EMBEDDED SYSTEM

Lecture 2: Hardware
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Understand the hardware in embedded system:

1. Embedded System Architecture

2. Embedded System based on Layers and Types
3. Hardware in Embedded System
4. Memory mapping and Execution in ES
5. Examples of Embedded System
 Embedded Computer
• In an embedded system, a uC/uP receives input
signals, processes the input signals and generates
output signals based on the processing.

output analog

input analog
CPU

mem
embedded
computer
 Embedded System based on
Application View

4
 Embedded System based on Layers

• 3-layered devices • 2-layered device

– SmartPhone… – PlayStation,
Washing Machine
User Applications

Embedded OS Application

Hardware Hardware
 Embedded System Architecture
of 2-layered Devices
Application
Operating
System Graphics
Kernel Subsystems Scheduler I/O Manager

Network Device Graphics

Drivers Drivers Drivers

Hardware
 Embedded System Architecture
of 3-layered Devices
Processes Applications Applications

Operating Graphics
System Subsystems Scheduler I/O Manager
Kernel
Network Device Graphics
Drivers Drivers Drivers

Hardware
 ES based on Hardware Architecture
Von-Neumann

8 Harvard
 ES based on Processor types

• Embedded Computers with uP

• No RAM, ROM, I/O on CPU chip itself
• Example：Intel’s x86, Motorola’s 680x0

Many chips on mother’s board

Data Bus
CPU
General-
Serial
Purpose RAM ROM I/O Timer COM
Micro- Port
Port
processor
Address Bus

General-Purpose Microprocessor System

 ES based on Processor types

• Embedded computer with uC

• On-chip RAM, ROM, I/O ports...
• Example：Motorola’s 6811, Intel’s 8051, Zilog’s Z8 and PIC 16X

CPU RAM ROM

A single chip
Serial
I/O Timer COM
Port Port
Microcontroller
ES based on Processor types
ES based on Processor types
 Embedded System based on
Processor technology
• The architecture of the computation engine used to
implement a system’s desired functionality
• Processor does not have to be programmable
– “Processor” not equal to general-purpose processor
Controller Datapath Controller Datapath Controller Datapath
Control index
Control Register Control logic Registers
logic
logic and file and State total
State register
Custom State
register +
ALU register
General
IR PC ALU IR PC
Data
memory
Program Data Program Data
memory memory memory memory
Assembly code Assembly code
for: for:

total = 0 total = 0
for i =1 to … for i =1 to …

General-purpose (“software”) Application-specific Single-purpose (“hardware”)

13
 Embedded System with
General-purpose Processor
• Programmable device used in a Controller Datapath

variety of applications Control

logic and
Register
file
– Also known as “microprocessor” State
register
General
• Features IR PC ALU

– Program memory
Program Data
– General datapath with large register memory memory
Assembly code
file and general ALU for:

• User benefits total = 0

for i =1 to …

– Low time-to-market and NRE costs General-purpose (“software”)

– High flexibility
• Examples
– Pentium, Athlon, PowerPC
14
Embedded System with Application-specific
IS Processor (ASIPs)
• Programmable processor optimized for a
particular class of applications having
Controller Datapath
common characteristics
Control logic Registers
– Compromise between general-purpose and State
register
and ASIC (custom hardware) Custom
ALU

• Features IR PC

– Program memory
– Optimized datapath Program
memory
Data
memory
Assembly code
– Special functional units for:

• Benefits total = 0
for i =1 to …
– Some flexibility, good performance, size
and power Application-specific

• Examples
– DSPs, Video Signal Processors, Network
Processors,..

15
 Embedded System with
Application-Specific ICs (ASICs)
• Digital circuit designed to execute
exactly one program Controller Datapath
Control index
– coprocessor, hardware accelerator logic
total
State
+
• Features register

– Contains only the components needed Data

memory
to execute a single program
– No program memory Single-purpose (“hardware”)

• Benefits
– Fast
– Low power
– Small size
16
 Embedded System based on
Processor technology
General-purpose Single-
processor ASIP purpose
General, processor Customized,
providing improved: providing improved:

Flexibility
Power efficiency
Maintainability
Performance
NRE cost
Size
Time- to-prototype
Cost (high volume)
Time-to-market
Cost (low volume)

PLD Semi-custom Full-custom

17
 Memory mapping in ES
Data
I/O data
bus

Address
I/O address
bus

Control
I/O control
bus

OS I/O modules
I-IRS
Memory O-IRS
APPs
I/O devices

One of the control bus signals

CPU is named M/IO

18
 Memory mapping in ES
FFFF

I/O

Memory

0000

19
 Memory mapping in ES
FFFF

I/O

Memory

0000

20
EXECUTION IN ES
EXECUTION IN ES
I/O EXECUTION in ES
Instruction register

23
I/O EXECUTION in ES

24
 Examples:
Video & Audio Signal Processing
 Examples:
ES for Video Signal Processing
Examples: Mobile ES
Examples: PMP ES
Examples: VOIP ES
Examples: ES for Machine Learning
 Examples:
ES for High Computing
Thank you