Articles Museum
Whenever the word microprocessor is referred, it conjures up a picture of a desktop or laptop PC running an application such as a word processor or a spreadsheet. While this is a common application for microprocessors, it is not the only one and the fact is most people use them indirectly in common objects and consumer electronics without realising it. Without the microprocessor, these products would not be as sophisticated or cheap as they are today. The embedding of microprocessors into equipment and portable devices started before the appearance of the PC and consumes the majority of microprocessors that are made today. In this way, embedded microprocessors are more deeply ingrained into everyday life than any other electronic circuit that is made. A large car may have over 50 microprocessors controlling functions such as the engine through engine management systems, brakes with electronic anti-lock brakes, transmission with traction control and electronically controlled gearboxes, safety with airbag systems, electric windows, air-conditioning and so on. With a well-equipped car, nearly every aspect has some form of electronic control associated with it and thus a need for a microprocessor within an embedded system.
A washing machine may have a risc microcontroller that contains the different washing programs, provides the power control for the various motors and pumps and even controls the display that tells you how the wash cycles are proceeding. Mobile phones contain more processing power than a desktop processor of a few years ago. Many gadgets contain microprocessors and there are even kitchen appliances such as bread machines that use microprocessor-based control systems. The word control is very apt for embedded systems because in virtually every embedded system application, the goal is to control an aspect of a physical system such as temperature, motion, and so on using a variety of inputs. With the recent advent of the digital age replacing many of the analogue technologies in the consumer world, the dominance of the embedded system is ever greater. Each digital consumer device such as a digital camera, DVD or MP3 player all depend on an embedded system to realise the system. As a result, the skills behind embedded systems design are as diverse as the systems that have been built although they share a common heritage.
There are many definitions for this but the best way to define it is to describe it in terms of what it is not and with examples of how it is used.
An embedded system is a microcontroller-based system that is built to control a function or range of functions and is not designed to be programmed by the end user in the same way that a PC is. Yes, a user can make choices concerning functionality but cannot change the functionality of the system by adding/replacing software. With a personal computer, this is exactly what a user can do: one minute the PC is a word processor and the next it’s a games machine simply by changing the software. An embedded system is designed to perform one particular task albeit with choices and different options. The last point is essential because it differentiates itself from the world of the PC where the end user does reprogram it whenever a different software package is bought and run. However, PCs have provided an easily accessible source of hardware and software for embedded systems and it should be no surprise that they form the basis of many embedded systems. To reflect this, there are many popular microcontroller projects to build a simple hobby gadget or a sophisticated data logging system for a race car.
If this need to control the physical world is so great, what is so special about embedded systems that has led to the widespread use of microprocessors? There are several major reasons and these have accumulated over the years as the technology has progressed and developed.
If you are searching the Internet for more information about the sphere of internet marketing, please make sure to go to the site that was mentioned right in this paragraph.
Tags: Embedded System
Posted in Hardware · August 24th, 2010 · Comments (0)
One way to get maximum performance out of your computer is to utilize overclocking. Overclocking is a means of increasing your computer’s speed in order to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently. Clocking is the amount of clock cycles a computer goes through per minute as it processes things. Increasing the number of clock cycles per minute makes your computer capable of processing more things concurrently, or concentrate on one task and complete it more quickly.
This is especially beneficial if you are running games or video editing applications. The obvious advantage to overclocking is that you do not constantly have to purchase upgrades. Many people choose to purchase a less expensive computer-processing unit (CPU) and then overclock it rather than buying a newer unit or one with more memory. It is possible to overclock various components dependent upon your purpose.
Some choose to directly overclock cpu or the RAM (random access memory) while other users prefer to direct their attention to the video card. It is important, if you do choose to overclock your computer to improve performance, that you consult a professional or purchase professional overclocking software to avoid potential problems. Some of these problems can include overheating of your computer unit, shortened life of computer components, system instability and increase noise produced by your computer.
Overheating occurs because as you increase the speed of your computer, you are increasing the rate at which the components work-more clock cycles per minute equals more energy and consequently more heat produced. It is possible to counteract this by using various cooling devices. Getting high-powered fans is one option but will produce a substantial amount of noise. Other cooling options include water-cooling units but it requires some instruction in the proper use of such units. Additionally, because you will be operating the unit outside of the manufacturer’s intended operation parameters, you may expect that the computer’s lifespan will be shortened somewhat.
System instability can result from improper overclocking, which is why it is best to use a professional software system to help you insure this does not happen. There are many different software programs available that will test for instability problems and bugs, as well as providing benchmark testing to ascertain how your computer’s performance has improved. If you choose to overclock your computer on your own, be sure to get some professional advice.
Purchasing a book on overclock cpu that contains excellent easy to follow directions for this process as well as troubleshooting guides and additional resources can help. After you overclock your computer you will want to test to be sure that you are not having any problems with instability such as bugs or errors. Some errors are silent errors, meaning that while you may not see them right away, they can still be causing problems with your system. This book also contains information on how to test for this type of problem before it can harm your system.
For practical info about internet marketing – please make sure to go through the site. The times have come when proper information is really within your reach, use this chance.
Tags: Overclocking amd cpu
Posted in Hardware · June 12th, 2010 · Comments (0)