www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOm1bWEQHtU

Before you watch this video, be sure to view the video#1 on Introduction to Embedded systems.

I would like to share my experience with embedded systems. In 2005, I was a student of Electronics Engineering. Back then when I had started to learn Micro controller programming on my own, I had faced a lot of issues, lot of hurdles and lot of questions. But I was madly interested to learn it, whatever it may take, how much ever work it needed, I wanted to program a micro controller and build a fancy application.

I had many unanswered questions in mind:

• What micro controller should I use? How should I use it?
• How to program a micro controller? What is the process?
• What does it take to make a micro controller get to work?
• Is micro controller programming same as computer programming?

Learning Embedded Systems is all about learning to program a micro controller chip. The process of creating an embedded systems applicaiton is as follows:

1. Set out with requirements i.e., set of tasks your embedded system should be designed to perform.
2. Decide the hardware that is necessary for building your system. Assemble your hardware and keep it ready.
3. Write the logic or algorithm on a paper, convert it into code in computer.
4. Compile this code in a computer and obtain a byte code.
5. Burn this byte code into the micro controller.
6. Power on your embedded system and your program in the micro controller chip starts to work.

Let’s discuss these steps with a practical example. Let us say that we wish to build a clock using a micro controller chip. Step#1 is to note down the set of features that we need this clock to possess. Say we need the ability to set the time (hours/minutes/seconds), set 12/24 clock, set/clear alarm etc,. The clock should refresh time every second and show the updated time. The clock circuit should be able to activate an alarm at the preset tme.

Step#2 is to decide the hardware features of this clock. Say we wish to use a 16 x 2 LCD display; first column for displaying the time (hr:min:ss) and second column for displaying the alarm time. We need a 4 button keypad to manipulate various settings in the clock. We want a battery back up system such that if the electric power fails, the battery takes over and keeps the clock ticking.

Step#3 is to write an alogrithm for the clock to display time, to be able to manipulate the time and alarm time using the keypad clicks, to be able to show updated time on the LCD. Code for embedded systems is usually written either in Assembly Language or Embedded C.

Step#4 is to compile this assembly/C code into a byte code. This process is similar to compilation of a computer program to an executable file. In the case of computers, the output file is .exe or .o file. In case of micro controller programs, the output of compilation is a hexa decimal byte code. This code is understood only by the micro controller for which the code has been written. Whereas the code written in C or Assembly language is human understandable.

Step#5 is to transfer this code into the micro controller. This process is a somewhat similar to transferring a picture or a song from a computer to a mobile phone using a data cable. This process of moving the compiled hex code from computer to a micro controller is called burning. Burning is done using a hardware, software and a cable connecting the computer with this hardware. This hardware is also called as Micro controller programmer.

Step#6 is to power your circuit and check the output. If you had written the program correctly and had assembled hardware correctly, your clock should have been working as expected by now.

So for programming a micro controller(burning code), you need Micro Controller Programmer Hardware & Software and a data cable. You need a cross compiler that can compile the code written in computer into hex code that your chip can understand.

This process is called cross-compiling. Guess why?

Because the executable file that gets created by compiling a program that was written in a computer is not executed on the same computer. That is, the hex code is not run on your computer. But that hex code is run on another external micro controller chip. Whereas in the case of a traditional computer program, the executable is run on the computer where it was compiled. Hence micro controller compilers are called cross-compilers.

Feel free to shoot any questions related to these basics steps in micro controller programming. I will get back to you with answers as soon as possible.

Here are few shocking statistics:

• In 2010, IIT received 4.5 lakhs of applications.
• There are just 7,417 seats spread across 15 IITs across India.
• The ratio of selection to IITs is about 61:1
• Whereas the odds of selection in top colleges in the world such as Harvard University and MIT is just 8:1
• India has over 2,297 engineering colleges with annual intake of 8.19 lakh students.
• India has over 1,500 management schools with annual intake of 1.5 lakh students.

In India, where you study is more important than what you study. In that case the students who have failed IIT JEE are totally lost. Where can they fit into? Not that they can’t get into any engineering college, but they could have got into a better college had they concentrated on 12th exams and local Common Entrance Tests.

I call IIT JEE a gamble. Probably the odds of winning a casino game in Las Vegas is more than that of passing IIT JEE. Should your ward take this risk? Should he/she gamble her future?

Comment your opinions below.

Firefighting Robot 1:

Firefighting Robot 2:

Firefighting Robot 3:

Here is more about firefighting robots. I’ve observed that bachelor’s projects done by project centers in India typically don’t actually extinguish any fire. They simply have a robot that can be navigated using a remote control. They cover it up by saying that there would be an imaginary water pipe that would extinguish the flame. Now that’s cheating.

We have started a new video series on Embedded Systems. Through this series, Sridhar Jammalamadaka is going to teach you the basics of Embedded Systems, micro controller programming and techniques to build robotics projects.

This is the first video in the series that introduces you to the topic Embedded Systems.

Indian Students studying Engineering, especially in electrical, computer science, electronics, instrumentation control departments, are interested to learn embedded systems. That’s because they wish to build their own robots and participate in robotics competitions conducted by IITs and other colleges. Engineering Students also like to build micro controller projects on their own to show off to their friends. Nothing wrong in that. The primary purpose of engineers is to innovate and build.

And doing a fully finished, working micro controller project is a great achievement to students. It gives them a proud feeling and a sense of completion of their theoretical study at colleges.

Wikipiedia definition of an Embedded System: a computer system which is designed to perform one or few dedicated functions. It is embedded as a part of a complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts.

This video explains in simple language what Embedded systems means. What makes embedded systems special is that it can perform tasks automatically on its own. All you have to do is, you have to tell the micro controller chip what to do by writing a program. That’s it, the embedded system will perform the tasks that you have asked it to do. Sounds similar to robotics doesn’t it? Well robots are applications of embedded systems.

Where are embedded systems being used in real life? Everywhere

This video also explains few of the most common applications of embedded systems being used in real world.

1. Mobile phone

   

   Nokia mobile phone

   As it performs particular tasks such as sending sms, capturing pictures on cam, displaying call information, placing a call etc. Your phone is a mini computer that stores all your pictures and call information. Mobile can store messages and it gives you functionality to display and delete sms. You can play games on your mobile. All this is possible because of the Digital Signal Processor chips and micro controller chips in your mobile.

2. Microwave Oven

   

   Panasonic Microwave

   Oven automatically knows when the set temperature is being reached. It shuts it off on its own once the set time has elapsed. How does it an oven know? There are micro controller chips inside an oven that are being programmed to do those tasks. There are temperature sensors inside an oven which convert the temperature into a digital signal and are given to a micro controller. This micro controller understands the value of temperature and takes the decision to shut off once the required temperature is reached.

3. Pulsar DTSi Bike

   

   Pulsar DTSi

   Pulsar motorcycle manufactured by Bajaj, has a digital speedometer display. This display shows the speed in meters per sec or kilometers per hour. Also can show amount of petrol available to use. This display is driven using an embedded system. The speed of the bike gets converted into an analog signal first. This signal is then converted to a digital signal and is being fed to a micro controller. The micro controller understands this signal, converts the value to suitable scale and displays it on an LCD display.

4. Aircraft Autopilot

   

   Aircraft cockpit

   How does an auto pilot work in an air craft. Aircrafts have complex embedded systems built that constantly measure height and direction towards which the plane is heading. Autopilot automatically understands the deviation from the required direction and corrects the plane action to go in proper altitude and direction. This embedded system works in real time and takes decisions on its own.

5. Pepsi Cola Manufacture

   

   Pepsi bottle

   How does pepsi manufacture thousands of cola bottles daily? Are there thousands of manual labor who do that? No. They have pre-programmed robotic automation machines that clean the bottles, pour cola into them and seal them. This is another example of application of embedded system.

What is unique about this video series is that we are not going to teach you theory, but we are going to teach you in a practical way how to give life to your micro controller projects.

Keep visiting this website for latest videos and updates.

It’s just a prototype not a product!

Student projects don’t have to create sophisticated gizmos. They don’t have invent a time machine like the one in this video.

Your project is a success if it just does what it promises to do. And being a student project, your project obviously has limitations and flaws. It’s not perfect. The world understands that. It’s alright if your landmine detection robot doesn’t climb a hill. It’s enough if your skifi metal robot detects an iron piece. We will call that little iron piece a landmine for now. It’s alright if your GPS device does not work with a real satellite. It’s enough if it proves a point.

The most important thing that you have to do after having decided a project idea is to define the scope of your project. Here is what I mean by scope of a project. In a broad sense, scope of your project means what your project is all about, and what your project is not about. You are defining these things clearly at the start of your project. So defining scope is what you should do before starting your project.

Here is how to define scope of your project. Create a new word document. Copy paste, the following questions in your document.  Answer each of those questions in a para or two. This is going to be the document that defines the scope of your project.

Scope of Engineering Project

• What is your Project all about?
  • What is the main objective of your project?
  • What are the desired features of your project?
  • What NOT is your project ?
• What are the requirements of your project
  • In software?
  • In hardware?
• What are the dependencies of your project?
  • Is any third party software going to be used?
  • Is any third party hardware going to be used?
  • Is any patented technology going to be used?
• In which Work Environments does your project run?

The reason why you should define the scope is to make your project objectives clear. From my experience, I can tell you that, if you don’t clearly draw boundaries of your project, you will tend to waste too much of time in doing unnecessary things. Once you and your team define a scope, you will have better clarity of what to do next in your project.

Here is an audio discussion with Sreeram on more details about defining scope of an engineering project.