Embedded control in the autonomous systems

Autonomous and embedded systems are the infrastructural fabric of modern technological society and are present as an almost imperceptible environment to each of us. Very soon after the advent of the electronic computer in the middle of the last century, the possibilities of digital control were realized as a substitute for human control over various processes. Accordingly, their use also began - first of all in an industrial environment and in military technologies - a still relatively limited application due to the then high price of the devices themselves, and also due to the need for complex adaptation of the technological environment and the personnel involved. The gradual mass penetration develops the technologies of the embedded systems in the direction of compactness and lower price. In turn, advanced technologies stimulate their even greater penetration in industrial production, in communications and transport, and in everyday life.

Today, autonomous intelligence, or at least automatism in making trivial everyday decisions, can be found all around us. More than 95% of digital processors are installed not in general-purpose systems - personal computers and devices and servers, but in specialized control devices that we call embedded systems. Their functionality varies widely - from very primitive control over low-complexity repeatable procedures to imitation of human intelligence and physical presence. The realization of walking and talking human-like automata (humanoid robots) is rather a homage to the former fiction or Kafka-style futurism, but besides these expensive toys everywhere we can also see the evidence of the irreplaceable practicality of autonomous embedded systems: instead of people in developed economies, millions of industrial robots (rather manipulators) work, and each of us is surrounded by several such “companions” that fill our consciousness with sounds, images and communications.

Университетско издателство Св. Климент Охридски
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жк. Лозенец, ул. Златовръх 30
unipress@unipress.bg

Preface
Embedded systems in vehicles
Autonomous systems and robots
Systems, Frameworks, and Tools

• Embedded systems application and metrics
• Principle of embedding computer control
• Sample applications
• Technological features of EAS
• Timing and power requirements
• Technological alternatives to embedded systems
• Technological parameters of embedded systems
• Additional design requirements for embedded systems
• Phases of embedded systems design
• Embedded computer architectures
• Organization of embedded systems
• Processors
• Embedded systems with parallel processing
• Memories - organization and parameters
• Parallel and serial communication channels
• Timers and DMA
• Analog interfaces - ADC/DAC
• Graphics peripherals for pixel data
• Sensors
• Sensor devices
• Conversion Methods
• Application of sensors
• Mechanical sensors
• Acceleration sensor
• Rotary sensors
• Global positioning sensor and GPS
• Laser distance meter
• Cameras
• Navigation
• Fixing a position
• Fixed calculation
• From navigation to traffic control
• Embedded and real-time operating systems
• Prerequisites and alternatives to embedded and real-time OSes
• Real-time OS Features
• Embedded Linux, Windows Embedded CE 6.0, LynxOS and FreeRTOS
• Component-based embedded systems
• Types of components
• Design of component-based embedded systems
• Non-functional characteristics of components
• Time-sensitive embedded systems
• Categories of time-sensitive embedded systems
• Architecture and parameters of time-sensitive embedded systems
• Non-functional characteristics of time-sensitive embedded systems (QoS)
• System means for real-time processing
• Process planning
• Real-time scheduling algorithms
• Real-time OS scheduler debugging
• Real-time processes in Windows
• Real-time Core Extensions - INtime and RTX for Windows
• Linux/Android real-time processes
• Real-time and embedded databases

Embedded Applications

• Distributed Embedded systems (IoT++)
• Application of distributed embedded systems
• Architecture of distributed EAS
• Features of the Smart Sensors
• Smart sensor networks
• Design of distributed embedded systems
• System communications in distributed embedded systems
• Power management in smart sensors
• System tools for smart sensors in mass service networks
• Robotic systems
• General characteristics
• Functional layers of autonomous systems
• Designing applications for robots
• Architecture of robotic applications
• Middleware for robots
• Machine navigation
• Machine vision
• Communications as embedded system or subsystem
• Layered architecture and protocol stack
• Wireless communication channels
• Network layer - IP networks
• Wireless LANs - standard 802.11 (WiFi)
• Microgrids - Bluetooth and BLE
• Microgrids - IrDA
• Cell phones
• P2P- and M2M-networks, services, and platforms for IoT. MQTT
• Multimedia systems and applications
• Raw multimedia data
• Compression of primary multimedia data
• Lossless and lossy compression
• Multimedia standards and components
• Multimedia transfer
• Stream data exchange with RTP, RTCP and RTSP
• Roboethics
• Backstory
• Development phases of roboethics
• Perspectives on roboethics
• Engineering and roboethics
• Guidelines for the Ethics and Trustworthiness of Artificial Intelligence
• Trustworthy AI assessment 218

Glossary of terms