Intel Architecture Based Integrated Curriculum System

Chen Wenzhi

College of Computer Science, ZJU

2012.7.27

Embedded Systems Provide the Stage for

Computer Curriculum Introduction(I)

Parallel systems and embedded systems are two major application fields of computer architecture, and in both fields, Intel takes the leading position.

Since 1994, from the perspective of application optimization, ZJU(Zhejiang University, ZJU) has put forward a new computer architecture teaching thought. In 2002, ZJU began to individually establish embedded systems courses, emphasizing the core position of system architecture, which emerges as one stage of comprehensively applying knowledge of computer curriculum.

Embedded Systems Provide the Stage for

Computer Curriculum Introduction(II)

In 2005, ZJU began hardware integrated teaching, offered EIA+FPGA teaching platform, and established the FPGA based hardware-software co-design x86-RISC integrated SoC experiment platform in computer organization, one of 2008 Intel top-quality courses of the Ministry of Education of China. And one project coming from this course won the first prize of the third OpenHW open source hardware and embedded systems contest in 2012;

Since 2010, ZJU began system design ability oriented courses (hardware and software) so as to impenetrate the teaching activities. By means of using the practical process of computer system design and implementation, establishing the core position of computer organization through penetrated teaching of computer architecture, operating system and compiling technology and so forth, ZJU dedicated to improving the students’ ability of engineering practice and innovation to design and implement embedded computer systems with applications.

Embedded Systems are Hardware-Software Co-

designed and Application Collaborative Agenda

Background & history

Principals of embedded systems course construction

Knowledge topics and curriculum architecture－from the perspective of

the whole system Solidify the foundation, system oriented, application oriented

Improve the understanding of each part of embedded (computer) systems from the

perspective of the whole system

experimental architecture－hardware-software co-design＋system

design ability oriented education, From individually design ability oriented practical education to whole application system

solution

Establishing the core position of practicing

Integrated Intel practical teaching Advantages of EIA

How to use it

Embedded systems courses prototype In the early 1970s, established courses of microcomputer

In the early 1980s, established courses of MCU Z80、8080、6502、68XX、8051、8096……

In the middle-to-late 1980s, EIA based courses started X86、STD IPC、i86 based detection and control

Development of embedded systems courses 1980s to late 1990s, courses of detection and control started

IPC、mobile processing system、High-performance single chip、DSP、multiple single chips system

Establishment of embedded systems courses In 2002, separated the embedded teaching from MCU, being the

first to establish embedded systems courses, began the stage of start-up and exploration of embedded systems teaching Adoption of famous international textbooks and independently designed

experiment platform—ARM7TDMI

Experiment cases based teaching

Background/history

In 2003, college of computer science of ZJU together with INTEL established associated embedded systems teaching Teaching group members attended “the national INTEL university

embedded systems teaching seminar”

Set up Intel（Xscale PCA ）embedded experiment platform, preliminary scaled up the experiment platform

In 2003, built associated lab with HP Set up Pocket PC h5500(Xscale core) embedded experiment platform

In 2004, began associated teaching with IBM about embedded systems, operating system.

In 2009, enriched experiment platforms such as ATOM

Invited international renowned scholars to give cooperative teachings Invited international professors to give lectures and courses

Invited engineers of Intel to deliver lectures on special topics

Established teaching materials of embedded systems courses with CMU

Background/history

7

Linux Operating System and Laboratory Tutorial, Mechanical Industry Press, 1999

Linux Kernel 2.4 Source Code Analysis, Mechanical Industry Press, 2002

Linux and Embedded Systems, Tsinghua University Press , 2003.1

Learning by Doing – Linux Kernel Guide, Zhejiang University Press , 2002.8

4.4BSD Operating System Design and Implementation, China's electronic publishing house, 2003.7

Linux Kernel Source Code Scenario Analysis, Zhejiang University Press , 2001

Embedded Systems -- Open Source and StrongARM/Xscale Mircroprocessor, Zhejiang University Press , 2004.2

ARM and Linux Embedded Systems Tutorial, BUAA, 2004.8

Advanced BREW Cellphone Games Development, Tsinghua University Press , 2004.8

Embedded Systems Development Principals and Practice, Tsinghua University Press , 2005.8

Embedded Systems Principals and Design, Tsinghua University Press, 2011.4

Construction of Textbooks

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Purposes of embedded systems courses Establish the comprehensively applying position of computer curriculum

knowledge

Adhere to “embedded systems courses are focussed on practice”

Emphasize the core position of architecture and knowledge comprehensively applying

Inherit embedded Linux teaching from perspective of both real-time C/OS and popular OS

Two assembly languages for undergraduate students：MIPS assembly and i86 assembly

Interaction of teaching and research, training of research study

Principals of embedded systems

course construction

Curriculum System Based on Embedded Systems

Extended

courses

System courses

OS

Compiling

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Main Knowledge Topics Concept

Category and distinction

Tailoring principals

Why embedded

Where to embed into

What makes up an embedded system

SOC

Choice of architecture Xscale (ARM)

ATOM

Cortex-A8 /ARM9

DSP

FPGA

Embedded peripherals

OS RTOS

Real time

process, memory management, MMU, flash fs, interrupt

Embedded Linux

Android

OS porting

Software development Bootloader

ADS

Embedded GUI

Embedded development environment

Embedded development flow

Lecture1: Introductory embedded technology and industrial applications (applications and innovations) What’s the embedded technology

What can embedded technology bring

What applications need embedded technology

Components of an embedded system

Development of embedded hardware, software

Hot topics of embedded systems

Lecture2: Basic concept and methodology (OS, architecture) Basic knowledge of embedded microprocessor

Principals of tailoring of embedded hardware and software

Basic knowledge of embedded real-time operating systems

Introductory to design methodology of embedded systems

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture3: Architecture of Embedded Microprocessor (Organization, architecture) Embedded microprocessor and its application

Introductory to ARM architecture

Xscale-2XX microprocessor introduction

ATOM

JTAG debug interface

Platform of embedded development

Lecture4: ARM Architecture Based Hardware Platform Design (application cases) Embedded system hardware analysis

Embedded I/O interface design

Embedded system hardware-software co-design

System requirements and hardware tailoring

Embedded hardware co-design/implementation/debugging

Typical embedded circuit structures analysis

requirements analysis

architecture

embedded solution

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture5: Embedded system Software Structure Design (OS, Project development and debugging) Embedded software development flow

Establishment of embedded software development environment

Development tool chain and debug approaches

Embedded software remote debugging, testing and optimization

Main development environment: Linux、Android、EVC、GNU

Embedded BSP development and debugging

Embedded GUI

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture6: Embedded Real-time Operating System Analysis(Linux, C/OS ) Real-time operating system objectives

Features of typical embedded operating system

C/OS-II kernel structure

µC/OS-II system routines

µC/OS-II task structure and real-time schedule management

C/OS-II interrupt implementation scheme

C/OS-II time management

C/OS-II file system

µC/GUI and µC/FS

COS-II’s porting

Knowledge Hierarchy

Analysis of Linux kernel

Linux according to students’

engineering background

Lecture7: Embedded Linux Operating System (OS) Combined with compatible OS: MeeGo, Android

Basic part of embedded Linux operating system

Core technology, features of embedded OS: memory management, file system, power management and so forth, combined with Linux system cases

Improved part of embedded Linux operating system

Create and use a new system call in Linux, create JFFS2 file system and Ramfs, implement and design NFS file system. The objective to let students understand deeply about the operating principals and organization of Linux

Advanced part of embedded Linux operating system

Understand the features of drivers and implementation of drivers in Linux, master the working principals of stream device driver interface; master the architecture and approach and process of interrupt handling, approach of DMA and virtual memory management design based on ISR, IST; understand allocation and release of virtual memory. Port the Linux 2.6 kernel

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture8: WinCE Operating System (Experiments. Optional: MeeGo and Android) Basic part of WinCE operating system

Take WinCE for example to illustrate core technology. Mainly focus on features and architecture of WinCE. Development tools and technology in WinCE, EVC usage, cross compilation and download debugging, development approach of Windows Mobile, theory of WinCE emulator

Improved part of WinCE operating system

Familiar with WinCE development system environment. Platform Builder usage. Study by designing small application program and writing WinCE system

Advanced part of WinCE operating system

WinCE operating system configuration, DLL’s creation and application，theory of file system and work process.

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture9: Embedded GUI (applications and experiments) Embedded GUI brief introduction

X Windows

Tiny-X architecture

Tiny-X application design

Lecture10: FPGA Based Embedded Design Basis (SoC design) Digital system design review

Theory and basic structure of PLD and FPGA

Overview of complex digital system design approach

Hardware development integrated environment

HDL and IP core design

FPGA based embedded hardware architecture design

Knowledge Hierarchy

Lecture11: Comprehensive Innovative Experiment and Experiences Exchange Typical embedded case analysis

PROJECT design and implementation

Discussion and experiences exchange of comprehensive embedded experiments

Encourage the combination of education projects and research projects

On-going research introduction and exchange

PROJECT design process and result report

In different stages of teaching

Knowledge Hierarchy

Practice: an important part of embedded system

Theory: 25% or less

Prerequisite: support of curriculum system

Students need DIY

Design of practice

Fundamentality: to raise basic skill in embedded field

Comprehensiveness: to develop embedded system application modules

Innovation: to propose an innovative application related to market, scientific research or daily life

Operability

Innovation needs operability

What is innovation

Making existing things more valuable: raise fondness

Making valuable things: make others accept it, such as Apple Inc.

Guide students to make their own projects

experimental architecture ----

system design ability oriented education

Basic Knowledge Embedded system organization structure

Basic software and hardware debug methods of embedded system

Common embedded I/O interface, etc.

Basic experiments Building the hardware/software development environment of

embedded system

Bootloader burning

Linux(C/OS II/Android) system transplant

Serial communication

Complete more than 10 experiments on different platforms, including ATOM.

Each experiment is designed for only one specific interface and function.

Improve embedded basic skills

Comprehensive Knowledge Embedded database

Network communication experiment

GUI, etc.

Comprehensive experiments To complete a large experiment based on simple, small, basic

experiments(at least 3) on diverse platforms, including ATOM

For example, GPS standard server experiment involves embedded serial port experiment, network communication experiment and embedded database experiment.

Embedded system is a perfect combination of software and

hardware design, improving comprehensive ability effectively.

Develop embedded system application modules

Innovative practice Combine teaching with scientific research and application

Specially advocate and emphasize the importance of innovation

Lead students to discover value

Operable innovation: make existing applications more valuable, make the worthless valuable, make others love the applications you design, etc.

To propose a design(project) with practical value Inspiration from comprehensive experiments

Inspiration from daily life

How to make fixed-line telephone more valuable

The night hand electric clock

Guide students to do what they prefer

Advantages of the EIA architecture High performance

Rich resources

Widely known

With growth: the elder engineers

Keeping competitive, adjusting strategy Problem: the choice of hardware engineers

New challenges of hardware courses: cooperation among major courses weakens

Computer organization, interface, assembly, etc.

Innovation Cooperative

Different

Practice teaching with Intel

Bring in EIA architecture Compare MIPS, ARM and i86 architecture

Insist on teaching i86 assembly: Linux

Compare the instruction format and the mapping

Practice teaching—fusion and contrast in

computer organization

Add i86 to computer organization project since 2008 Explore suitable computer architecture for i86 teaching

Teaching combination of i86 and RISC

Software-hardware cooperation

Add i86 related content

Typical case: dynamic binary

translation(from 8086 to MIPS)

Analyzing the startup process of embedded system through EIA BIOS → BSP →EFI

Bootloader

OS

Applications

Tools

Using EIA to develop apps

IA simulator teaching Simulation of IA architecture

Virtual machine

Xscale-255

ATOM

Make full use of EIA

Man-machine interaction 1st edition: PC platform, improve the communication between

common man and the deaf-mute

2nd edition：ARM platform

3rd edition: ATOM platform, infant robot

Typical case I: graph-sound

interactive application

FPGA Based M2M Heterogeneous Virtualization System

A hardware interest group from system architecture lab designs a

32-bit MIPS core named QS-I on FPGA. They expand the QS-I single-

core system to multicore heterogeneous system and put forward a novel

concept, M2M(Multiple ISAs applications to Multiple heterogeneous

cores, M2M). M2M is divided into four layers from the bottom up: the

multicore heterogeneous layer, the binary translation layer the virtuali-

zation management layer, and the diverse applications layer.

Design your own CPU and computer system. Use your own OS to manage your own computer and run your own applications.

Typical case II: the M2M system

整体结构

Typical case II: the M2M system

整体结构

Typical case II: the M2M system

整体结构

Typical case II: the M2M system

Features Similar with dance mat

Difference: Dance mat uses pressure sensor to perceive the position of feet. Dancing machine uses several cameras instead.

Implementation Digital logic: realized by state machines

Computer organization: realized by programs

Embedded system: realized by image perception

Other case I: dancing machine

THANKS!