UNIT - III

Embedded Firmware Design

 Introduction
• Embedded Firmware: The embedded firmware is
responsible for controlling various embedded
hardware and generate response based on
requirements.
• Embedded Firmware can be dumped in to
hardware at any stage.
• The Embedded Product can be damaged in two
ways.
• Hardware breakdown occurs(last stage)
• Firmware Corrupted.
Introduction Cont….
 Introduction Cont….
• In case Hardware Breakdown, the damaged component
may be replaced with new one
• In case of firmware corruption – the firmware is re-loaded
and to bring the embedded product to normal condition.
• Some Embedded systems are adaptive or non adaptive.
• For example , the embedded firmware is loaded into ROM
and it cannot be altered by end user.
• Some Embedded product in domain control and
instrumentation are adaptive in nature. So, the Firmware
is loaded in Flash Memory.
 Embedded Firmware design approaches

• There exist two basic approaches for the

design and implementation of embedded
firmware namely,
– Conventional Procedural Based Firmware Design
(or) also known as super loop based approach.
– Embedded Operating System based approach.
• These firmware approaches mainly depends
on complexity functions to be performed and
speed of operation required.
 Super loop based approach
• The Super loop based firmware development
approach is suitable for applications that are
not time critical.
• The response time is not so important
(Embedded systems where missing deadlines
are acceptable).