Embedded System Processors

• A number of choice available for embedded processors

• Two categories are:
• Standalone Processors
• Requires external chipset to form complete system
• Integrated Processors
• SoC: System on Chip
Standalone Processors
• Dedicated exclusively to the processor functions

• Needs external controllers to interfacing with surroundings.

E.g. DRAM controller, keyboard controller and serial ports

• Highest Overall CPU performance.

Standalone Microprocessor Based System
Standalone Processors:
Example
• Many standalone processors in 32 bit and 64 bit exist and
widely used in embedded systems:
• IBM 970FX :
• A high performing 64 bit capable stand alone processor.
• Superscalar architecture: Core can fetch, decode and execute for
more than one instruction at a time (Deeply Pipelined)
• Used also in IBM blade server platform
Standalone Processors:
Example
• Intel Pentium M
• One of the most popular x86 architecture for 32 and 64 bit.
• Super scalar architecture like IBM 970 FX.
• Used in many earlier laptops and commercial embedded systems
Intel Atom
• Widely used in notebooks and embedded system applications.
Known for low power consumption
Integrated Processor :SoC
SoC
• A microchip that has all the components to run the system.
• Integrates all the components of computer in a single chip
• Majority of embedded application uses Integrated processors
(SoC)
• Beagleboard
• Processor TI OMAP3530 SoC - 720 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 core
ARM TIMELINE :
• 1985: Acorn Computer Group manufactures the first commercial
RISC microprocessor. (ARM – I . . . V)
• 1990: Acorn, Apple and VLSI based Technology group = Advanced
RISC Machines (A.R.M.).
• 1991: ARM6, First embeddable RISC microprocessor.
• 1993 : ARM7, the first multimedia microprocessor is introduced.
• Users :
• Samsung
• Atmel
• Philips
• Etc.
ARM :
Advanced RISC Machine :
• Instructions are same size : 32 bit
• Instructions are executed in 1 cycle
• Load/Store access memory

• Advantage:
• Number of transistors are less compared to similar CISC
architecture.
• Less hardware results in less die size
• Low power consumption
Advanced Features
• Thumb:
• A new 16 bit instruction set called thumb is made available.
• This is less powerful instruction set but quite useful for
application that do not require full power of 32 bit instructions.
• Advantage: High Code Density
• (Higher amount of code in per unit memory area)

• MMU and MPU:

• Desktop system requires it.
• It depends on application requirement in embedded system
• ARM processor can be implemented with MMU and MPU or with
one of them or neither of them.
Advanced Features
• Debug Interface:
• There is chip testing unit called JTAG (joint testing action group)
interface.
• JTAG standard defines a set of interface for testing hardware and
initial code.

• Jazalle DBX: (Direct Byte code Execution)

• Some ARM processors have direct execution support for byte
code in hardware.
• Useful in devices for execution games and java application that
otherwise require a heavy JVM.
Advanced Features
• Vector Floating Point Unit
• Hardware support for floating point computation

• Cache:
• The first ARM processor with Cache is ARM3. It had 1 KB chip of 4
KB.
• ARM 7 had a cache of 8 KB.
Advanced Features
• Fast Multiplier
• Even though ARM is a RISC processor, there are many features
that do not conform to RISC philosophy
• ARM processors may have a fast multiplier hardware unit.

• Synthesizable:
• Design Code (RTL) is available with License, using which
extensions and modification are possible in basic core
Advanced Features
• Embedded ICE (In Circuit Emulator) Macrocell:
• The current hardware trend is to design system as macrocells.
• The ARM core could be considered as macrocell and other units
may also be added as (e.g. peripheral units) macrocells.
• Some processor has embedded ICE macrocell for testing.
• Used for debugging and have registers to set watch points and
breakpoints .