Classification and analysis of common English vocabulary in embedded systems
1. Hardware-related Terms
ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) – A chip designed for specific application requirements, commonly used in high-performance, low-power scenarios. Address Bus (地址总线) – An electronic circuit that connects the processor to external devices, used for addressing memory space or peripheral registers. DMA (Direct Memory Access) – A technology that allows peripherals to transfer data directly to memory, reducing CPU intervention. Flash Memory (闪存) – A type of rewritable non-volatile memory widely used for firmware storage in embedded systems. Peripheral (外围设备) – Devices such as sensors and communication modules that interact with the processor through I/O interfaces.
2. Software and Development Tools
Assembler (汇编编译器) – A tool that converts assembly language into machine code, commonly used for low-level hardware control. Cross-Compiler (交叉编译器) – A compiler that generates target machine code on a host, supporting cross-platform development. Firmware (固件) – Embedded software stored in ROM, such as drivers or operating system kernels. RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) – An operating system used for task scheduling and resource management, such as FreeRTOS or VxWorks. Heap (堆) – A dynamic memory allocation area managed through malloc or new operations.
3. Systems and Communication Protocols
Interrupt (中断) – An asynchronous event notification mechanism that triggers the execution of an interrupt service routine (ISR). I²C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) – A serial communication protocol used for short-distance communication between devices. SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) – A full-duplex synchronous communication protocol commonly used for high-speed data transmission. UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) – A universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter that supports serial communication. JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) – A hardware debugging interface used for chip testing and programming.
4. Operating Systems and Task Management
Context Switch (上下文切换) – The process of switching tasks in a multitasking system, requiring the saving and restoring of task states. Semaphore (信号量) – A mechanism for task synchronization and resource sharing, such as binary semaphores. Mutex (互斥锁) – A synchronization mechanism that prevents resource contention, ensuring the atomicity of critical section code. Deadlock (死锁) – An abnormal state where multiple tasks are indefinitely blocked waiting for resources, which must be avoided through design. BSP (Board Support Package) – A package that provides hardware initialization and driver support.
5. Debugging and Testing
ICE (In-Circuit Emulator) – An online emulator used for real-time debugging and observing the internal state of the processor. Breakpoint (断点) – A position in the debugging tool where program execution is paused for code logic analysis. Logic Analyzer (逻辑分析仪) – A hardware tool that captures the timing of multiple signal channels for communication protocol analysis. Watchdog Timer (看门狗定时器) – A hardware mechanism that prevents system crashes by periodically resetting unresponsive systems.
6. Core Concepts and Architecture
Embedded System (嵌入式系统) – An application-centric dedicated computer system, with customizable hardware and software. CISC/RISC (复杂/精简指令集) – Classifications of processor architectures, such as x86 being CISC and ARM being RISC. Von Neumann/Harvard Architecture – Types of memory architecture that distinguish between instruction and data storage methods. Endianness (字节序) – The order of data storage (big-endian/little-endian), which affects cross-platform data parsing.
Application Scenario Examples
ASIC: Custom chip design for image processing or communication modules. RTOS: Managing multi-task real-time scheduling in drone control systems. I²C: The communication protocol connecting temperature sensors to the main control chip.