Validating real-time constraints in embedded systems

A Novel Rail-Network Hardware Simulator for Embedded System Programming

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10010013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Balaji M ◽

Chandrasekaran M ◽

Vaithiyanathan Dhandapani

Keyword(s):

Embedded Systems ◽

Embedded System ◽

Real Time ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Real World ◽

Time Constraints ◽

Network Simulator ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Rail Network ◽

Knowledge Enhancement

A Novel Rail-Network Hardware with simulation facilities is presented in this paper. The hardware is designed to facilitate the learning of application-oriented, logical, real-time programming in an embedded system environment. The platform enables the creation of multiple unique programming scenarios with variability in complexity without any hardware changes. Prior experimental hardware comes with static programming facilities that focus the students’ learning on hardware features and programming basics, leaving them ill-equipped to take up practical applications with more real-time constraints. This hardware complements and completes their learning to help them program real-world embedded systems. The hardware uses LEDs to simulate the movement of trains in a network. The network has train stations, intersections and parking slots where the train movements can be controlled by using a 16-bit Renesas RL78/G13 microcontroller. Additionally, simulating facilities are provided to enable the students to navigate the trains by manual controls using switches and indicators. This helps them get an easy understanding of train navigation functions before taking up programming. The students start with simple tasks and gradually progress to more complicated ones with real-time constraints, on their own. During training, students’ learning outcomes are evaluated by obtaining their feedback and conducting a test at the end to measure their knowledge acquisition during the training. Students’ Knowledge Enhancement Index is originated to measure the knowledge acquired by the students. It is observed that 87% of students have successfully enhanced their knowledge undergoing training with this rail-network simulator.

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AN APPROACH OF UBIQUITOUS DEVICES USING T-ENGINE IN VIETNAM

Science and Technology Development Journal ◽

10.32508/stdj.v14i4.2003 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 16-23

Author(s):

Hung Hoa Nguyen ◽

Huy Quang Nguyen ◽

Vu Duc Anh Dinh

Keyword(s):

Embedded Systems ◽

Real Time ◽

Control Mechanism ◽

Time Constraints ◽

Development Platform ◽

Wide Range ◽

Different Types ◽

Hardware Platforms ◽

Automatic Systems ◽

Additional Hardware

The 21st century is the era of Ubiquitous Computing where computing devices are present everywhere in our lives. To satisfy the development of this tendency, many hardware platforms have been proposed for developing Ubiquitous devices. Among them, T-Engine, an open standardized development platform for embedded systems, is one of the most popular platforrms. It is nowadays compatible with embedded equipments for a wide range of fields. In Vietnam, T-Engine has just been introduced for 4 years. However, most of the ubiquitous applications using T-Engine are developed restrictively based on the standard hardware of T-Engine. One issue that arises is the necessity of a solution to expand T-Engine hardware and use it to control automatic systems to satisfy different types of Ubiquitous devices. This research is to propose an approach to use T-Engine in the Ubiquitous Devices that require the attachment of the additional hardware as well as the complicated control mechanism with real time constraints. In this research, we proposed an expanding solution T-Engine through the extension bus. Besides that, we consider the timing problems in bus transaction and problems in real-time programming. A simple robot demonstration has also been designed and implemented to prove the feasibility of our model. This approach will open up a new tendency of developing complicated Ubiquitous devices using T-Engine in Vietnam.

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