Characteristics of Embedded System

Let's see the general characteristics of embedded system in the real-time computation of system:

An embedded system is software embedded into computer hardware that makes a system dedicated to be used for variety of application.
Embedded system generally used for do specific task that provide real-time output on the basis of various characteristics of an embedded system.
Embedded system may contain a smaller part within a larger device that used for serving the more specific application to perform variety of task using hardware-software intermixing configuration.
It provides high reliability and real-time computation ability.

Let's see the characteristics of Hardware and Software Interfacing in the real world of Embedded Systems:

S. No	Software Interface	Hardware Interface	Visual Aid	Remarks
1	Driver for LED	Session: Interfacing of DisplayDiagram: Interfacing of LED	LED glowing On and Off.	Handling a single segment in 7 segment display as a single LED
2	Driver for 7 segment display	Session: Interfacing of Display Diagram 1: Interfacing of single 7 segment display Diagram 2: Interfacing of multiple 7 segment display	Displaying numbers 0000 to 9999 on 7-segment display.	Simple multiplexing without the use of Display Look up Table.Static display
3	Driver for multiplexing 4 seven segment displays	Session: Interfacing of Display Diagram 1: Interfacing of single 7 segment display Diagram 2: Interfacing of multiple 7 segment displays	Displaying numbers 0000 to 9999 on 7-segment display.	Multiplexing of 7 segment display taking patterns from Display Look up Table.
4	Counter	Application on seven-segment display.	Showing continuously incrementing values on seven-segment display	Without interrupt, Without ASCII values
5	Counter	Application on seven-segment display.	Showing continuously incrementing values on seven-segment display	Without interrupt, With ASCII values
6	Timer Counter	Session: Time / Counter initialization.	Blinking LED	Timer in Polling mode
Concept of background and foreground process for I/O handling using Interrupt
7	Generating Timer Interrupt	Session: Timer and interrupt structure Diagram 1: Timer SFR Diagram2: Interrupt Vector Table	Blinking of dot on seven-segment display.	Dot indicates occurrence of interrupt
8	Interrupt based display driver for seven segment display	Session: timer and interrupt structure Diagram 1: 1ms interrupt structure Diagram 2: Scanner program flow chart	Four digit counter application on seven-segment display	With interrupt, with ASCII values
9	Interrupt based hex key pad driver	Session: Interfacing of keys Diagram1: Interfacing of Key Diagram 2: Interfacing of Hex Key pad, Scan lines and Return lines Diagram 3: Scanner program flow chart	Displaying the value of key pressed till user presses another key	Key pad scanning with interrupt
10	Complete Stopwatch application	Related to each of the above	Showing continuously incrementing values on seven-segment display	A key for starting SW B key for stopping SW C key for resetting SW

Advantages

Same hardware can be used in variety of application.
Lesser power requirement
Lower operational cost of system
Provide high performance and efficiency

Disadvantages

Developing a system required more time. Due to functional complexity.
Skilled engineers required because one mistake may result in destroying of complete project.

Next TopicDesigning of an Embedded System

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