Interfacing

Real-Time Embedded Systems

Khalid Abu Muhaimeed

Nouh Kh.Toolitch

Supervisor: Dr.Lo`ai Tawalbeh

Outline

 Interfacing basics.
 Microprocessor interfacing
 I/O addressing.
 Interrupts.
 Direct Memory Access (DMA).

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 2

Introduction
 Processor process data.
memory storage
buses communication
• Communication: transfer of data among
processors and memories.
• This communication is known as interfacing.

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Basic Terminology
unidirectional (rd’/wr , enable)
rd'/wr
Processor Memory
 Wires enable

addr[0-11]
bidirectional (data) data[0-7]

• A set of wires with the same function : bus

bus structure

a set of wires with a single function (data bus).

• Bus
entire wires collection along with their communication protocol.

• Protocol: rules for communicating over the wires. (low level HW protocols)
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Basic Terminology
 Port: the actual conducting device (metal) on the processor (or
memory) through which the signal is input to, or output from.
 We could use the term pin to refer to a port on a processor.
 Pin is also a term referring to the extending pins from the processor (
as own IC package). They are designed to be plugged into a socket on a
printed-circuit board.
 Small metallic balls could be used rather than pins( if the processor
is packaged in its own IC ).
 If the processor coexists on a single IC with other processors and
memories, pads of metal are used in the IC.

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 Timing diagram
rd'/wr rd'/wr
enable enable
addr addr

data
data
tsetup tread
read protocol
tsetup twrite
write protocol
 It is the most common method for describing a HW protocol.
 Time proceeds to the right along the x-axis.
 Control lines high or low.
 Data lines (addr, data) invalid (one horizontal line) or valid (two horizontal lines).
 The processor must place the address on addr for at least tsetup time before setting
the enable high.
 The high enable line triggers the memory to put data on the data wires after tread
time.
 When line is active (high, or commonly low) , it triggers the data transfer.
 Assert means setting control line to its active value.
 Deassert means setting control line to its low value.
 A protocol could be consisted of subprotocols (i.e. read, write), known as
transaction or a bus cycle. A bus cycle may consists of several clock cycles.
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Basic protocol concepts
 Actor: is the processor or memory involved in data transfer.
 A protocol involves two actors: a master, and a servant (slave).
 A master initiates the data transfer (usually general-purpose
processor), and the servant responds to the initiation request
(usually memories and peripherals).
 Data direction: the direction that the transferred data moves btw.
actors( receiving or sending data).
 Addresses: a special type of data used to indicate where regular
data should go to or come from (used to address memory locations ,
peripherals and peripheral's registers).

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Time multiplexing
 Share a single set of wires for multiple pieces of data.
 Saves wires at expense of time.

Time-multiplexed data transfer

Master req Servant Master req Servant
data(15:0) data(15:0)
addr data addr data

mux demux mux demux

data(8) addr/data

req req
data 15:8 7:0 addr/data addr data

data serializing address/data muxing

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 Control methods :strobe and handshake
Master Servant Master req Servant
req
ack

data
data

req 1 3
req 1 3
ack 2 4
data 2 4
data
taccess
1. Master asserts req to receive data 1. Master asserts req to receive data
2. Servant puts data on bus within time taccess 2. Servant puts data on bus and asserts ack
3. Master receives data and deasserts req 3. Master receives data and deasserts req
4. Servant ready for next request 4. Servant ready for next request

Strobe protocol Handshake protocol

• A handshake protocol can adjust to a servant with varying response times,

but it could be slower, and need extra clock cycles and extra line.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 9

 Control methods :strobe / handshake
compromise Master req Servant

wait

data

req 1 3 req 1 4
wait wait 2 3
data 2 4 data 5
taccess taccess
1. Master asserts req to receive data 1. Master asserts req to receive data
2. Servant puts data on bus within time taccess 2. Servant can't put data within taccess, asserts wait ack
(wait line is unused) 3. Servant puts data on bus and deasserts wait
3. Master receives data and deasserts req 4. Master receives data and deasserts req
4. Servant ready for next request 5. Servant ready for next request

Fast-response case Slow-response case

 It achieves both the speed of strobe protocol, and the varying response time
tolerance of a handshake protocol.
 The handshake only occurs if it necessary.
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 10
 The ISA bus protocol – Memory Access
 ISA: The Industry Standard Microprocessor Memory I/O Device
ISA bus
Architecture.
• 80x86 microprocessor.
CYCLE

CLOCK
C1
C4
C2 WAIT C3

• 20 bit memory address.

D[7-0]

A[19-0]
DATA

•
ADDRESS

ALE: Address Latch Enable. ALE

•
/MEMR

CHRDY: Channel Ready. CHRDY

• Compromise strobe/handshake
CYCLE C1 C2 WAIT C3
control method is used. CLOCK C4

• The memory deasserted D[7-0]

A[19-0]
DATA

ADDRESS
CHRDY before the rising clock ALE

/MEMW

edge in C2, causing the CHRDY

microprocessor to insert wait

cycles (up to 6 cycles)Real-time
untilEmbedded
CHRDY was reasserted.
Systems/Interfacing 11
 Microprocessor interfacing: I/O addressing
 The microprocessor's pins used to communicate data to
and from it, are called I/O pins.
 We normally consider the access to peripherals (not
memory), as I/O.
 Two common methods for using pins to support I/O : Port-
based I/O (Parallel I/O), and Bus-based I/O.
 In parallel I/O , a port can be directly read and written by
processor instructions, like any register.
 Ex.P0=255, g=P2 .
 Ports are often bit-addressable.
 In bus-based I/O, the microprocessor has a set of address,
data, and control ports corresponding to bus lines, and uses
the bus to access memory and peripherals.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 12

Extensions

 Parallel I/O peripheral. Processor Memory

 When processor only supports bus-based I/O

System bus
but parallel I/O needed.
 Each port on peripheral connected to a register within Parallel I/O peripheral

peripheral. The microprocessor can read/write those

registers. Port A Port B Port C

Adding parallel I/O to a bus-

 Extended parallel I/O. based I/O processor
 When processor supports port-based I/O

but more ports needed. Processor Port 0

Port 1
 One or more processor ports interface with Port 2
Port 3
parallel I/O peripheral extending total number
Parallel I/O peripheral
of ports available for I/O.
 e.g., extending 4 ports to 6 ports in figure.
Port A Port B Port C
Extended parallel I/O

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 13

Memory-Mapped I/O and Standard I/O

 They are two bus-based methods for microprocessor to communicate with

peripherals.

 In memory-mapped I/O, peripherals occupy specific addresses in the existing

address space.
 e.g., Bus has 16-bit address, lower 32K addresses may correspond to memory,
and upper 32k addresses may correspond to peripherals.

 In standard I/O (I/O-mapped I/O), the bus includes an additional pin (M`/IO), to
include whether the access is to memory or peripheral.
 e.g., Bus has 16-bit address, all of them for memory addressing if M`/IO=0, and
all of them for I/O addressing if M`/IO=1.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 14

Memory-Mapped I/O Vs. Standard I/O

 Memory-mapped I/O
 Requires no special instructions
 Assembly instructions involving memory like MOV and ADD
work with peripherals as well.
 Standard I/O requires special instructions (e.g., IN, OUT) to
move data between peripheral registers and memory.
 Standard I/O
 No loss of memory addresses to peripherals.
 Simpler address decoding logic in peripherals possible.
 When number of peripherals much smaller than address
space then high-order address bits can be ignored
 smaller and/or faster comparators.

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ISA bus protocol
 ISA bus protocol supports standard I/O.
 The I/O address space is 16 bits, where it is 20 bits for
memory.
• It uses compromise strobe/handshake control method.
• similar to memory protocol except address space.
ISA I/O bus read protocol
CYCLE C1 C2 WAIT C3 C4
CLOCK

D[7-0] DATA

A[15-0] ADDRESS
ALE

/IOR

CHRDY

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A basic memory protocol
D<0...7>
P0 Adr. 7..0 Data P0 D Q
A<0...15>
/CS
P2 Adr. 15…8 /OE
ALE G /WE
Q Adr. 7…0 74373 CS2 /CS1
8 HM6264
ALE P2
/WR /CS
/RD /RD
D<0...7>
/PSEN
A<0...14>
/OE
8051 27C256

 Interfacing an 8051 to external memory

 Ports P0 and P2 support port-based I/O when 8051 internal
memory being used.
 Those ports serve as data/address buses when external memory
is being used.
 16-bit address and 8-bit data are time multiplexed; low 8-bits of
address must therefore be latched with aid of ALE signal.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 17

 A complex memory protocol
FSM description
Specification for a single GO=0
read operation GO=1
CLK ADSP=1, ADSP=0,
S0 ADSC=1 ADSC=0 S1
/ADSP ADV=1, OE=1, ADV=0, OE=1,
Addr = ‘Z’ GO=0 Addr = Addr0
/ADSC

/ADV Data is
ready
addr <15…0> GO=0
GO=1 here!
/WE

/OE
ADSP=1, ADSP=1,
/CS1 and /CS2 ADSC=0 ADSC=1
S2 S3
ADV=1, OE=1, ADV=0, OE=0,
CS3 Addr = ‘Z’ GO=1 Addr = ‘Z’

data<31…0>
GO=1
GO=0

 Generates control signals to drive the TC55V2325FF memory chip in burst mode.
 Addr0 is the starting address input to device.
 GO is enable/disable input to device.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 18

Interrupts (interrupt driven I/O)
 Servicing: read & process data from peripheral whenever it
has new data.
 Unpredictable
 Polling: MP repeatedly check for data
 Simple to implement
 Waste many clock cycles
 External interrupts
 Repeatedly MP checks Int pin after executing instruction, if
asserted => jump to ISR
 Pin polling?
 Into MP, done simultaneously with the exec. of Instr.
 Maskable vs Nonmaskable Interrupt
 Internal Interrupt (divide by 0,…)
 Software Interrupt .
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 19
Interrupt Addressing

 Fixed Int.: ISR address built in MP

 Vectored Int.:
 ISR address requested from peripherals by Inta pin
asserted by MP.
 The address stored in peripheral by extra register.
 Interrupt Address Table (compromise between
fixed & vectored)
 Table holds ISR addresses
 Peripherals provide entry number instead.
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Fixed Int.
1. MP is executing its main program.
2. Peripheral_1 receives input data in a register
and assert Int to request servicing.
3. After completing Instr. Execution, MP detect Int
, saves current PC value and set PC = ISR
fixed address.
4. ISR reads Peripheral_1 data & processed it,
then deasserts Int.
5. ISR return, restoring PC and MP resume
execution.
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 21
Vectored Int.
Program memory μP

ISR

16: MOV R0, 0x8000

System bus
17: # modifies R0

18: MOV 0x8001, R0

19: RETI # ISR return

...
P1
Main program
...
PC
100: instruction
0x8000
101: instruction

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 22

DMA
 Buffering: temporary storage of data that is
awaiting processing.
 Using Interrupt:
 Storing & restoring MP states => consuming
many clock cycles (inefficient)
 No execution during data moving.
 I/O of DMA: separate single-purpose
processor (DMA controller).
 Purpose: transfer data between memories and
peripherals
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 23
DMA flow of actions
1. MP is executing its main program. It has already configured the
DMA ctrl registers.
2. Peripheral_1 receives input data in a register, and asserts req
to request servicing by DMA ctrl.
3. DMA ctrl asserts Dreq to request control of system bus.
4. After executing instruction, MP sees Dreq asserted, releases
the system bus, asserts Dack, and resumes execution. MP
stalls only if it needs the system bus to continue executing.
5. DMA ctrl asserts ack reads data and (b) writes that data to
memory.
6. DMA de-asserts Dreq and ack completing handshake with
Peripheral_1.
7. MP de-asserts Dack and resumes control of the bus.
8. Peripheral_1 de-asserts req.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 24

DMA flow of actions (cont.)
Program
0x000 0x0001
memory
0

needed!

... Dack DMA ctrl P1

... Dreq
0x0001 ack
100: instruction PC 0x8000 req 0x8000
101 instruction
: 100

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 25

Arbitration
 Multiple peripherals request service
simultaneously from single MP or single
DMA
 Arbitration: decide which one get services.
 Priority Arbiter.
 Daisy-Chain Arbitration.
 Network-Oriented Arbitration Methods.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 26

 Arbitration Priority Arbiter
 Is a single-purpose processor
 2 schemes to determine priority among peripherals:
 Fixed priority: unique rank for each peripheral. Arbiter
choose the higher rank.
 Rotating priority (round-robin): based on history of
servicing (e.g. least recently serviced)
 More equitable of servicing.
MP
System bus
7
Inta 5
Priority Peripheral1 Peripheral2
Int 2
3 arbiter 2
Ireq1
Vectored Interrupt Iack1 6
Ireq2
Iack2 27

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing

Arbitration Daisy-Chain Arbitration
 Peripherals connected as a chain
 Each peripheral has: req. output, ack. input, req. input, and ack. Output
 Add or remove peripherals without redesigning the system
 Peripherals at the end of chain could become intolerably slow.
 Isn’t supporting more advanced priority schemes
 If one peripheral stop, the other lose access
 Each peripheral must be daisy-chain aware
 Otherwise, external logic is used.
P
System bus

Peripheral1 Peripheral2
Inta
Ack_in Ack_out Ack_in Ack_out
Int Req_out Req_in Req_out Req_in 0

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 28

Arbitration Network-Oriented
 Multiple MP connected by a shared bus
(network).
 Arbitration among processors.
 Typically built right intoI the bus protocol
 The protocol must ensure that no contending
processors sending at the same time
 Examples: I2C, Ethernet, CAN …

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 29

Multilevel Bus Architectures
 Numerous type of communications:
 Most frequent and high speed (between MPs).
 Less frequent and low speed (between MP and Peripherals
like UART)
 Single high speed bus:
 Required each peripheral to have high-speed bus interface
 Extra gates ,Power consumption and cost.
 May not be very portable.
 May result in slower bus.
 2 level buses:
 Processor local bus: connects MP, cache, memory
controllers …
 Peripheral bus: ISA, PCI …
 emphasize portability, low power or low gate count.
 Bridge (single-purpose processor) connect two bus levels
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 30
Multilevel Bus Architectures cont.
 2 level buses: VSI Alliance.
 Processor local bus
 System bus
 Peripheral bus
Micro- Cache Memory DMA
processor controller controller

Processor-local bus
Peripheral Peripheral Peripheral Bridge

Peripheral bus
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 31
Advanced Communication
Principles
 Physical layer: the medium that is used to carry
data from one device to another.
 Single wire, a set of wires, radio waves, or infrared
waves.
 Parallel communication
 Serial Communication
 Wireless Communication

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 32

Parallel communication
 Multiple data wires + control and possibly power
wires.
 Each wire carries one of the bits.
 High data throughput, if the length is short.
 Long parallel wires:
 High capacitance values => more time to charge or
discharge
 Misalignment.
 Costly to construct.
 May be bulky
 In general, used when connect devices reside on the
same IC or circuit board.
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 33
Parallel Protocols
 PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
 Originated at Intel 1990 and then administered by PCISIG
 First used in 1994
 For interconnecting chips, expansion boards, & processor memory
subsystem.
 Replaced ISA/EISA bus
 Transfer rate: 127.2 – 508.6 Mbit/s
 32-bit addressing later extended to 64-bit
 Sync bus architecture
 ARM
 Designed by ARM Corporation
 Designed to interface with ARM line of processors.
 32 data/address
 Sync data architecture
 Transfer rate not specified (function of the clock speed)

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 34

Serial communication
 Single data wire, along with control & possibly power
 Higher throughput than parallel when connect distant
devices
 Less average capacitance.
 Cheaper to build
 More complex interfacing logic & communication
protocols (compose & decompose data)
 Most protocols use same wire for control
 Start bit
 Stop bit
 May use additional wire for clocking purpose as sync tech.
Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 35
Serial Protocols
 I2C (Inter-IC)
 Developed by Philips Semiconductors
 2 wire bus protocol
 Connect peripheral ICs in electronic systems
 Transfer rate: up to 100 kbit/s, 7-bit address
 Fast mode: 3.4 Mbit/s, 10-bit address
 Flash, RAM, EPROM, Microcontrollers …
 CAN (Controller Area Network)
 For real-time application
 Developed by Robert Bosch GmbH to connect various components of car
 Over twisted pair of wires
 High integrated serial data communication
 Data rate up to 1 Mbit/s
 11-bit addressing
 Documented in ISO 11898 & ISO 11519-2
 Common applications: Automobiles, elevator controllers, copiers,
telescopes, …

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 36

Serial Protocols
 FireWire (I-Link or Lynx)
 Developed by Apple Computer Inc.
 Specification is given by IEEE 1394
 Mass information transfer
 Transfer rate: 12.5 – 400 Mbit/s
 64-bit addressing (64b net id, 6b node id, 48b mem addr)
 Real-time connection and disconnect and assignment
(Plug and Play)
 Designed for interfacing independent electronic devices.
 USB (Universal Serial Bus)
 Has 2 data rates: 12 Mb/s, 1.5 Mb/s
 For PC users to connect monitors, printers, scanners, …
 Used tiered star topology (USB hubs)

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 37

Wireless communication
 Physical layers:
 IR
 Relatively cheap
 Need line of sight
 Diode emits infrared light to generate signal, Infrared
transistor detects signal.
 RF
 Line of sight not necessary
 Longer distance communications
 Frequency hopping, to communicate while constantly
changing transmission frequency.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 38

Wireless Protocols
 IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
 IrDA is an international organization
 Designed to support transmission between two devices over short-range point-to-point
infrared.
 Rate: 9.6 Kb/s – 4 Mb/s
 Deployed in notebooks, printers, PDAs, cell phones,…
 MS Windows CE 1.0 the first Windows OS support it
 Available on several popular embedded OSs
 Bluetooth
 Use radio frequency
 Within 10 meters
 Doesn’t require a line-of-sight connection
 IEEE 802.11
 IEEE proposed standard for WLAN
 Ad-hoc vs. infrastructure
 PHY and MAC layers
 Data rate: 1Mbps, 2Mbps
 Calls: 2.4 – 2.4835 GHz frequency band (unlicensed band).
 Use CSMA/CA
 Signals for transmission: RTS, CTS, and ACK.

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 39

Reference
 “Embedded system Design: A unified
Hardware/Software Introduction”, Frank Vahid,
Tony Givarrgis, Wiley, 2002

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 40

Questions?

Real-time Embedded Systems/Interfacing 41