EE-446: Embedded Systems Design

Embedded Technologies

Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 1

Embedded Systems Technologies

Technology
A manner of accomplishing a task, especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge

Three key technologies for embedded systems

Processor technology IC technology Design technology

Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 2

Processor technology
The architecture of the computation engine used to implement a systems desired functionality Processor does not have to be programmable General-purpose Single-Purpose Application Specific

Awais M. Kamboh

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Processor technology
Processors vary in their customization for the problem at hand
total = 0 for i = 1 to N loop total += M[i] end loop

Desired functionality

General-purpose processor
Awais M. Kamboh

Application-specific processor

Single-purpose processor
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General-purpose processors
Programmable device used in a variety of applications
Also known as microprocessor
Controller Control logic and State register Datapath Register file

Features
Program memory General datapath with large register file and general ALU

IR

PC

General ALU

User benefits
Low time-to-market and NRE costs High flexibility

Program memory
Assembly code for: total = 0 for i =1 to

Data memory

Drawbacks
High Unit Cost for large quantities Low performance, large size and power
Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 5

Single-purpose processors
Digital circuit designed to execute exactly one program
a.k.a. coprocessor, accelerator or peripheral
Controller Control logic State register Datapath index

Features
Components needed to execute a single program No program memory

total
+

Benefits
Fast Low power Small size

Data memory

Drawbacks
Large Design Time and NRE Cost, No Flexibility
Awais M. Kamboh Slide 6

Application-specific processors
Programmable processor optimized for a particular class of applications having common characteristics
Examples: Micro-controllers, DSP Processors Compromise between general-purpose and single-purpose processors
Controller Control logic and State register Datapath Registers

Custom ALU IR PC Data memory

Features
Program memory, Optimized datapath, Special functional units

Program memory
Assembly code for: total = 0 for i =1 to

Benefits
Some flexibility, good performance, less size and power than General Purpose Processors
Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 7

IC technology
The manner in which a digital (gate-level) circuit is mapped onto an IC (chip)
ICs consist of numerous layers (perhaps 10 or more)
IC technologies differ with respect to who builds each layer and when

IC package

IC

source

gate oxide channel drain Silicon substrate

Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 8

IC technology
Three types of IC technologies
Full-custom/VLSI Semi-custom ASIC (gate array and standard cell) PLD (Programmable Logic Device)

Awais M. Kamboh

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Full-custom/VLSI
All layers are optimized for an embedded systems particular digital implementation
Placing transistors Sizing transistors Routing wires

Benefits
Excellent performance, small size, low power

Drawbacks
High NRE cost, long time-to-market
Awais M. Kamboh Slide 10

Semi-custom
Lower layers are fully or partially built
Designers are left with routing of wires and maybe placing some blocks

Benefits
Good performance, good size, less NRE cost than a fullcustom implementation

Drawbacks
Still require weeks to months to develop

Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 11

PLD (Programmable Logic Device)

All layers already exist
Designers can purchase an IC Connections on the IC are either created or destroyed to implement desired functionality Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) very popular

Benefits
Low NRE costs, almost instant IC availability

Drawbacks
Bigger, expensive, power hungry, slower
Awais M. Kamboh Slide 12

Independence of processor and IC technologies

Basic tradeoff
General vs. custom With respect to processor technology or IC technology

General, providing improved: Flexibility Maintainability NRE cost Time- to-prototype Time-to-market Cost (low volume)

Generalpurpose processor

ASIP

Singlepurpose processor

Customized, providing improved: Power efficiency Performance Size Cost (high volume)

PLD
Awais M. Kamboh

Semi-custom/ ASIC

Full-custom/ VLSI
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Design Technology
The manner in which we convert our concept of desired system functionality into an implementation

Awais M. Kamboh

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Design Technology

Awais M. Kamboh

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Moores law
The most important trend in embedded systems
Predicted in 1965 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore IC transistor capacity has doubled roughly every 18 months for the past several decades
10,000 1,000

Logic transistors per chip (in millions) Note: logarithmic scale

100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001

Awais M. Kamboh

Slide 16

Summary
Key challenge: optimization of design metrics
Design metrics compete with one another

A unified view of hardware and software is necessary to improve productivity Three key technologies
Processor: general-purpose, application-specific, single-purpose IC: Full-custom, semi-custom, PLD Design: Compilation/synthesis, libraries/IP, test/verification

Awais M. Kamboh

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