ASIC and FPGA solutions


ASIC and FPGA solutions
A common array of n configuration for very-high-volume embedded systems is the system on a chip (SoC) which contains a complete system consisting of multiple processors, multipliers, caches and interfaces on a single chip. SoCs can be implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).
Peripherals
Serial Communication Interfaces (SCI): RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, etc.Embedded systems talk with the outside world via peripherals, such as:
  • Synchronous Serial Communication Interface: I2C, SPI, SSC and ESSI (Enhanced Synchronous Serial Interface)
  • Universal Serial Bus (USB)
  • Multi Media Cards (SD cards, Compact Flash, etc.)
  • Networks: Ethernet, LonWorks, etc.
  • Fieldbuses: CAN-Bus, LIN-Bus, PROFIBUS, etc.
  • Timers: PLL(s), Capture/Compare and Time Processing Units
  • Discrete IO: aka General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)
  • Analog to Digital/Digital to Analog (ADC/DAC)
  • Debugging: JTAG, ISP, ICSP, BDM Port, BITP, and DB9 ports.
Tools
As with other software, embedded system designers use compilers, assemblers, and debuggers to develop embedded system software. However, they may also use some more specific tools:
  • In circuit debuggers or emulators (see next section).
  • Utilities to add a checksum or CRC to a program, so the embedded system can check if the program is valid.
  • For systems using digital signal processing, developers may use a math workbench to simulate the mathematics.
  • System level modeling and simulation tools help designers to construct simulation models of a system with hardware components such as processors, memories, DMA, interfaces, buses and software behavior flow as a state diagram or flow diagram using configurable library blocks. Simulation is conducted to select right components by performing power vs. performance trade-off, reliability analysis and bottleneck analysis. Typical reports that helps designer to make architecture decisions includes application latency, device throughput, device utilization, power consumption of the full system as well as device-level power consumption.
  • A model-based development tool creates and simulate graphical data flow and UML state chart diagrams of components like digital filters, motor controllers, communication protocol decoding and multi-rate tasks.
  • Custom compilers and linkers may be used to optimize specialized hardware.
  • An embedded system may have its own special language or design tool, or add enhancements to an existing language such as Forth or Basic.
  • Another alternative is to add a real-time operating system or embedded operating system
  • Modeling and code generating tools often based on state machines
  • Software companies that specialize in the embedded market
  • Ported from the GNU software development tools
  • Sometimes, development tools for a personal computer can be used if the embedded processor is a close relative to a common PC processor
Software tools can come from several sources:
As the complexity of embedded systems grows, higher level tools and operating systems are migrating into machinery where it makes sense. For example, cellphones, personal digital assistants and other consumer computers often need significant software that is purchased or provided by a person other than the manufacturer of the electronics. In these systems, an open programming environment such as Linux, NetBSD, OSGi or Embedded Java is required so that the third-party software provider can sell to a large market.
Embedded systems are commonly found in consumer, cooking, industrial, automotive, medical applications. Some example of embedded systems are MP3 players, mobile phones, videogame consoles, digital cameras, DVD players, and GPS. Household appliances, such as microwave ovens, washing machines and dishwashers, include embedded systems to provide flexibility and efficiency.

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