Part3 UNIT5 A A First Look at Embedded Systems.doc

UNIT 5 A A First Look at Embedded Systems 初识嵌入式系统 Introduction These are the days when the term like embedded is increasingly becoming more and more popular in the world. We are flooded with embedded systems that seem to be everywhere . Now the question is what basically embedded systems are. We can define an embedded system as “A microprocessor based system that does not look like a computer”. Or we can say that it is “A combination of computer hardware and software, and perhaps additional mechanical or other parts, designed to perform a dedicated function. In some cases, embedded systems are part of a larger system or product, as is the case of an antilock braking system in a car”. 嵌入式这个术语在世界上变得越来越流行已经有些日子了。我们在每个地方似乎都被嵌入式系统包围。现在的问题是基本的嵌入式系统究竟是什么。我们可以把嵌入式系统定义成“基于看起来不像计算机的系统的微处理器”。或者我们可以说它是“一个计算机硬件和软件、还可能加上机械或其他设计用来执行指定功能部分的组合。在一些情况下，嵌入式系统是一个更大系统或产品的一部分，就像轿车中防抱死刹车系统一样”。 Embedded systems include a variety of hardware and software components, which perform specific functions in host systems, for example, satellites, washing machines, robots, hand-held telephones and automobiles. 嵌入式系统包括不同的硬件和软件部分，在主系统中执行特定的功能，例如，在卫星、洗衣机、机器人、手持电话和汽车中。 Modem, hard drive, floppy drive, and sound card—each of which is an embedded system. Each of these devices contains a processor and is designed to perform a specific function. For example, the modem is designed to send and receive digital data over an analog telephone line. That’s it. And all of the other devices can be summarized in a single sentence as well. If an embedded system is designed well, the existence of the processor and software could be completely unnoticed by a user of the device. Such is the case for a microwave oven, VCR, or alarm clock. In some cases, it would even be possible to build an equivalent device that does not contain the processor and software. 调制解调器、硬盘驱动器、软盘驱动器和声卡—每一个都是嵌入式系统。这些设备每一个都包含一个处理器设计用来执行一个特定的功能。例如，调制解调器设计用来通过一根模拟信号电话线发送和接收数字数据。其他所有的设备也都能用一个简单的句子概括。如果一个嵌入式