The document discusses the history and evolution of computing from early computers like the Cray 1 to modern systems-on-chip and embedded systems. It covers topics like VLSI design flow, embedded development boards, real-time operating systems like RTEMS, cross-compilation, bootloaders, and inter-process communication methods like DBus. Examples of embedded applications discussed include medical therapy machines, satellite systems, and mobile phone frameworks. The goal is to provide context around embedded systems and software.

1. From Silicon
to
Software
Aanjhan Ranganathan & Sudarshan S

2. So whats the agenda . . .

3. For the perspective . . .
● Cray 1 Specs
● 64 Mb memory
● ~1 million gates
● 80 Mhz clock, 115kW
● 700,000 $

4. Some modern art

5. Chips are pieces of artwork too
Intel Pentium 4, 2000
Intel dual core , 2007

6. VLSI Design flow

7. Chip to System on Chip (SoC)

8. Embedded Systems

9. Embedded Development Boards

10. Importance of Embedded Software
● Therac 25
– Overdose of radiations for therapy of cancer patients
● Ariane 5 failure
– Launch failed, exploded just 40 secs after take off

11. A typical embedded system
build . . .
Mapping soft, games?,
Dialer, Phonebook
Application Software
System Software
RTOS, Task manager,
Device management etc
Core I/O
Proc
Peripherals
Memory
Hardware Target Board

12. Terminologies
● Cross compilation
– Build , Target, Host
– Reasons for this?
● Bootloader
● Target architecture
● Board Support Package

13. RTEMS
● Real Time Executive for Multiprocessor
Systems
● Since late 1980's (under contract with US Army
Missile Command.
● Ported to few ESA and NASA space hardened
procs in the late 1990s

14. RTEMS in Use
● Space and Aviation
– ESA's Herschel and Planck, LISA Pathfinder,
NASA ST5 satellite
● Scientific – EPICS labs
● Military and defense – Air defense systems,
Flight data recorders
● Industrial, Robotics, Medical and
Communication fields
http://www.rtems.com/wiki/index.php/RTEMSApplications

15. RTEMS features
➔ RTEMS is a full featured Real-Time Operating System
➔ Commercial grade
➔ All source code for OS, support components, tests, documentation,
development environment, and project website is provided
➔ Truly free in price, liberty, and end user requirements
➔ High performance, deterministic behavior
➔ Standards compliant environment
➔ Highly portable across CPU architectures
➔ Many Board Support Packages available
➔ Prebuilt development toolsets for GNU/Linux and MS-Windows

16. Motivation for RTEMS developers
Open
Incremental Standards
Pet Projects
Improvements
Scientific Space
Community Community
Student
Commercial
Projects
Research Users

17. RTEMS - Architecture

18. Demo based on a GsoC project
● MMU – Memory Management Unit
● PowerPC simulator PSIM
● Memory region protection (SUPERVISOR
access only etc)

19. Cross Debugging
GUI Front end (DDD)
Cross debugger
Target system
(powerpc-rtems-gdb)
Other debugging ways
JTAG, BDM

20. In the end, it all boils down to User
space applications (or in other
words the icing on the cake)

21. Different Hardwares with different
capabilities
● Make phone calls
● Send Text messages
● Receive emails
● Know your current location
● Listen to Music
and much much more

22. 'nuff said

23. We solve problems with
abstractions
● Symbian
● Android
● J2ME
● Blackberry
● Iphone SDK

24. Freesmartphone.org Framework

25. What is FSO?
● freesmartphone.org is a collaboration platform
for open source and open discussion software
projects working on interoperability and
shared technology for Linux-based
SmartPhones

28. Inter Process Communication
● Files
● Anonymous pipes
● CORBA (really really painful)
● Java RMI (Language specific)
● Shared Memory

29. ..all of which has a potential to make
you suicidal

30. DBus
● IPC done right
● Method: Which can be invoked
● Signals: Broadcast messages which an
observer can listen to
● Bus: Session or System

31. Everybody loves Dilbert

32. Under the hood
Pidgin's Dbus service Our Evil Script
Request a proxy from
the bus

33. Under the hood
Pidgin's Dbus service Our Evil Script
We now have a copy of the “remote” object with methods
from im.pidgin.purple.PurpleService

34. FSO + Dbus + Python = 42
... almost

35. Neo Freerunner. Be in control

36. Enough Talk, show me the code!
Talk code

37. Thanks!
To all the cool FOSS developers. So long and
thanks for all the fish