Embedded Systems

Chapter Five
Networked Embedded Systems (NES) and IoT
Outlines
• Introduction
• Why NES?
• Distributed Embedded Architecture
• Networks in Embedded Systems
• Network Abstractions
• Internet of Things
Introduction
• Networking: an interconnection scheme that doesn’t provide a shared memory
communication.
• The focuses is on how nodes can talk to the internet or each other.
• NES: deals with how different Embedded computing platforms (Processing Elements
(PE)) can be interconnected.
• Distributed Embedded System
• A set of processing elements connected via communication link
• Processing Elements can be
- DSP, Microcontrollers, or ASICs
- Sensors and Actuators
• A protocol for communication
• Different topology for interconnection
• Unlike buses protocol machine implemented in software
• Doesn’t have shared memory
What are network(ed) 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
• Home and office security systems comprise a network of sensors,
cameras, alarms, and other embedded devices that gather
information about a building's interior and exterior and use it to alert
users to unusual, potentially dangerous disturbances close by.
Cont.
• An ATM relies on network connections to a host computer and bank-
owned computer to approve and permit withdrawals, balance
inquiries, deposits, and other account requests.
• POS systems comprise networks of multiple workstations and a server
that keeps track of customer transactions, sales revenue, and other
customer-related information.
• Overall, if embedded systems are part of or rely on networks of other
devices to function, they're classified as network or networked
embedded systems.
Why NES?
• When processing tasks are physically distributed
➢Time constraints may not allow transmission to central site
➢It is very important to put some of the computing power near where the event occur
• Data reduction
• It is possible to perform initial signal processing on captured data to reduce its
volume
• Example: detecting an event in sampled data stream
• Reducing the data on separate processor may significantly reduce the load
on the processor
• Modularity:
• Designing modules(individual components)
• Improved debugging
• Use one PE in network to debug others
• Improves the design of fault tolerance, flexible, and scalable systems
Distributed Embedded Architecture
Basic building blocks of DEN
- PE’s
- Networks
PE’s: are computing
platforms(Embedded processors) which
includes:
● Instruction set processors(MP, MC,
DSP…),
●Non-programmable units (ASICs, or
I/O devices –Sensors / and Actuators ...)
Networks in Embedded Systems
. Networks: connections between PEs(nodes). It can be
- Buses or
- can use more networks that needs little communication between PEs
- Connection between PE’s provided by a network is called communication link
Network Abstractions
• International Standards Organization (ISO) developed the Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) model to describe networks:
• 7-layer model.
• Provides a standard way to classify network components and
operations.
Cont.
• Physical: connectors, bit formats, electrical properties, basic
procedures etc.
• Data link: error detection and control across a single link (single
hop).
• Network: end-to-end multi-hop data communication.
• Transport: provides connections; may optimize network
resources.
• Session: services for end-user applications: data grouping,
checkpointing, etc.
• Presentation: data formats, transformation services.
• Application: interface between network and end-user programs
Networks Cont.
• Networks for DES can be organized in different ways:
• Topology
• Scheduling
• Routing
• So, one way to understand possible architecture is, through the
Topological architecture
• Point-to-point
• Bus
• Ring
• Star
• Cross-bar
Internet of Things
• Introduction (what and why)
• Technologies used
• Application of IoT
• Challenges and barriers to IoT
• Future of IoT
What is IoT?
• First proposed by Kevin Ashton in 1999, Internet of things (IOT) is a
kind of network that collects real-time information through various
information sensing devices, connects any real object in the physical
world with the Internet according to the pre-defined protocol.
• This includes every thing from cellphones, coffee makers, washing
machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices, and almost any thing
else you can think of.
• IoT represents a general concept for the ability of network devices to
sense and collect data from the world around us, and then share that
data across the internet where it can be processed and utilized for
various interesting purposes.
Devices on the Internet are assigned a unique IP address for identification and location definition.
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Why IoT?
• Better relationship between human and nature
• Universal transport and internetworking
• Improve the resource utilization ratio
• Dynamic control of industry and daily life
• Reduced waste and improved data collection
• Improved customer engagement
• IoT is recognized as one of the most important areas of the future
Internet.
Typical IoT Components
• Sensors/ Actuators
• Communication between servers or server platforms
• Server/ Middleware platform
• Data analytics engine
• Apps (iOS, Android, web)
Technologies
• IoT primarily exploits standard protocols and networking
technologies.
• However, the major enabling technologies and protocols of IoT are
RFID, NFC, low-energy Bluetooth, low-energy wireless, low-energy
radio protocols, LTE-A, and Wi-Fi-Direct.
NFC(near-field communication) and RFID(radio-frequency identification )
• They provide simple, low energy, and versatile options for identity
and access tokens, connection bootstrapping, and payments.
• RFID technology employs 2-way radio transmitter-receivers to
identify and track tags associated with objects.
• NFC consists of communication protocols for electronic devices,
typically a mobile device and a standard device.
Low-Energy Bluetooth
• This technology supports the low-power, long-use need of IoT
function while exploiting a standard technology with native support
across systems.
Low-Energy Wireless
• This technology replaces the most power hungry aspect of an IoT
system. Though sensors and other elements can power down over
long periods, communication links (i.e., wireless) must remain in
listening mode.
• Low-energy wireless not only reduces consumption, but also extends
the life of the device through less use.
Radio Protocols
• ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Thread are radio protocols for creating low-rate
private area networks.
• These technologies are low-power, but offer high throughput unlike
many similar options.
• This increases the power of small local device networks without the
typical costs.
LTE-A and WiFi-Direct
• LTE-A, or LTE Advanced, delivers an important upgrade to LTE
technology by increasing not only its coverage, but also reducing its
latency and raising its throughput.
• It gives IoT a tremendous power through expanding its range, with its
most significant applications being vehicle, UAV, and similar
communication.
• WiFi-Direct eliminates the need for an access point. It allows P2P
(peer-to-peer) connections with the speed of WiFi, but with lower
latency. WiFi-Direct eliminates an element of a network that often
bogs it down, and it does not compromise on speed or throughput.
RFID Application
• Widely used in transport and logistics
• Tracking of persons and animals
• Tracking of goods
• RFID inserted in passports
• RFID can help detect and retrieve stolen cars
Application Areas of IoT
Cont.
• Traffic monitoring • Smart cities
• Intelligent homes • Smart energy
• Smart parking • Smart transportation
• Green houses • Smart living
• Indoor air quality • Smart planet in general
• Water leakages on reservoirs • And many more…
• Animal tracking
• Smart health
• Smart industry
• Smart buildings
Challenges and Barriers to IoT
• Security – as they are connected to the Internet, black hackers have easy
access to exploit weak defenses.
• Privacy – data privacy remains a potential concern for the IoT because of
IoT devices can potentially harvest enormous amount of data.
• High cost of implementation – many companies have relied on the
approach of designing IoT devices with a centralized cloud-based business
model. This method can lead to years or even decades expense without
revenue.
• Electricity – to support IoT we need to functions, internet connectivity and
power. So the prospect of regularly changing batteries on billions of devices
is daunting and highly impractical as a permanent solution.
• Interoperability – getting billions of different types of devices to
communicate with each other is not an easy job.