UCR CS269: Hardware/Software Engineering of Embedded Systems

Why embedded systems

First, some interesting data -- Last year, about 100 million processors were sold for use in desktop computers (mostly PC's), while over 3 BILLION processors were sold for embedded computing applications.

An embedded system is a computing system designed to execute a specific task within a larger electronic device. Examples are found in cellular telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants, camcorders, digital cameras, home security systems, automotive electronics, thermostats, robots, office automation, and so on. Soon they'll be found in almost anything that runs on electricity. By the year 2000, it's expected that the average car will have over $2000 worth of embedded computers, the average American home will have 240 embedded computers, and the embedded system market will exceed $60 billion dollars. (Dollarwise, the embedded and desktop markets are about the same, since embedded computers cost only a few to tens of dollars -- you can't put a $200 processor inside a pager!).

Designers of embedded systems will likely be in high demand. But who knows how to build such systems? Such systems used to be the domain of hardware designers. But today, most embedded systems also include software processors. Thus, the embedded system designer must be experienced in both software and hardware design, as well as in embedded applications. In addition, because an embedded system usually executes just one program during its lifetime (unlike desktop computers that execute thousands of programs), the designer must be familiar with optimization techniques to perform the specific program using the least size, power, and time.

Syllabus

Embedded systems introduction

Specification models and languages

Design tools and aids

Embedded applications

Intellectual property

Test and verification

Optimization techniques

Embedded applications

Miscellaneous