cycle
diagram
 Different Stages
(stage 1) having a strong technical
Foundation
(stage 2) understanding the Architectural
Business Cycle
(stage 3) defining the architectural patterns
and models
(stage 4) defining the architectural
structures
(stage 5) documenting the architecture
(stage 6) analyzing and reviewing the
architecture
(stage 7) Maintenance
7 stages can be merged to
3 steps

1. Product specification
2. Hardware/software partitioning
3. Hardware/software integration
Tools used in the design
process
 Product specification
R&D engineers want to incorporate
everything:
Wastes time and resource
Marketing and sales will usually
execute the product specification
Engineers, however, should be
involved in some customer tours
CPIF - Cost Plus Incentive-Fee (Contract)

Listening to the customer is good

 Common success factors
Design team shares a common vision
of the product
Failed projects probably did not share
a common vision of project goals
Low cost medium performance versus
time to market versus high performance
and medium cost
Often overlooked part of the product
specification phase - the requirement of
the development tools
 Common success factors
Embedded systems projects are late
to market because engineers do not
have access to the best tools
Tools should be part of the product
specification
Prevents unrealistic expectations
is/is-not list, or musts and wants
Hardware/software partitioning
Embedded design usually involves
hardware and software
Hardware utilizes Micro-processors, Micro-
controllers and Digital Signal Processors
but are neither used nor perceived as
computers. Generally, software is used for
features and flexibility, while hardware is
used for performance.
What is the partitioning decision?
Different than application developers
Not a good idea to h/w enhance h/w to
address part of a problem
The old days of co-processors (FPUs) are over -
emulated
 Algorithm
Steps required to implement a design
Combination of hardware
components and software
components
Hardware/software partitioning also
involves the hows of partitioning the
algorithm (software only, hardware
only, combination)

Think about the simple algorithm of Fibonacci

series
 Embedded design
requirements
Price sensitive
Leading edge performers
Non-standard
Market competitive
Proprietary

These are conflicting in many ways!

Embedded design requirements cont

Algorithm partitioning depends on

the choice of processor used in the
design
Several hundreds to choose from!
Choice of CPU impacts the
partitioning decision which impacts
the tools decisions, etc
 Embedded design
requirements cont
Variety of possible choices
Experience required to arrive at
optimal design
Solution surface is smooth
Adequate solution not far off from the
best solution
Constraints dictate the decision path
 Iteration and
implementation
Hardware and software paths begin
to diverge
Early design work before the walls go
up (between H/W and S/W)
Design still very fluid
Major blocks partitioned
Boundary can still be moved
Iteration is common
 Iteration and
implementation
Hardware team
Simulation tools to model performance
Software team
Running code benchmarks on self contained
systems (evaluation boards)
Convenient development environment until the
hardware arrives!
Tools are helping (keep h/w, s/w engaged
longer)
More tools on their way
 Hardware/software
integration
Special tools and methods to manage the
complexity
Process of integrating h/w and s/w requires
debugging and discovery

Did the software team

really understand the
hardware spec?
 Hardware/software
integration
Real-time nature of embedded
systems leads to highly complex,
non-deterministic behavior
Can only be analyzed as it occurs
Accurately modeling and simulating
behavior may be very time
consuming
But tools are getting better!
Product testing and release
Testing is important when
performance is key
Testing and reliability more stringent
Is system performing at
close to its optimal
capabilities?
 Compliance testing
Embedded systems radiate a
lot of radio frequency energy
all electronic devices must be turned
off
If embedded designer does not
consider these things, compliance
engineering (CE) will fail
Software must be running to pass this test
This is often overlooked
 Maintaining and upgrading
Not many tools to support applications
already in the field
60% of embedded engineers
maintain systems
Original engineer long gone
Must rely on experience, any existing
documentation, etc
Tools might be handy
Maintaining and upgrading
time to market must
become

time to reverse
engineer
and
time to insight
Systems Product Life Cycle