Integrated Design and Implementation of Embedded Control Systems with Scilab

Embedded systems are playing an increasingly important role in control engineering. Despite their popularity, embedded systems are generally subject to resource constraints and it is therefore difficult to build complex control systems on embedded platforms. Traditionally, the design and implementation of control systems are often separated, which causes the development of embedded control systems to be highly time-consuming and costly. To address these problems, this paper presents a low-cost, reusable, reconfigurable platform that enables integrated design and implementation of embedded control systems. To minimize the cost, free and open source software packages such as Linux and Scilab are used. Scilab is ported to the embedded ARM-Linux system. The drivers for interfacing Scilab with several communication protocols including serial, Ethernet, and Modbus are developed. Experiments are conducted to test the developed embedded platform. The use of Scilab enables implementation of complex control algorithms on embedded platforms. With the developed platform, it is possible to perform all phases of the development cycle of embedded control systems in a unified environment, thus facilitating the reduction of development time and cost.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures; Open Access at http://www.mdpi.org/sensors/papers/s8095501.pd

The Design and Development of a Multi-Disciplinary Project in Embedded Systems Design

As has been noted over the past ten years, “The wall between computer science and electrical engineering has kept the potential of embedded systems at bay. It is time to build a new scientific foundation with embedded systems design as the cornerstone, which will ensure a systematic and even-handed integration of the two fields.”[1] In Baylor University’s School of Engineering & Computer Science, the Embedded Systems course in the Department of Computer Science, and the Embedded Systems Design course in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have been offered independent of each other in the recent past. In the past year, however, this is beginning to change, with plans developing to combine the project portion of the two courses into one multi-disciplinary group project. This paper will document the two courses – scope and sequence, as well as emphasis, equipment used, and delivery style – highlighting the need for a new and innovative approach at the systematic integration of software and hardware in the design and development of a mutli-disciplinary group project. The beta test of this group project is occurring in the fall 2017 semester, with full first-time full-scale deployment during the spring 2018 semester. The results of this beta test will be discussed, and the lessons learned and planned modifications to the course will be considered.Cockrell School of Engineerin

A component-oriented programming framework for developing embedded mobile robot software using PECOS model

A practical framework for component-based software engineering of embedded real-time systems, particularly for autonomous mobile robot embedded software development using PECOS component model is proposed The main features of this framework are: (1) use graphical representation for components definition and composition; (2) target C language for optimal code generation with small micro-controller; and (3) does not requires run-time support except for real-time kernel. Real-time implementation indicates that, the PECOS component model together with the proposed framework is suitable for resource constrained embedded systems

Teaching embedded systems engineering in a software-oriented computing degree

Traditional software-oriented computing degrees do not include courses on embedded systems design in their syllabus, since in the past embedded applications were seen as small-sized solutions developed without the need of engineering approaches. This reality has dramatically changed in the last decade and nowadays several embedded systems are quite complex. Embedded systems present several idiosyncrasies that make their development more difficult and complex than desktop solutions, namely when considering non-functional requirements, time-related deadlines, or the correctness of the solution. To be well prepared for their professions, students of software-oriented computing degrees must acquire skills and competencies in embedded systems engineering. Being able to master high-level programming languages and to develop solutions only for desktop computers means that the students cannot consider numerous opportunities, after graduation. This paper discusses which topics in embedded software design to include in a second cycle degree on Software Engineering that was structured to consider the Bologna Declaration that is now being used in Europe to recast all university degrees. The syllabus of a 15-ECTS module dedicated to teach the fundamental concepts of embedded systems engineering and embedded software development is also described

Systems Architecting Heuristics for Systems Engineering Management and Embedded Systems Engineering

Software development for United States Air Force (USAF) weapon systems is a right here, right now prize captured by those who can rapidly develop requirements and deliver a quality product. The Air Logistics Centers (ALCs) located at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma, Warner-Robins AFB, Georgia, and Hill AFB, Utah develop requirements utilizing 3400 funding to capture this prize. The ALCs identify these requirements as corrective maintenance or perfective and adaptive maintenance. Colleen A. Calimer and John L. BeVier introduce the concept of the Embedded Systems Engineer in their 2004 INCOSE paper Embedded Systems Engineering: Managing Systems Complexity, Change, and Crises . They present the case that insightful management and utilization of the embedded systems engineer is the critical component of successful engineering activity in the dynamic systems environment. This paper applies systems architecting heuristics to systems engineering management to suggest that embedded systems engineering is functionally beneficial to the operational demands of maintaining the capability of the Avionics Flight Software (AFS) of the B-1B strategic bomber weapon system

The DevOps Goes to the Embedded System

Lately, DevOps has been widely discussed in various papers, in addition the industry has implemented it to be a solution for developing and distributing software for general purposes. However, the application of DevOps to embedded systems is still quite difficult, and there is still lack of paper to discuss it. The purpose of this study is to explore the DevOps approach in developing embedded systems. The method used in this research is to use the Object-Oriented Software Engineering approach. Various tools used to support the development of embedded systems include Visual Paradigm, Quantum Modeling. The results explain that DevOps can be applied in the development of embeded systems through Forward and Reverse Engineering. Forward engineering includes analysis, design of the class, design of the state machine, design of coding, generate code, uploading some codes into board. While reverse engineering is reverse from forward engineering. However, the applying of DevOps is not still one stop services. It is signed by the displacement of tools when doing state-machine design, there is a shift in the use of tools, from the visual paradigm to quantum modeling

Integrated Design Tools for Embedded Control Systems

Currently, computer-based control systems are still being implemented using the same techniques as 10 years ago. The purpose of this project is the development of a design framework, consisting of tools and libraries, which allows the designer to build high reliable heterogeneous real-time embedded systems in a very short time at a fraction of the present day costs. The ultimate focus of current research is on transformation control laws to efficient concurrent algorithms, with concerns about important non-functional real-time control systems demands, such as fault-tolerance, safety,\ud reliability, etc.\ud The approach is based on software implementation of CSP process algebra, in a modern way (pure objectoriented design in Java). Furthermore, it is intended that the tool will support the desirable system-engineering stepwise refinement design approach, relying on past research achievements ¿ the mechatronics design trajectory based on the building-blocks approach, covering all complex (mechatronics) engineering phases: physical system modeling, control law design, embedded control system implementation and real-life realization. Therefore, we expect that this project will result in an\ud adequate tool, with results applicable in a wide range of target hardware platforms, based on common (off-theshelf) distributed heterogeneous (cheap) processing units

Embedded Systems Courses at RIT

A three-course sequence of cross-disciplinary real-time and embedded systems courses has been introduced at RIT ¢. We are teaching these courses in a studio-lab environment teaming computer engineering and software engineering students. The courses introduce students to programming both microcontrollers and more sophisticated targets, use of a commercial real-time operating system and development environment, modeling and performance engineering of these systems, and their interactions with physical systems