The embedded

design life cycle

• Product specification
• Hardware/software partitioning
• Hardware/software integration

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Embedded design life cycle
• Not as simple as we think (see figure)
• Much iteration and optimization
• Defects can force you back to beginning
– To overcome performance issues:
• Rewrite algorithms
• Design custom hardware
• Speed up processor
• New processor

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

Phase representation of the life cycle

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Embedded design life cycle
• Economics and reality of design requirements
can force decisions to be made before
designers can consider the best design trade-
offs
• Maintenance and upgrade can be a burden

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

Tools used in the design process

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Product specification
• R&D engineers want to incorporate
everything:
– Wastes time and resource
• Marketing and sales will usually execute the
product specification
• Engineers, however, should be involved in
some customer tours
– CPIF - Cost Plus Incentive-Fee (Contract)

– Listening to the customer is good

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Common success factors
• Design team shares a common vision of the
product
• Failed projects probably did not share a
common vision of project goals
– Low cost medium performance versus time to
market versus high performance and medium cost

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Common success factors
• Embedded systems projects are late to market
because engineers do not have access to the
best tools
– Tools should be part of the product specification
– Prevents unrealistic expectations

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Hardware/software partitioning
• Embedded design usually involves hardware and
software
• Hardware utilizes Micro-processors, Micro-
controllers and Digital Signal Processors but are
neither used nor perceived as computers. Generally,
software is used for features and flexibility, while
hardware is used for performance.
• What is the partitioning decision?

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Algorithm
• Steps required to implement a design
• Combination of hardware components and
software components
• Hardware/software partitioning also involves
the of partitioning the algorithm

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Iteration and implementation
• Hardware and software paths begin to diverge
• Early design work before the walls go up
(between H/W and S/W)
• Major blocks partitioned
– Boundary can still be moved
• Iteration is common

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Iteration and implementation
• Hardware team
– Simulation tools to model performance
• Software team
– Running code benchmarks on self contained systems
(evaluation boards)
– Convenient development environment until the hardware
arrives!
• Tools are helping (keep h/w, s/w engaged longer)
• More tools on their way…

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Hardware/software integration
• Special tools and methods to manage the
complexity
• Process of integrating h/w and s/w requires
debugging and discovery
– Did the software team really understand the
hardware spec?

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Hardware/software integration
• Real-time nature of embedded systems leads
to highly complex, non-deterministic behavior
– Can only be analyzed as it occurs
• Accurately modeling and simulating behavior
may be very time consuming
– But tools are getting better!

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Product testing and release
• Testing is important when performance is key
• Testing and reliability more stringent
• Is system performing at close to its optimal
capabilities?

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Compliance testing
• Embedded systems radiate a lot of radio
frequency energy
– “all electronic devices must be turned off…”
• If embedded designer does not consider these
things, compliance engineering (CE) will fail
– Software must be running to pass this test
– This is often overlooked

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Maintaining and upgrading
• Not many tools to support applications
already in the field
• 60% of embedded engineers maintain systems
– Original engineer long gone
– Must rely on experience, any existing
documentation, etc…
– Tools might be handy…

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU

 Maintaining and upgrading
• “time to market” must become “time to
reverse engineer” and “time to insight”

PROF. A.RAMMOHAN, TIFAC CORE @ VITU