INTRODUCTION TO EMBEDDED

SYSTEM AND PIC PROGRMMING IN C

CHAPTER 1
Introduction To Embedded System

At the end of the chapter, student should be able to;

-Know about concept of embedded system, C
programming for PIC microcontroller use in digital I/O
and timer delay.

Part 1
Embedded System
• An embedded system is some combination of
computer hardware and software, either fixed in
capability or programmable, that is specifically
designed for a particular function.

• It is embedded as part of a complete device often

including hardware and mechanical parts.

• Embedded systems control many devices in

common use today are often based on
microcontrollers and microprocessors.
Embedded System Characteristic
• Dedicated to specific tasks
• Low power consumption
• Small size
• Rugged operating ranges
• Low per-unit cost
Examples of E.S.
Examples of E.S.
Examples of E.S.
Examples of E.S.
Microcontrollers As Heart Of
Embedded System
• A microcontroller is the data processing "brain" of
an embedded system.

• In an embedded system, a microcontroller receives

input signals, processes the input signals and
generates output signals based on the processing.

• For example, in a thermometer embedded system,

the microcontroller may receive a signal from a
temperature measuring device, process the signal
and send data to a display device to show the
temperature being sensed.
Microcontroller
• Microcontroller is an IC that has a CPU, in
addition with a fixed amount of RAM, ROM
and other peripherals all embedded on a
single chip.

• Microcontrollers are designed to perform

specific tasks.
Microcontroller IC

From left to right: PIC 12F508, PIC 16F84A,

PIC 16C72, Motorola 68HC05B16, PIC
16F877, Motorola 68000
How does microcontroller works?
• Microcontroller has an input device in order to get the input
and an output device (such as LED or LCD Display) to exhibit
the final process.

• Let us look into the illustration of how a microcontroller works in

a Television.

• The Television has a remote control as an Input device and

the TV screen as the output device.

• The signal sent from the remote control is captured by the

microcontroller.

• The microcontroller controls the channel selection, the

amplifier system and picture tube adjustments such as hue,
brightness, contrast etc.
µC Block Diagram
µC Block Diagram
µC Block Diagram
General architecture of a
microcontroller
1) A CPU, ranging from simple 4-bit to complex 64-bit processers.
2) Peripherals such as timers, event counters and watchdog.
3) RAM (volatile memory) for data storage. The data is stored in the
form of registers, and the general-purpose registers store
information that interacts with the arithmetic logical unit (ALU).
4) ROM, EPROM, EEPROM or flash memory for program and
operating parameter storage.
5) Programming capabilities.
6) Serial input/output such as serial ports.
7) A clock generator for resonator, quartz timing crystal or RC circuit.
8) Analog-to-digital convertors.
9) Serial ports.
10) Data bus to carry information.
Applications
• A short list of embedded systems:

• Cell phones, digital cameras, battery chargers, digital

thermostats, traffic light controllers, digital watches, washers
and dryers, ovens, fax machines, printers, televisions, DVD
players, factory control, satellite phones, modems, network
cards, pagers, portable video games, photocopiers, home
security systems, mp3 players, ipod, cruise control, anti-lock
brakes, air bag control, fuel injection control, flight attitude
control, dish washers, answering machines, digital recorders,
elevator control, surveillance systems, robots, voice
recognizers, thumb readers, avionic systems, radar systems,
navigation devices, camcorders, data loggers, oscilloscopes,
signal generators, imaging systems, patient monitoring
systems, etc. They are everywhere!
Microprocessor

• Microprocessor is an IC which has only the CPU inside

them i.e. only the processing powers such as Intel’s
Pentium 1,2,3,4, core 2 duo, i3, i5 etc.

• These microprocessors don’t have RAM, ROM, and other

peripheral on the chip.

• A system designer has to add them externally to make

them functional.

• Used for applications where tasks are unspecific like

developing software, games, websites, photo editing,
creating documents etc.
µP Block Diagram
µP Block Diagram
µP vs µC
Advantages of microcontroller
• Cheap
• Lightweight
• Used less space
• Less power consumed
• Build in ROM, RAM, I/O ports and timer
Disadvantages of microcontroller
• Cannot add any external memory, I/O ports
and timer
• Limited amount of memory, I/O ports and
timer
• Can only do a specific and limited task
• Microcontrollers manufactured by different
firms have different assembly languages
Criteria for choosing a
microcontroller
• Speed
• Packaging
• Power consumption
• Amount of ROM and RAM
• Number of I/O pins
• Number of timer
• Cost
• East to upgrade
PIC microcontroller
• The PIC microcontroller was developed by General
Instruments in 1975.
•
• PIC was developed when Microelectronics Division of General
Instruments was testing its 16-bit CPU CP1600.

• In 1985, General Instruments converted their Microelectronics

Division to Microchip Technology.

• PIC stands for Peripheral Interface Controller.

• The General Instruments used the acronyms Programmable

Interface Controller and Programmable Intelligent Computer
for the initial PICs (PIC1640 and PIC1650).
µC Manufacturer
List µC Brands
Vendor µC name
Atmel Atmel AVR
Intel Intel MCS-51 (8051)
Microchip PIC16 & PIC18
Texas Instrument TMS370
Zilog Zilog Z8
Silicon Laboratories C8051
Freescale Semiconductor 68HC08
Dallas Semiconductor 8051
STMicroelectronics ST6 & ST7
PIC Family
PIC µC
PIC18F4550