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 introduced the elements of embedded systems, including digital processing, sensors, actuators, a power source, and, in many cases, one or more communication interfaces. We continued with an exploration of the relationship between embedded systems and the IoT.

The necessity for embedded systems to function in a real-time manner was emphasized, and the basic operational sequence of reading from input devices, computing outputs, and updating output devices was presented.

This chapter introduced the FPGA in functional terms and identified the benefits these high-performance devices bring to embedded system designs.

Having completed this chapter, you should now have a broad understanding of the components that make up embedded systems and the relationship between embedded systems and the IoT. You should also know why and how embedded systems operate in real time and understand how FPGAs can be employed to implement high-performance embedded systems.

In the next chapter, we will look at the range of sensors that are commonly used to enable embedded systems to receive input from users and from the environment around them.