In our article covering the scheduling algorithms of real-time operating systems (RTOS), we stated that they can run tasks in such a way that leaves the impression of a multitasking behavior. This is achieved by giving the RTOS the capability to interrupt a currently executing task and to start executing another one. At some point
We already introduced the basic concepts of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and now we will take a deeper look into one of the most important things when designing an embedded system using an RTOS - the scheduling of the tasks and the algorithms that are used. Scheduling Process Scheduling is the process of deciding which
Embedded systems are microcontroller-based systems that are designed to perform specific functions such as reading sensor data, responding to external events, communicating with other systems, controlling processes, etc. The tricky part is to make the distinction of what exactly qualifies such a system as real-time. Aren't all embedded systems operating in real-time? In order for
In the context of programming, there are many different definitions of what a function is, but in general, we can say that a function is a named piece of code that performs a specific task. Functions may have different names (e.g methods, subroutines, etc.) in some languages. The function itself is just a regular code,
Communication is crucial when it comes to embedded systems. Whether we are reading data from a sensor or sending information to another device we always rely on some type of communication interface (e.g I2C, SPI, UART, etc. ). In a perfect world, we would not have to worry about the factors that can make our
In this article, we will explain the functionality of two very important electronic circuit elements: digital buffer and tri-state digital buffer. Buffer At first glance, the functionality of a digital buffer may seem very simple: the value at its input is propagated to its output. Fig. 1 Buffer symbol and truth table If the buffer
Microcontrollers use pins for interfacing with the outside world. In general, the pins are the physical points on the package of an integrated circuit (IC) where a connection can be made to the printed circuit board. Behind each pin (inside the IC) there is a special circuitry used for driving it. This circuitry (usually called a
Addressing Mode refers to the way the actual location of an instruction's operand is specified. It is used in the decode phase of the instruction cycle to extract the operand of the instruction so the proceeding execute phase can start. The main purpose of having different addressing modes is to provide flexibility when referencing the memory location of
The microprocessor (also known as Central Processing Unit (CPU)) can be defined simply as a calculation machine. It executes predefined operations called instructions. The steps the CPU performs in order to execute an instruction is called an instruction cycle (also known as fetch-execute cycle or fetch-decode-execute cycle). Understanding the instruction cycle is a great starting point for
Overview Speaking in general a bootloader is any piece of code that is executed before the main application code starts. In this article we will focus on a particular type of a bootloader - one that is used to erase the code of the main application from the flash memory and program it with a
