Introduction
Although the vast majority of embedded systems are customized by the user for a specific task, they generally consist of the following modules: a computer or microcontroller, which may have a word length of a pitiful 4-bit or 8, 16, 32 or even 64 bits. ROM (non-volatile read-only memory) for firmware. RAM (volatile random access memory) for program data. I/O ports that connect the microcontroller to switches, buttons, sensors, analog-to-digital converters, controllers, LEDs, and displays. A lightweight embedded operating system, usually self-written. A specialized single-chip microcontroller is at the heart of most embedded systems. By integrating several key system components onto a single chip, system designers can obtain small, inexpensive computers that can operate fewer peripheral electronic devices. A general model of an embedded system is not sufficient to define the embedded system itself. For example, some embedded systems are often not much smaller than a standard PC chassis. Examples of such devices are: information access and point-of-sale terminals. Certain industrial control systems. Game consoles (e.g. x86 and Windows based Xbox). Nowadays, embedded development mainly refers to the use of a certain language (such as assembly, C, C++, Java, C#, etc.) in the embedded hardware and software development environment.
Technical Applications
Embedded is a specialized computer system that is used as part of a device or equipment. Typically, an embedded system is an embedded processor control board with control programs stored in ROM. Virtually all devices with digital interfaces, such as watches, microwave ovens, VCRs, and automobiles, use embedded systems, and some embedded systems include an operating system, but most embedded systems are a single program that implements the entire control logic.
Embedded technology has developed rapidly in recent years, but the embedded industry involves a very wide range of fields, and the characteristics of each other are quite obvious. For example, many industries:cell phones, PDAs, car navigation, industrial control, military, multimedia terminals, gateways, digital TV ......
Mobile phone field:Mobile devices represented by cell phones can be said to be the most rapid development of embedded industry in recent years. Even for cell phone software development, there was once derived from the "pan-embedded development" such a new vocabulary. On the one hand, cell phones have been popularized on a large scale, on the other hand, the functions of cell phones have been developed rapidly, and the functions and prices of cell phones 3 or 4 years ago cannot be compared with those of today. With the domestic 3G era approaching, it can be expected that the field of cell phone hardware and software are bound to face a bigger change. Power consumption, functionality, bandwidth, price, etc. are the hot words in the field of cell phone hardware. From the software technology point of view, I think the cell phone software operating system platform will tend to standardize and unify. Cell phone applications will be more and more rich, in addition to the most basic call function, will gradually include the current PDA, digital cameras, game consoles and other functions, more inclined to become a personal handheld terminal.
Automotive electronics
With the rapid development of the automotive industry, automotive electronics in recent years has also seen rapid development. However, it must be recognized that the current development of the domestic embedded car field is still relatively large compared with the international gap. Electronic navigation system in automotive electronics occupies a relatively large proportion of the current navigation system has been widely used in foreign countries. In recent years in China has also begun to start, can be expected in the next few years will have a relatively rapid development. Another development trend in the field of automotive electronics is the combination of machinery with the car itself, so that it can realize the fault diagnosis and positioning and other functions.
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics sales have long exceeded PC sales by a factor of several. And is still growing at about 10% per year. Consumer electronics products mainly include portable audio and video players, digital cameras, handheld game consoles and so on. At present, consumer electronics products have formed a certain scale, and has been relatively mature. For consumer electronics products, the real embodiment of embedded features in the system design often have to consider the cost-effective compromise, how to design the product so that consumers feel cost-effective is more important.
Military Aerospace
For most developers and users, this is probably one of the more mysterious areas. Indeed, most people will never have the opportunity to write a control program for an F117 fighter jet in their lifetime. It's true that the military and aerospace fields are not well known to the general public, and in this field, both the hardware and the operating systems and compilers are usually not general-purpose devices that can be found on the market; most of them are specialized. But it doesn't mean that this field is backward, many of the most advanced technology most cutting-edge results, often will be used in this field.
Prospects
Embedded controller applications are almost everywhere: cell phones, household appliances, automobiles ...... without it. Embedded controller because of its small size, high reliability, strong functionality, flexible and convenient and many other advantages, its application has been y into industry, agriculture, education, national defense, scientific research and daily life and other fields, for all walks of life, technological transformation, product upgrading, accelerate the process of automation, improve productivity and so on has played an extremely important role in promoting. Embedded computers in the number of applications far more than a variety of general-purpose computers, a general-purpose computer external equipment contains 5 - 10 embedded microprocessors. In the manufacturing industry, process control, network, communications, instruments, meters, automobiles, ships, aviation, aerospace, military equipment, consumer products and other aspects are embedded computer applications. Embedded systems industry is a specialized computer industry, its purpose is to make everything simpler, more convenient, more universal, more applicable; the development of general-purpose computers into functional computers, universal access to the community, embedded computer development is the goal of specialized computers, the realization of the "generalized computing", and therefore can be said to embedded intelligent chip is the future of the world's composition of the "digital gene". As China's senior embedded systems experts - Shen Xupeng academician's prediction, "the next ten years will produce the size of the head, with more than 100 million times the computing power of embedded intelligent chips", will provide us with unlimited creative space. In short, "embedded microcontrollers or microcontrollers seem to be a black hole that attracts many of today's technologies and achievements. China should pay attention to the development of intellectually intensive industries.
Examples of embedded applications
Robotics
With the popularity and development of embedded systems and robotics technology, the robot body functions more and more modular, intelligent, miniaturized. At the same time, the price of robots is also dropping dramatically, making them more widely used in military, industrial, household and medical fields. For example, China has recently developed a "medical service robot", whose core components are mainly composed of CPLDs and multiple EMCUs. It can detach the brain from the robot body and placed in the mother environment, using wireless communication and the body for interaction; and service robot body of the cerebellum specifically to achieve the receipt of various commands issued by the robot brain, control the robot's various executive and sensory institutions, and thus realize the function of the robot body of the coordination between the various functional modules.
Military defense field
Military defense has always been an important application of embedded systems. 1970s, embedded computer systems used in weapons control systems, and later used in military command and control and communication systems. At present, in a variety of weapons control devices (artillery, missiles and smart bombs guidance and detonation control devices), tanks, ships, bombers, land, sea and air all kinds of military electronic equipment, radar, electronic countermeasures equipment, military communications equipment, field command and operation with a variety of specialized equipment, etc., can be seen in the figure of embedded systems. Weapons using embedded technology has played an important role for the U.S. military in the Iraq war.
Medical Instruments
Embedded systems in the application of medical instruments in the popularity is extremely high. Reprogramming embedded systems as needed during the design process avoids front-end flow-through (NRE) costs, reduces the order quantity associated with ASICs, and reduces the significant risk of multiple silicon trials. In addition, with the development of standards or when there is a change in demand, it can be updated in the field, and designers are able to repeatedly use the public **** hardware platform, on the basis of a basic design, to build different systems to support a variety of functions, thus greatly reducing production costs. So that the product has a long life cycle, can protect medical instruments will not be too quickly out of date, the medical industry, the product life cycle is relatively long, so this feature is very important. Modern digital medical instrumentation includes not only diagnostic and treatment equipment, but also data storage servers and interface software. Embedded systems can provide advanced technical support for the design, production and use of medical equipment.
Today, the development of embedded systems has entered the era of great convergence, characterized by the following:
Communications, computers and consumer electronics (3C) convergence - tendency there is no independent 3C, there is only a convergence of 3C, that is, the information products (IA);
Digital-analog convergence, microcomputer-electrical convergence, circuit boards silicon convergence and hard- and software-design convergence - tendency SoC: and SiP;
Embedded machine development work has also changed from the traditional hardware-based to software-based;
Fierce market competition and technological advances call for novel product development platforms, especially the emergence of SoC development platforms.
With the continuous development of embedded technology, embedded systems will be more widely used in all aspects of human life 。。。。。
Modern power industry
Embedded technology is also widely used in the current power system fault detection and online fault diagnosis.