embedded systems expanding creativity and improving lives

8/7/2019 Embedded Systems Expanding Creativity and Improving Lives

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Embedded Systems - Expanding Creativity & Improving Lives

Nowhere in new product development is it more of a sprint to get the product tomarket than the field of electronics. Adding to the need for speed is the simplefact that shortened development cycle time has been accomplished in just the

last few years by the adoption of high-powered embedded processors and thesoftware & firmware to drive them. Embedded microprocessors drive the designand capabilities of electronic products in ways not even imagined just a few shortyears ago.

Embedded processors allow design engineers to optimize function and reducethe size and cost of the product at the same time as they increase theperformance and reliability. Not only do these devices speed up the developmentprocess, in the big-picture of developing the hardware for an electronic product,embedded devices play a huge role toward the expansion of capability, flexibility,reduction of costs, minimization of required space and better power

management. Embedded processors are able to make just about anything“smart” by providing it with “intelligence” resulting in maximum potential for products. Medical imaging designed with processor-intensive applications are, for example now smaller, faster and more accurate as the level of intelligence builtinto the embedded devices have increased providing higher performance at alower power rate.

Thanks to technological advances in embedded processors, handheld andportable electronic products with exceptional performance are making hugeforward strides.

A good example of this forward juggernaut is a newly-developed prostheticsystem designed by Advantage Electronic Product Development. The technologyof the embedded devices in the prosthetic provides clinicians with vitalinformation and creates greater control and flexibility for both the user and theclinicians who are responsible for them. Design engineers combinedmicroprocessor technology and leveraged Apple’s, iPhone as a platform for thesystems controller and user interface.

To accomplish the desired functionality, the results of studies of biomechanicalprecepts (biological physics; the branch of biophysics that deals with themechanics concerned with the muscles and the skeleton) were employed. This

information was integrated within the prosthetics embedded applications tocreate a uniquely functional and “intelligent” artificial limb.

A number of complex issues were considered before the appropriate embeddeddevices were chosen. In addition to the function of the limb, which is bothinteractive and dynamic, data is collected from a variety of sensors. Thisinformation is made available to the user’s clinic so they can analyze severalvariables and make any adjustments necessary. Thanks in part to the embedded



systems a swipe of the finger makes user-interactive electronic products assmart as the imagination allows.

The range for use of complex embedded systems can vary from maritime &aviation navigation systems pinging off satellites for global positioning

coordinates to “smart farm” irrigation systems that open gates to regulatewater flow. Intra-abdominal monitors provide early distress warnings to alertphysicians to problems during surgery. A tiny sliver of silicon significantlydecreases power plant emissions and NASA astronauts are protected usinginstruments that monitor radiation levels at the International Space Station.

There are a number of reasons why embedded devices are so important toelectronic product development – here are just a few

• Precision system integration - giving precision-fit with the precisionmemory resources, precision set of peripherals

• Ease of debug• Inexpensive & greatly reduced board complexity & cost

• Reduction of power consumption

• Better power management

• Reduction of design cycle time resulting in a need for fewer iterations

Much of the vast proliferation of microprocessors, processors, microcontrollers,embedded systems, firmware, and board-level implementation technologies suchas FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) can be attributed to the keycharacteristic that each is dedicated to managing a specific task. Whenembedded systems are optimized to improve function, reduce design costs and

product size, the result is increased performance and reliability of the electronicsystem.

There is a wide array of embedded chipset designs for on-board solutionsincluding:

1. Communication protocols2. Sensors such as accelerometers and sensor arrays3. Wireless communications (Zigbee)4. Modems5. Custom peripherals such as keyboards,

6. User interfaces7. Displays8. Mechanical devices such as pumps & motors

Companies like Intel, Microchip, Freescale, Texas Instruments and Motorolahave opened up unlimited opportunities in embedded device infrastructure.Electronic products have evolved in response developing into vastly capablehigh-quality products that change lives. It is a fantastic era in our history when



entrepreneurs with a bright team and a fresh electronic product design arepositioned competitively on the same playing field as large companies. Platformssuch as Apple ”i” products add the “Wow Factor”, and the future holds no limits towhat can be accomplished using these embedded technologies.

embedded systems expanding creativity and improving lives

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