Book Image

Architecting High-Performance Embedded Systems

By : Jim Ledin
4 (1)
Book Image

Architecting High-Performance Embedded Systems

4 (1)
By: Jim Ledin

Overview of this book

Modern digital devices used in homes, cars, and wearables contain highly sophisticated computing capabilities composed of embedded systems that generate, receive, and process digital data streams at rates up to multiple gigabits per second. This book will show you how to use Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and high-speed digital circuit design to create your own cutting-edge digital systems. Architecting High-Performance Embedded Systems takes you through the fundamental concepts of embedded systems, including real-time operation and the Internet of Things (IoT), and the architecture and capabilities of the latest generation of FPGAs. Using powerful free tools for FPGA design and electronic circuit design, you’ll learn how to design, build, test, and debug high-performance FPGA-based IoT devices. The book will also help you get up to speed with embedded system design, circuit design, hardware construction, firmware development, and debugging to produce a high-performance embedded device – a network-based digital oscilloscope. You’ll explore techniques such as designing four-layer printed circuit boards with high-speed differential signal pairs and assembling the board using surface-mount components. By the end of the book, you’ll have a solid understanding of the concepts underlying embedded systems and FPGAs and will be able to design and construct your own sophisticated digital devices.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
1
Section 1: Fundamentals of High-Performance Embedded Systems
5
Section 2: Designing and Constructing High-Performance Embedded Systems
10
Section 3: Implementing and Testing Real-Time Firmware

Summary

This chapter covered the implementation of a few of the significant remaining portions of the FPGA design, including the deserializer, the FIFO buffer, and the interface to the AXI bus. We covered the application of appropriate code style guidelines and discussed the use of static source code analysis as a powerful means of preventing many errors that are otherwise difficult to debug.

The chapter discussed the use of Git as a software project version control system. The benefits of TDD were discussed and the Ceedling TDD tool for C language projects was introduced.

Having completed this chapter, you understand the basics of designing FPGA algorithms and how to develop embedded C code in a maintainable and well-tested style. You are familiar with the basics of Git version control and understand the fundamental steps of TDD.

The next and final chapter will discuss best practices for performing thorough testing of the entire embedded device and will offer some effective...