Types of Embedded

Systems and skills

required for an
Embedded Systems
Designer
 CLASSIFICATION OF EMBEDDED
SYSTEMS

1. Small Scale Embedded System

2. Medium Scale Embedded System

3. Sophisticated Embedded System

Small Scale Embedded Systems
 Single 8 bit or 16bit Microcontroller.
 Little hardware and software complexity.
 They May even be battery operated.
 Usually “C” is used for developing these system.
 The need to limit power dissipation when system is running
Continuously.
Programming tools:
Editor, Assembler and Cross Assembler
Examples:
Washing or cooking systems, Multitasking toys, CD drive or hard disk drive
controller, Fax or Photocopy or printer or scanner machine, Remote(controller)
of TV, Automatic chocolate vending machine, Keyboard Controller, Electronic
data acquisition and supervisory control system, Spectrum Analyzer ,
Biomedical systems such as an ECG LCD display cum recorder and patient
monitor system.
Medium Scale Embedded Systems
 Single or few 16 or 32 bit microcontrollers or Digital Signal Processors (DSP) or
Reduced Instructions Set Computers (RISC).
 Both hardware and software complexity.

 Programming tools:
RTOS, Source code Engineering Tool , Simulator, Debugger and Integrated
Development Environment (IDE).

Examples:
Computer networking systems, for example ,a router, a front –end processor in a
server, a switch, a bridge, a hub and a gateway, Entertainment systems such as
video game and a music system, Banking systems, for example, bank ATM card
and credit card transactions, Signal tracking system, Image Filtering, image
processing, pattern recognizer, speech processing and video processing.
Sophisticated Embedded Systems
 Enormous hardware and software complexity
 Which may need scalable processor or configurable processor and
programming logic arrays.
 Constrained by the processing speed available in their
 hardware units.
Programming tools:
For these systems may not be readily available at a reasonable cost or may not
be available at all. A compiler or retargetable compiler might have to be
developed for this.
Examples:
Mobile smart phones and computing systems, Mobile computer, Embedded
systems for wireless LAN and for convergent technology devices, Embedded
systems for video and interactive video, broad band IPv6, security products
and high-speed network security, Gigabit rate encryption rate products.
Skills required for an
Embedded Systems
Designer
Skills for small scale Embedded
Systems designer
 Full understanding of microcontroller with a basic knowledge on computer
Architecture ,digital electronic design, data communication, control
engineering, sensors and measurements, IC design and manufacture.
 The following basic aspects with good knowledge of microprocessor or
microcontroller to be used.
a) Computer Architecture and organisation
b) Memories
c) Memory allocation
d) Interfacing Memories
e) Burning the executable machine codes in PROM or ROM
f) Use of decoders and demultiplexers
g) Direct memory accesses
h) Ports
i) Device Drivers in Assembly
j) Simple and sophisticated Buses
k) Timers
l) Interrupt service mechanism
Skills for Medium scale Embedded
Systems designer
knowledge of C/C++/JAVA programming, RTOS
programming and program modelling skills.
Knowledge of the following are critical.
a. Tasks and threads and their scheduling by RTOS
b. Co operative and preemptive scheduling.
c. Inter Processor communication Functions
d. Use of various RTOS functions
Skills for Sophisticated Embedded
Systems designer
A team is needed to co-design and solve the
high level complexities of hardware and
software design
Thank you.!