An embedded system refers to a specialized computer system designed to perform dedicated functions within a larger mechanical or electrical system. It typically consists of a combination of hardware and software components tailored to perform specific tasks or functions. Embedded systems play a crucial role in mobile robotics, UAV construction and edge AI. Such systems are characterized by their real-time operation, reliability and efficiency in executing predetermined functions, often with limited resources such as processing power, memory and energy. In remote areas, for example, everything is run off batteries or generators. Consequently, many embedded systems are engineered to incorporate various techniques to extend battery life. The others simply need to consume less energy based on other factors. As a result, there’s an increasing demand for designs that minimize energy usage while maintaining high performance. In this article we are going to elaborate on the strategies for achieving low-power designs and highlight their significance in embedded systems.

The Need for Low-Power Design

Low-power design involves strategies and approaches aimed at decreasing the energy usage of electronic devices and refers especially to the underlying embedded systems upon which such devices operate. Examples of such devices are battery-powered devices, processors, IoT wireless sensor networks and many more. Through the application of low-power design methods, engineers can create high-quality and reliable equipment which consume considerably less energy without any indication of performance degradation. The need for low-power devices arises from several factors:

• Power sources are often limited and the disruption in the energy supply can result in adversities. This is particularly true for battery-powered devices in military situations where power outages can cost lives. That’s why defense is always looking for lower power consumption in airborne and ground vehicle applications.
• Portability of everyday devices (notebooks, smartphones, etc.) which will have prolonged battery life is one of the concerns of device manufacturing companies. In today’s world, it is a common tendency for customers to have a preference for devices with extended battery life.
• Low-power design will certainly have a huge positive impact on the environment as a large amount of electricity is wasted through devices connected to the grid. The decrease in the electricity consumption of such devices will result in less costs and will cause less damage to the environment.
• In embedded systems, high power consumption can result in a significant amount of heat generation damaging the system components. The reduction of generated heat is one of the concerns for military equipment production. As a fact, the overall decrease in power consumption will considerably reduce the generated heat. Consequently, initially employing low-power design techniques will protect the system from unexpected side effects due to thermal issues.
• Less heat generation can lead to improved performance and reliability of the embedded system. Overheating can cause performance degradation or even hardware failures, so by keeping temperatures within acceptable limits, low-power designs contribute to overall reliability and durability of the system.

Key Principles of Low-Power Design

To grasp the fundamental principles of low-power design, it’s imperative to dive into power consumption basics, sleep modes, clock gating techniques and voltage scaling strategies. This exploration will shed light on how each aspect contributes to the creation of energy-efficient embedded systems.

Power Consumption Basics

Power consumption indicates how much electrical energy a device or a system uses to perform its functions or operations. There are two primary sources of power consumption in electronic devices – static and dynamic. Devices consume static power when idle and dynamic power during active use. Reducing both static and dynamic power consumption is essential for creating low-power designs achieved through the means of efficient components and optimized circuits. Understanding consumption allows informed decisions on resource allocation and environmental impact mitigation. Embracing energy-efficient practices drives towards sustainability while ensuring reliable access to necessities.

Power Management and Sleep Modes

Implementing sleep modes and power states can significantly reduce power consumption in embedded systems. Sleep modes enable devices to enter low-power states when not performing tasks, therefore conserving energy. Power states define consumption levels based on system activity and performance needs. Selecting appropriate modes ensures optimal power usage and performance while maintaining efficiency.

All sleep modes are accessible from active mode, where the CPU executes application code. Upon entering sleep mode, program execution halts, and the device relies on interrupts or a reset for waking up. The application code determines the timing and choice of sleep mode. Enabled interrupts from peripherals and reset sources can return the CPU from sleep to active mode. Furthermore, power reduction registers offer means to halt individual peripheral clocks via software control. This action freezes the peripheral’s current state, eliminating its power consumption. Consequently, power usage is minimized in both active mode and idle sleep modes, facilitating more nuanced power management than sleep modes alone.

Here are several examples of low-power modes:

Sleep Mode: In this mode, the device reduces its power consumption by powering down non-essential components while retaining data in memory. The CPU typically enters a low-power state, halting its operation until an external event, such as a button press or an interrupt, wakes it up.

Deep Sleep Mode: This mode is an even lower power state compared to sleep mode. In deep sleep, the device shuts down most of its non-essential functions, including reducing power to the CPU and peripherals. This mode is commonly used in battery-powered devices to prolong battery life during extended periods of inactivity.

Standby Mode: This mode is similar to sleep mode but may involve a slightly higher level of power consumption. In this mode, the device reduces power to most components, but some essential functions remain active to enable quick recovery. It’s commonly used in devices like TVs and remote controls, where rapid responsiveness is necessary.

Clock Gating for Dynamic Power Reduction

Clock gating is a technique aimed at reducing dynamic power consumption by selectively switching off unnecessary clock signals to registers using control signals, all while ensuring functional correctness. By turning off the clock to idle parts of a device, it conserves power, directing it only to active components and minimizing waste. Implementing clock gating in embedded systems can substantially reduce power usage, particularly in devices with numerous components or intricate functionalities.

Typically, the assignment to a register might be conditional, as depicted above. When EN is 0, the clocks to the registers can be stopped otherwise, the registers will switch states on each clock cycle, which dissipates power.

Voltage Scaling Strategies

Voltage scaling strategies in low-power design involve adjusting the core supply voltage to align with the system’s performance needs. Decreasing voltage decreases power consumption, but it can impact performance, necessitating a careful balance between the two. Techniques like adaptive voltage scaling and dynamic voltage scaling are commonly used in embedded systems to find this balance, often coupled with frequency scaling to maintain acceptable performance levels while reducing power consumption. Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) is a power management technique that adjusts the voltage and frequency of the device’s CPU dynamically based on workload demands. During periods of low activity, the CPU voltage and frequency are decreased to save power, while they are increased during high-demand tasks to maintain performance. These strategies are particularly crucial in portable devices where battery life is a primary concern.

Design Techniques for Low-Power Embedded Systems

When thinking about the low-power embedded systems, there is no single rule that applies to every type of requirement. Rather it is a combination of a system design, circuit design and firmware design all combined and working together to deliver the best performance per watt. Embedded engineers construct embedded systems using various low-power techniques, allowing for adaptable control over device’s energy usage based on its activities and operating patterns. 

Hardware Techniques for Low-Power Design

In the realm of low-power embedded system design, the selection of hardware components plays a pivotal role. Optimal choices can significantly influence the system’s overall power consumption. This section will delve into various hardware techniques, such as component selection for low-power embedded systems, employing energy-efficient microcontrollers and processors, and integrating sensors designed for minimal energy consumption.

Energy-efficient component selection: Picking the right components is crucial for any electronic system, affecting design, layout, and power usage. When it comes to low-power designs, choosing components wisely is even more critical. To reduce power consumption in embedded systems, we need to focus on factors like operating voltage, idle/standby current, and overall efficiency of the components. Opting for parts with lower consumption can significantly cut down on energy usage in the system.

Energy-efficient microcontroller and processor selection: Embedded systems rely heavily on microcontrollers and processors, and their power efficiency is crucial in determining overall power usage. When choosing a microcontroller or a processor, prioritize components with low operating voltages, effective sleep modes, and power-saving capabilities like clock gating and voltage scaling. Incorporating these features ensures decreased power consumption without compromising performance, making them ideal choices for energy-conscious designs.

One example of a low-power AI accelerator is Hailo-15 that can process multiple video streams in real time on a single device with robust onboard network connectivity. It offers very high AI performance of 26 TOPS and very low power consumption of 2.5W which makes it perfect for AI computing and for mission-critical applications with power consumption reduced by approximately 70% compared to GPU based solutions. Another example is Intel’s hybrid CPU architecture, which combines “P cores” for high-intensity computational tasks and “E cores” for handling less-intensive tasks while maximizing energy-efficiency, addressing the requirements of modern computing.

Energy-efficient process node selection: When talking about semiconductor ICs, selecting newer devices with 5nm technology node vs 10nm reduces power by 40%, 3nm improves 45% over 5nm, 14nm reduces power by 50% over 28nm etc. Power efficiency can be dramatically improved when using IC built on top of latest technology node.

Energy-efficient FPGA design: Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices offer the advantage of flexibility and customization in hardware design. In certain applications, this flexibility can lead to power reduction by combining multiple functions into a single FPGA device rather than using discrete components.

Energy-efficient sensor selection: Sensors play a crucial role in embedded systems, gathering data from the surroundings or user interactions. Opting for sensors with minimal power demands that can transition into low-power modes when inactive is a key. Furthermore, explore sensors equipped with built-in power management functionalities like automatic sleep modes and adjustable sample rates to enhance energy efficiency even further. By selecting sensors with these capabilities, overall power consumption in the system can be significantly reduced, ensuring efficient operation.

Software Techniques for Low-Power Design

It is generally more effective to begin monitoring the energy consumption as early as possible to access the potential risks of high energy consumption points during the implementation process. When the software is already implemented and integrated, it is usually more difficult and expensive to eliminate such issues. On the other hand, energy consumption levels are directly proportional to computational complexities and improving one will result in indirect improvement of the other. Therefore, it is a good idea to introduce several software development techniques to achieve low-power in embedded systems.

Code optimization: Optimize algorithms to reduce the overall CPU utilization. Try using efficient algorithms and data structures to reduce the computational complexity. Frequently, there is a tradeoff between faster processing/larger code size vs slower processing/smaller code size. Usually, optimizing a code for speed vs size is a better choice.

Event-Based Task Scheduling: Events are generated to trigger the system to perform some work. Once the processor finishes the requested task, it goes back to idle state allowing it to remain in low-power modes for longer durations. Incorporating sleep modes in the code putsthe processor or specific peripherals into low-power states during periods of inactivity. Use of efficient task scheduling algorithms minimizes wake-up times and ensures that tasks are executed in a power-efficient manner.

Optimized Data and I/O Access: Minimizing unnecessary data transfers and using efficient data structures to reduce power consumption during memory access operation such as unnecessary copying of data, especially when large blocks of memory are allocated. Reducing the frequency of I/O operations and using techniques such as batch processing to minimize power consumption during data transfers. Optimizing cache usage to minimize memory accesses and reduce power consumption associated with accessing external memory.

Code Profiling and Optimization: Profiling code to identify power-hungry sections and optimizing them to reduce power consumption without sacrificing performance is a major area for optimization. Additionally, compilers that optimize code for low-power execution can significantly reduce energy consumption by minimizing unnecessary operations and maximizing sleep modes utilization. Debugging tools that provide insights into power consumption behavior during development help identify and solve power inefficiencies early in the design process.

Using Low-Power Communication Protocols

The adoption of low-power communication protocols within embedded systems is paramount for achieving energy efficiency while maintaining reliable data transmission. This section aims to offer insights into energy-efficient communication standards and wireless protocols customized for low-power applications.

Wireless Protocols for Low-Power Design

Wireless communication is gaining popularity in embedded systems for its adaptability and scalability. However, without energy-efficient implementation, it can lead to considerable power consumption. Several wireless protocols, tailored for low-power applications, have emerged to address this concern, including:

• BLE is designed for low-power devices and applications with infrequent data transmission.
• NB-IoT technology is designed to provide low-power wide area network (LPWAN) connectivity for IoT devices. This means that NB-IoT devices have very low-power consumption compared to traditional cellular devices, which enables them to operate on a single battery charge for years.
• Z-Wave is a highly efficient and low-energy technology. While the smart home hub requires a constant power supply to keep the network up and running, many Z-Wave devices operate on battery power alone for a year or more before requiring replacement.
• LoRa is ideal for IoT applications requiring low data rate transmission over long distances.
• ZigBee is a low-power, low-data-rate wireless communication protocol commonly used in home automation and industrial control systems.

Conclusion

Tauro Technologies can dramatically reduce system cost, size, and power requirements through optimized hardware and software design, and meticulous component selection. Our diverse portfolio of high-efficiency modules and integrated systems is engineered to meet the most demanding industrial standards. Contact us to explore how we can enhance your systems.

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It is common for the majority to get confused with the terms “Embedded firmware” and “Embedded software”. In this article, we will discuss differences and similarities between embedded software and firmware and offer examples to help the reader differentiate between those two.

We will kick things off by getting to know what an embedded system is and exploring its core components. From there, we’ll dive into the challenges that developers encounter, from the intricate world of clocking mechanisms to navigating the nuances of firmware and managing power efficiently.

What is an Embedded System?

An embedded system is a computer system with a specific function, composed of a microprocessor, memory, and various input/output peripherals. These systems are often found within larger mechanical or electronic assemblies, hence the term “embedded”.

Embedded systems come in various forms, with some being standalone devices, while others function as integral parts of a larger system.

These systems have a presence in a wide range of applications, including industrial machines, consumer electronics, agricultural and processing equipment, automobiles, medical devices, cameras, digital watches, household appliances, airplanes, vending machines, toys, and even modern mobile devices.

Embedded systems consist of hardware and software components. The hardware includes microprocessor or microcontroller, memory, input/output interfaces, timers, and a power supply. These components require software and firmware to bring them to life and function as a system.

Challenges in Embedded Systems

Embedded product developers grapple with a multitude of challenges as they strive to design and develop efficient and reliable embedded systems. Here, we’ll explore some of the key challenges:

Clocking Challenges

• Synchronization: Achieving precise clock synchronization across different components within an embedded system is crucial for seamless operation. Variations in clock timing can lead to synchronization issues and data errors.
• Low Power Clocking: Balancing the need for high-performance clock speeds with power efficiency is a constant challenge, especially in battery-operated devices.
• Clock Domain Crossing: Managing different clock domains within a single system can be complex and requires careful attention to avoid synchronization problems.

Power Management Challenges

• Energy Efficiency: Balancing performance and power consumption is critical, especially in battery-powered devices. Achieving optimal energy efficiency while maintaining functionality is a constant struggle.
• Dynamic Power Management: Efficiently managing power in dynamic workloads, where system components operate at varying levels of activity, is a complex task.
• Thermal Management: Preventing overheating and thermal issues in embedded systems, which can affect performance and longevity, is another challenge.

Firmware Challenges

• Complexity: Developing firmware that is robust, efficient, and adaptable can be a significant challenge. Firmware must handle various tasks, from hardware control to communication protocols.
• Security: Ensuring the security of embedded systems is paramount. Firmware vulnerabilities can expose systems to cyber threats, making robust security measures essential.
• Compatibility: Firmware must often interact with diverse hardware components, requiring compatibility testing and updates as hardware evolves.

GUI and Dashboards in Embedded Systems

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) and dashboards play a crucial role in embedded systems, as they provide an interactive and user-friendly way to control and monitor devices and systems with limited computing resources.

What is Embedded Software?

Embedded software is designed to operate in SWaP optimized non-PC devices. This software is designed for the specific hardware it runs on and often faces some problems due to limited processing power and memory capacity of the device.

A simple example of embedded software can be a controlling of household lighting using an 8-bit microcontroller with minimal memory. It can also be as complex as the software powering modern smart cars. These complex systems manage various electronic components, such as climate control, adaptive cruise control, collision detection, and navigation.

Embedded software and application software differ primarily in their scope and functionality. Embedded software is often serving as the device’s operating system itself. It operates under strict limitations imposed by the device’s functionality, which tightly controls the updates and additions to ensure compatibility.

On the other hand, application software provides specific functionality within a general-purpose computer and operates on a complete OS. This separation means that application software has more flexibility and fewer restrictions when it comes to utilizing system resources.

What is Embedded Firmware?

Firmware serves as a link between the hardware and other software applications that power the system. It is a special type of embedded software that was historically written in read-only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). These earlier forms of firmware were notably unchangeable after initial programming. That is why it is called “firm”.

However, technology has evolved and moved toward storing firmware in Flash memory devices. This advancement offers notable advantages, including easier reprogramming and upgrade capabilities as well as significantly increased storage capacity when compared to its ROM and EEPROM predecessors.

Summing up, the primary role of firmware is to initiate device’s startup process and provide the essential orchestration to support the operation among various hardware components.

Hardware developers use embedded firmware for controlling hardware devices and their functionality similar to the way OS controls the function of software applications. Embedded firmware exists in everything from simple appliances that have computer control, like toasters, to complex tracking systems in missiles. The toaster would likely never need updating but the tracking system sometimes does.

The key difference between Embedded Software vs Firmware

Firmware is just a specific subset of embedded software. Without the operating system and middleware parts, firmware acts as a directional translator only and cannot work without other software layers working on top of it. It is just one layer, whereas a full embedded layer stack is required for a device to function.

Unlike the application software which is updated often, firmware is typically not updated after it is released and  working properly.

If we use a traffic light system analog here is how the embedded system components fit – Hardware (red) is the most difficult to update on a working product, firmware (orange) is not impossible but comes with challenges, and software (green) is easy to update and something that is being updated frequently.

Interested to know more? Get in touch with us for details.

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In the world of embedded engineering, products follow a defined path before reaching customers. In this complex landscape, where software and hardware combine to power critical systems, assuring quality, reliability, and safety becomes paramount. Unlike regular software, embedded software tightly integrates with hardware, demanding strict testing and validation.

Embedded systems testing is the cornerstone, involving thorough validation of both software and hardware to ensure a seamless system operation. It ensures the end product meets user’s functionality and reliability expectations. This process is distinct from regular software testing, as it’s often times manual and performed on embedded systems.

In simpler terms, embedded testing verifies that the end product combining hardware and software meets product requirements. This meticulous approach is crucial, especially for critical applications such as military and medical sectors, and should be concluded before obtaining safety certification.

How to perform Embedded Systems Testing

When it comes to embedded software testing, there are essential steps and methods to ensure software quality and dependability. But before delving into the process, it’s crucial to grasp why testing matters. This involves finding bugs, reducing risks, cutting development costs, and boosting overall performance.

Much like testing regular software, embedded software begins by feeding it with specific input data. The code is then set in motion using these inputs, and the resulting actions are closely observed. During the procedure, keeping a watchful eye on the embedded system’s condition is a must. This encompasses variables, memory usage, and other pertinent indicators.

Once the code has been executed, the next step is to compare the outcome against the predetermined requirements and expected results. The goal here is to ensure that the execution aligns with the intended functionality, and the software functions without unexpected hitches or crashes. This process ensures the software operates as intended.

In embedded software testing, two prominent techniques are commonly used:

• Black Box Testing: This technique involves a comprehensive verification process, where all possible input values are considered. However, this can result in an infinite number of test cases. To manage this complexity, techniques like equivalence partitioning and boundary-value analysis are applied. These methods efficiently address this challenge by categorizing input values into distinct partitions and examining boundary cases. This focused approach ensures that every partition of equivalent data, representing input values, is covered at least once.
• White Box Testing: also referred to as Clear Box or Glass Box testing, this approach delves into the code’s internal structure and logic. Its main goals include enhancing security, refining design aspects, and improving overall usability. Testers actively select specific inputs to navigate through targeted paths within the code. This process allows them to assess the code’s behavior, identify potential vulnerabilities, and verify the expected outputs.

Types of Embedded Systems Testing

According to system type and general usage in the software industry, we consider embedded software testing types or levels below:

• Unit testing: Unit testing is a fundamental aspect of software development, focusing on testing individual components or units of code, which can be either classes or functions. It’s a practice often carried out by developers themselves. During this phase, specific test cases are created based on the module’s specifications.
  In the realm of software engineering, every software solution is composed of discrete units or components. Unit testing aims to ensure that the code within each unit functions according to expectations. Typically executed during the development process, unit testing is led by the developer responsible for that particular module.

• Integration testing: After the modules have been individually unit tested, we start putting them together to see how they work when combined. There are different ways to combine them, from the top or from the bottom. It doesn’t matter which way we use, as long as we understand how they behave together. We start with the first two modules and keep adding more until we have the whole system. It’s best to test at every stage.
  Integration testing makes sure puzzle pieces fit well. It validates that the modules work together correctly according to the predetermined rules.
  Testing environment is usually built in parallel with the software, however testing is tricky since you can’t do a complete test in a simulated environment.

• System testing: System testing ensures that the entire system or product adheres to the overarching system requirements. The system tester acts as the customer’s advocate, with user requirement documents or corresponding specifications serving as guiding references.
  Various methods, including both simulated and actual execution, can be used for system testing. In scenarios like a space shuttle launch, where testing actual software isn’t feasible, elaborate simulations are employed to replicate external conditions. This approach underscores the significance of high-quality test simulators, presenting a distinctive quality challenge. While the complexity of simulators and limited alternatives for validation pose challenges, it holds true for automated system tests in general.
  System testing can include multiple quality aspects, including functionality, performance, reliability, and usability.

Acceptance Testing as part of a Validation Testing

Validation is a phase in the software development life cycle that focuses on evaluating a software product or system to ensure that it meets the intended requirements and functions correctly within its intended environment. This process typically occurs at the end of the development cycle, just before the software is deployed to the end-users or customers.

The V-model is a valuable framework for illustrating the relationship between development stages and validation activities, particularly in safety-critical software development.

Acceptance Testing in Embedded Systems is a critical phase in the development of embedded software and hardware systems. It focuses on verifying that the embedded system meets predefined acceptance criteria and is ready for deployment in its intended environment. This type of testing is vital to ensure the software’s functionality aligns with predefined standards and that the system is suitable for its intended use. Typically, acceptance testing is the final stage of the software testing process, occurring after system testing, bug fixing, and verification have taken place.

The significance of acceptance testing cannot be overstated. If the testing team were to skip this crucial step, there would be a heightened risk that the software might not fully align with its initial requirements and specifications. It serves as a vital quality assurance checkpoint, ensuring that the software operates as intended, meets market standards, and can compete effectively with similar products within the industry.

Upon the successful completion of system testing in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), acceptance testing becomes imperative. It serves several key purposes: 

• Acceptance testing ensures that the software functions in the desired manner, meeting the expectations set out in the original requirements.
• It validates that the software complies with current industry standards, ensuring that it remains competitive within its market niche.
• Acceptance testing instills confidence in the software, confirming that it is ready for deployment in a production environment. This is particularly crucial in mission-critical or customer-facing applications, where any issues could have far-reaching consequences.

Challenges in Embedded Systems Testing

Embedded testing presents several unique challenges due to its interactions with hardware and specialized nature. Here are some key challenges faced in the realm of embedded testing:

Delivering Quality and Customer Satisfaction

One of our standout advantages lies in our meticulous approach to ATP, documentation, and validation. This commitment is especially crucial as new customers seek to comprehend our release delivery, testing, and design validation procedures. Our ability to provide comprehensive testing report including initial Signal Integrity and Power Integrity simulation results supported with captured measurements from the actual hardware, in addition to functional acceptance test procedure (ATP) report further solidifies the value we provide.

The essence of delivering to customers rests upon surpassing their expectations across several dimensions. Beyond accuracy and completeness, timeliness, security, and ease of access are paramount. Throughout this process, transparent communication with customers remains a cornerstone.

The significance of validating designs before implementation cannot be overstated. This practice influences cost-effectiveness, customer contentment, risk mitigation, time savings, usability, and overall user experience. By identifying and addressing issues at the outset, design validation propels us towards creating successful products that not only cater to customer requirements but also elevate overall user satisfaction.

Our track record of wowing customers stands as a testament to the value we bring. The experiences and results we’ve delivered to existing customers are not only remarkable but also set the standard for all our future customers.

Interested to know more? Get in touch with us for details.

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As technology evolves, the automotive industry is constantly seeking ways to make driving safe, reliable, and autonomous. In this blog post, we’ll explore the features, functionality, and the impact that a platform based on dual NVIDIA’s AGX Orin modules offers for the future of vehicle safety during operation. Additionally, we will elaborate on the concept of safety-critical systems and highlight the distinctions between safety-critical functionalities and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).

The Jetson AGX Orin is designed for advanced robotics and AI edge applications for manufacturing, logistics, retail, service, agriculture, smart city, healthcare, and life science. Dual Orin (2 Orin devices on the same motherboard) offers system redundancy, which refers to the presence of backup or duplicate components that can take over in the event of a failure in the primary system.

ADAS provides driver assistance and convenience, but it is not solely responsible for critical functions that impact safety. Safety-critical functions encompass components directly involved in critical functions such as braking and collision avoidance. Safety-critical systems follow strict standards to ensure reliable operation.

What is Orin?

The NVIDIA Jetson Orin solution is a SOM (system-on-module) with CPU, GPU, memory, power management, and various high-speed interfaces embedded on a single board. NVIDIA Jetson brings accelerated AI performance to the edge in a power-efficient and compact form factor. The Jetson family of modules all use the same NVIDIA CUDA-X software, and support cloud-native technologies like containerization and orchestration to build, deploy, and manage AI at the edge.

NVIDIA’s Orin platform (SoC) has three series for its Jetson products:

• Jetson AGX Orin series
• Jetson Orin NX series
• Jetson Orin Nano series

NVIDIA Jetson Orin modules provide 275 TOPS of AI performance and which increases the performance 8 times compared to Jetson Xavier for multiple concurrent AI inference pipelines, in addition to high-speed interface support for multiple sensors.

One of the major features of NVIDIA Jetson Orin is the DLA (Deep Learning Accelerator) which supports next-generation NVDLA 2.0 with 9x the performance of NVDLA 1.0. It enables the GPU to run more complex networks and dynamic tasks.

A Comparison of Orin with Traditional CPU/GPU

Now, let’s delve into a comparison between traditional processors and Orin by examining the following key features:

• Architecture

NVIDIA Jetson Orin is designed specifically for autonomous machines and edge computing. Jetson AGX Orin modules feature the NVIDIA Orin SoC with a NVIDIA Ampere architecture GPU, Arm® Cortex®-A78AE CPU, next-generation deep learning and vision accelerators, and a video encoder and a video decoder making it highly optimized for tasks like computer vision, deep learning, and robotics.

Traditional CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are more general-purpose processors designed for a wide range of computing tasks, including running operating systems, executing applications, and performing graphics rendering.

• Power Efficiency

NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin series modules are designed with a high-efficiency Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), voltage regulators, and a power tree to optimize power efficiency. It strikes a balance between performance and energy consumption, allowing for longer battery life and reduced power requirements in embedded systems.

While traditional CPUs and GPUs can offer high computational power, they are generally more power-hungry compared to specialized SoCs like Jetson Orin. They are commonly found in desktops, servers, and workstations where power consumption is less constrained.

• AI Performance

The NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin series provides server class performance, delivering up to 275 TOPS of AI performance for powering and managing autonomous systems. Its high performance is ideal for tasks like object detection, image recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous navigation.

Traditional CPUs and GPUs can also handle AI workloads, but they do not provide the same level of performance or efficiency as AI-focused modules like Jetson Orin. GPUs, in particular, have been utilized for parallel processing in deep learning tasks, but they are less power-efficient compared to specialized AI chips.

In addition, the Jetson Orin modules are extremely compact, enabling the compute platform to have reduced size and weight – critical for autonomous robots and UAVs.

• Software Ecosystem

NVIDIA Jetson Orin is part of NVIDIA’s Jetson platform, which offers a comprehensive software stack, including drivers, libraries, and frameworks specifically optimized for AI and autonomous applications. It supports popular AI frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and CUDA, providing developers with familiar tools and resources.

Traditional CPUs and GPUs also have a mature and extensive software ecosystem with support for a wide range of operating systems, development tools, and programming languages. They are compatible with various software frameworks, including those used for AI, but may require additional configuration and optimization for specific AI workloads.

Key differences between NVIDIA Orin and Xavier

NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier and NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin have the same physical footprint and are pin compatible while also being in the same price range with one major difference that the Orin offers much higher performance.

The biggest change change is moving from Nvidia’s Carmel CPU clusters to the ARM Cortex-A78AE on Jeston AGX Orin.
The Orin CPU complex is made up of 12 2.2 GHz cores, each with 64KB Instruction L1 Cache and 64KB Data Cache, and 256 KB of L2 Cache. This enables x1.85 performance increased compared to the eight core Carmel CPU on Jetson AGX Xavier.

Jetson AGX Orin modules deliver an AI performance that can reach 275 TOPS with up to 64 GB of memory, compared to 32 TOPS with up to 32 GB of memory for Jetson Xavier.

Jetson AGX Orin 64GB has 2048 CUDA cores and 64 Tensor cores with up to 170 Sparse TOPS of INT8 Tensor compute, and up to 5.3 FP32 TFLOPs of CUDA compute, while Jetson Xavier has only up to 1.4 FP32 TFLOPs of CUDA compute. Ampere GPU brings support for sparsity, a fine-grained compute structure that doubles throughput and reduces memory usage.

DLA 2.0 provides a highly energy efficient architecture. With this new design, NVIDIA increased local buffering for even more efficiency and reduced DRAM bandwidth. DLA 2.0 additionally brings a set of new features including structured sparsity, depth wise convolution, and a hardware scheduler. This enables up to 105 INT8 Sparse TOPs total on Jetson AGX Orin DLAs compared with 11.4 INT8 Dense TOPS total on Jetson AGX Xavier DLAs.

The 12-core CPU on Jetson AGX Orin 64GB enables 1.85 times the performance compared to the 8-core NVIDIA Carmel CPU on Jetson AGX Xavier. Customers can use the enhanced capabilities of the Cortex-A78AE including the higher performance and enhanced cache to optimize their CPU implementations.

Jetson AGX Orin modules bring support for 1.5 times the memory bandwidth and 2 times the storage of Jetson AGX Xavier, enabling 32GB or 64GB of 256-bit LPDDR5 and 64 GB of eMMC. The DRAM supports a max clock speed of 3200 MHz, with 6400 Gbps per pin, enabling 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

The combination of NVIDIA’s processing capabilities and power efficiency, along with its safety-critical features, makes it the ideal solution for autonomous applications.

Safety Critical Software in Automotive Safety

Functional safety in processor-based systems is particularly critical in automotive applications. Apart from the ongoing shift towards autonomous vehicles, cars are increasingly dependent on microprocessors to carry out essential operations and must have redundant systems to enable safety in the event of a component failure.

ISO 26262 serves as the globally recognized standard for ensuring functional safety in the automotive industry. This international standard encompasses both the hardware and software components of a vehicle’s electrical and electronic (E/E) systems. Throughout the development process, ISO 26262 outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to ensure the safety-related functionality of the system, along with the corresponding processes, methodologies, and tools. By adhering to the ISO 26262 standard, manufacturers can ensure that sufficient safety measures are implemented and maintained throughout the entire lifespan of the vehicle.

ISO 26262 offers comprehensive guidelines on determining acceptable risk levels for systems or components and documenting the testing process. It encompasses the following key aspects:

• Defines an automotive safety lifecycle that covers management, development, production, operation, service, and decommissioning stages, allowing for customization of activities during each phase.
• Implements an automotive-specific risk-based approach for classifying risk levels known as Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs).
• Utilizes ASILs to specify the required safety measures for achieving an acceptable residual risk.
• Establishes requirements for validation and confirmation measures to ensure the attainment of a satisfactory level of safety.y

Dual AGX Orin Controller Overview

The Dual AGX Orin system offers superior computing power compared to a single Orin solution, making it preferable for specific applications that require higher computational power and redundancy.

The Dual Orin Controller’s computational capacity enables it to handle multiple complex tasks simultaneously. This capability is particularly valuable in scenarios where there is a need for concurrent processing of multiple data streams from various sensors, making it suitable for advanced autonomous machines, commercial vehicles, unmanned distribution vehicles, and unmanned cleaning vehicles.

In safety-critical applications, redundancy is essential to ensure system reliability. The Dual Orin Controller’s utilization of two AGX Orin modules provides a level of redundancy and failover capabilities. If one module encounters an issue, the other can continue functioning, minimizing the risk of critical system failures and improving the overall reliability of the autonomous machine.

Tauro Technologies TT300 Dual AGX Orin Controller

Tauro Technologies’ TT300 Dual AGX Orin compute platform provides exceptional computing power, low energy consumption, in a compact form factor.

With up to 400/550 TOPS of AI performance this product can be used in autonomous vehicles, UAVs and robotics. The product is designed for high reliability and redundancy, provides multi-sensor clock synchronization with sub-nanosecond accuracy and millisecond latency for precise timing.

Let’s take a closer look at TT300 key features:

• Dual Orin Controllers 550 TOPS

The TT300 board is equipped with two powerful Orin controllers, delivering combined processing power of 550 TOPS. This immense computing power enables lightning-fast data processing and analysis, making it ideal for handling complex AI workloads.

• Infineon TC397 Safety MCU

Ensuring the highest levels of safety and reliability, the TT300 board incorporates the Infineon TC397 safety microcontroller to support safety requirements up to ASIL-D. This MCU plays a crucial role in safeguarding the system against potential hazards and maintaining the integrity of critical operations.

• 100Base-T1/1000Base-T1 Ethernet

To facilitate efficient and reliable data communication, the TT300 board is equipped with both 100Base-T1 and 1000Base-T1 Ethernet interfaces. These interfaces enable fast and secure data transfer, ensuring smooth integration into existing vehicle network infrastructures.

• Wi-Fi/4G/5G

TT300 board supports Wi-Fi, 4G LTE and 5G connectivity, enabling seamless wireless communication and remote access. Whether you need to stream data, receive updates, or control the board remotely, these connectivity features have you covered.

• GMSL2 Interface for Hi-Res Cameras

The TT300 board features a GMSL2 interface, enabling reliable connection with high-resolution cameras. This interface supports the transmission of data between the controller and cameras, ensuring high-quality image and video feed for AI applications such as ADAS, object detection, tracking, and recognition.

GMSL cameras are becoming a defacto standard in automotive industry where high data rates and long-distance support is required, addressing the need to transport higher video data rates in automotive video systems.
In addition to high bandwidth transmission, long-distance support, and low latency, GMSL cameras also come with the following features:

• Virtual channel support
• GMSL1 and GMSL2 backward compatibility
• Video duplication
• Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) feature
• Compatibility with ARM platforms like the NVIDIA Jetson series

I/O Capabilities

TT300 is powered by two NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin modules and Infineon TC397 safety MCU enables the design to meet ASIL-D highest reliability requirements. The I/O capabilities of the product include automotive as well as industrial ethernet interfaces, USB, wireless connectivity over 4G/5G and Wi-Fi, GMSL camera and LVDS radar interfaces for ADAS applications, as well as CAN and LIN interfaces for automotive and robotics applications routed to CMC connector. Wide selection of interfaces and customization options makes this device easily adaptable to various use cases and application scenarios.

Conclusion

Tauro Technologies’ TT300 is one of the industry’s first platforms to offer the NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX in a redundant safety-critical setting. This is an ideal system for self-driving vehicles in automotive, mining, and defense sectors as well as autonomous robots and UAVs that require exceptional performance and functional safety certification.
We can customize the I/O as well as the product packaging to fit your application requirements – contact us for details.

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Oscilloscopes are electronic devices used to observe and measure electrical signals. They are widely used in engineering, physics, and other fields to measure and analyze signals. Oscilloscopes display waveforms graphically, allowing users to see the shape, frequency, and amplitude of the signal being measured. In this blog post, we’ll highlight their critical characteristics for high-speed digital design and go over some factors to consider when choosing an oscilloscope.

What is an Oscilloscope?

An electronic device called an oscilloscope is used to analyze and display signal waveforms. It consists of a display, signal input channels, and controls for adjusting various settings. The oscilloscope creates a graph by tracking the voltage level of an electrical signal over time. This waveform can then be examined to find any potential issues or signal anomalies.

Oscilloscopes can be used to examine signals in a variety of ways. Oscilloscopes are great for analyzing, validating and debugging electrical systems as they allow to observe the signal change over time in the circuits. They may also be used to find defects in damaged radios, televisions, and other similar devices. Although coaxial cables are used to feed the signal into the probes of a standard oscilloscope, this does not mean that an oscilloscope can only measure electricity. You can use an oscilloscope to measure almost anything by connecting a transducer, which converts one kind of energy into another. For instance, you could study audio signals with an oscilloscope using a microphone (a transducer that converts sound energy into an electrical signal), study temperature changes with a thermocouple (a transducer that converts heat into electricity), or study vibrations with a piezoelectric transducer (which generates electricity when squeezed).

Types of Oscilloscopes

Oscilloscopes can be categorized into different types based on operation mode and the signal processing technologies, but there are two main types as every electronic equipment can be classified: analog and digital.

Analog Oscilloscopes

They are the earliest form of oscilloscopes and use a cathode ray tube (CRT) to display signals in real-time. Despite the advent of newer digital oscilloscopes, they are still used today for certain applications that require a fast response time and a high degree of accuracy.

Analog oscilloscopes (Figure 1) test equipment by directly applying measured signal voltage to its vertical axis, producing a visual representation on the CRT. These oscilloscopes have intensity and focus controls that can be easily adjusted to improve the display’s sharpness.

Figure 1: Tektronix 2445B

Digital Oscilloscopes

The main difference between analog and digital oscilloscopes is that in digital oscilloscopes, the analog signal is captured and converted into a digital signal using an analog to digital converter. In turn digital oscilloscopes classified into four parts:

• Digital storage oscilloscopes (DSO)
• Digital phosphor oscilloscopes (DPO)
• Mixed signal oscilloscopes (MSO)
• Digital sampling oscilloscopes

Digital storage oscilloscopes (DSO) (Figure 2) are the most basic form of digital oscilloscopes, its display typically relies on a raster-type screen rather than the luminous phosphor found in older analog oscilloscopes. It converts the analog signal into a digital format and stores it in its digital memory.

DSOs offer several advantages over analog ones. These include the ability to display a transient quantity over a long period of time, easy production of hard copies, signal processing and computation within the instrument, easy transfer of data to a computer, and the use of inexpensive LCD construction. The development of relatively cheap, accurate, and fast A/D converters has made DSOs available for laboratory and industrial use.

 Figure 2: InfiniiVision 4000 X-Series

Digital phosphor oscilloscope (DPO) (Figure 3) is a newer type of oscilloscope that was first introduced in 1998. Unlike digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) which use a serial-processing architecture, the DPO uses a parallel-processing architecture that allows it to deliver unique acquisition and display capabilities for accurately reconstructing a signal and capturing transient events.

After the data is stored in the memory unit, it follows two parallel paths. Firstly, a microprocessor processes the data acquired at each sampling instant according to the settings on the control panel and sends the processed signal to the instrument display unit. Additionally, a snapshot of the input signal is sent directly to the display unit at a rate of 30 images per second. This enhanced processing capability enables the DPO to have a higher waveform capture rate and to detect very fast signal transients that may be missed by DSOs.

Figure 3: Tektronix TDS3000C

Mixed signal oscilloscopes (MSO) (Figure 4) measure both digital and analog signals simultaneously. Obviously, they have more channels than traditional oscilloscopes, making them ideal for testing mixed-signal circuits.

By combining the analog channels of a scope with the logic channels of a logic analyzer, MSOs provide a comprehensive view of a system’s behavior. While it may not be practical to have a 16-channel oscilloscope, a 2 or 4 channel scope combined with a 16-channel logic analyzer function can provide the necessary capabilities to analyze even the most complex systems.

Figure 4: Tektronix 4 Series MSO

Digital sampling oscilloscopes (Figure 5) use a technique called equivalent-time sampling to measure signals. They are ideal for measuring repetitive signals that occur at high frequencies  up to 50 GHz or more, and have low duty cycles. They achieve this by collecting samples from several waveforms and assembling them to build a picture of the waveform.

To optimize for high frequency operation, these oscilloscopes have a different vertical amplifier topology. The signal is sampled prior to amplification to achieve maximum bandwidth. Then a lower frequency amplifier/attenuator combination can be used. However, this reduces the dynamic range of the instrument, limiting the maximum voltage that can be handled to around 3 volts peak to peak.

Figure 5: Keysight N1000A DCA-X

Theory of Operation

• An oscilloscope works by converting electrical signals into a visible waveform that can be analyzed. The signal is first fed into the oscilloscope, where it is amplified and displayed on a cathode ray tube (CRT) or digital display. The waveform displayed on the screen represents the amplitude of the signal over time.
• Waveform can be analyzed based on the amplitude, frequency, phase, and other characteristics. The amplitude of a waveform represents the voltage of the signal, while the frequency represents the number of cycles per second. The phase represents the relative timing of the waveform with respect to a reference signal.
• Signal acquisition involves the process of capturing and sampling the input signal. This can be done using a variety of techniques, such as direct probing, current probes, and voltage probes. The signal is then amplified and digitized for processing.
• Once the signal is acquired and digitized, it can be displayed and analyzed using a range of techniques. Oscilloscopes typically offer features such as triggering, cursors, measurements, and advanced analysis tools to aid in waveform analysis.

Choosing the right Oscilloscope

Choosing an oscilloscope can be a daunting task, with a wide range of specifications and features to consider. We suggest some steps which can help you find the right oscilloscope for your application.

Practical Uses of an Oscilloscope in Various Fields

First of all you need to know where you are going to use your oscilloscope and make a list of your use cases, try to think about the following criteria:

• Are you going to use it in one location or will you need light, easy to carry unit?
• How many input channels do you need? Standard is 2-4 channels that you can observe and compare signal timing, but for debugging a digital system you would likely need 8-16 channels.
• What record lengths do you need? A stable sine-wave signal only needs about 500 points and a basic oscilloscope will store around 2,000 points. But, to troubleshoot timing anomalies in a complex data stream, you might need a record length of up to 1 million points.
• Do you want to be able to connect the unit to a computer? Do you need networking, printing and file-sharing abilities?

Budget and Quality

Oscilloscopes vary in price, depending on the brand, model, features and specifications. You should first determine your budget, as this may vary depending on whether you want to purchase the oscilloscope for long-term or short-term use. Then you have to look for the available options in the specified price range. The opinion of other users and experts should also be taken into account in evaluating the reliability of the quality of the oscilloscope. Generally one should avoid unrealistically cheap low-quality oscilloscopes as those would likely yield inaccurate and many times confusing measurements.

Always review the manual and follow the safety precautions before using your oscilloscope.

Second-hand Oscilloscopes

Second-hand or pre-used oscilloscopes are available at over 90% discount over new ones. Also, the equipment that has already been discontinued by the manufacturers can be found as rental units.

As often times there is no way to test a used oscilloscope in person, there are a few details that can be checked to make sure everything is working as presented. The main detail to look for is in the picture of the instrument with an actual waveform shown on the screen – that means the oscilloscope really does work.
You can also zoom in and try to look through the front-panel settings and make sure matches the waveform shown on the screen.

Key Factors and 5X Rule

• Bandwidth

System bandwidth determines an oscilloscope’s fundamental ability to measure an analog signal – the maximum frequency range that it can accurately measure. So try to select an oscilloscope that has enough bandwidth to accurately capture the highest-frequency content of your signals. The 5X rule says that the bandwidth of the scope with the probe should be at least 5X the maximum signal bandwidth for better than +-2% measurement error. For example scopes with a maximum bandwidth of 100MHz can accurately capture the signals up to 20MHz.

• Sample Rate

The sample rate of an oscilloscope is similar to the frame rate of a movie camera. It determines how much waveform detail the scope can capture. Try to select an oscilloscope that has a maximum specified sample rate that’s fast enough to deliver its specified real-time bandwidth.

The 5X rule says to use a sample rate of at least 5X of your circuit’s highest frequency content, because the faster you sample, the less information you’ll lose. For example entry-level oscilloscopes have a sample-rate of 1-2 GS/s and mid-range have 5-10 GS/s.

• Number of Channels

When selecting a digital oscilloscope, you have to consider the number of channels of acquisition. While more channels are generally better for capturing multiple signals simultaneously, it’s also important to balance this with cost considerations. Ideally, you should choose a scope with enough channels to perform critical time-correlated measurements across multiple waveforms with ease. This ensures that you can accurately analyze complex signals and capture all relevant data for your application.

As mentioned above the standard oscilloscopes have 2-4 channels that you can view and compare signal timing, but for debugging a digital system you may need 8-16 channels.

• Memory Depth

Memory depth refers to the amount of data that the oscilloscope can store. It is typically specified in kpts or Mpts (kilopoints or megapoints) and determines the length of time that the oscilloscope can capture a signal.

Select an oscilloscope with a sufficient acquisition memory to capture your most complex signals with high resolution.

• Triggering

Triggering is used to start or stop data acquisition based on a specific event in the signal. Oscilloscopes offer a range of triggering options, including edge triggering, pulse width triggering, and video triggering. The triggering options of the oscilloscope should be suitable for the intended application. Edge triggering is the most basic triggering option, while more advanced triggering options, such as pulse width and video triggering, may be required for more complex applications.

Select an oscilloscope that offers advanced triggering for analyzing even the most complex waveforms. Better triggering options can help you detect challenging anomalies.

• Display Quality

A high-quality display can help you to accurately analyze your signals, especially for complex or fast-changing signals. Therefore, it’s recommended to select an oscilloscope that provides multiple levels of trace intensity gradation, allowing you to see subtle waveform details and signal anomalies.
This is due to the fact that intensity of a waveform can provide important information about how often a signal repeats. By detecting even subtle signal differences early on, you can avoid costly mistakes and improve your design process.

Conclusion

Oscilloscopes are essential tools for testing and debugging electronic systems, and there is a wide range of oscilloscopes available to suit different applications and budgets. When choosing your design partner, whether it is in house or outsourced,  it is important to consider how the new design will be validated and tested. 

Reach out to us to discuss how we use these tools during testing and validation phase to ensure the success of your next high speed digital design.

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For quite a while, since the rise of smartphones in the late 2000s, the computer processors market has been dominated by ARM central processing units (CPUs) based on the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture. Recently, however, a strong competitor has emerged with a considerably different approach towards the CPU architecture in microprocessors, mobile systems and microcontrollers. The name of this potential ARM killer is RISC-V (pronounced as “risk-five”). 

Over the last couple years, the debate regarding the competition between ARM and RISC-V has been getting more and more vibrant. 

Will RISC-V ultimately replace ARM as the top CPU specification or will both technologies coexist? Let’s take a closer look at these two computer processor architectures, their technical specifications and how they are different from each other. 

What is ARM? 

ARM (originally known as Acorn RISC Machine, ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machines) is a family of RISC instruction set architectures for computer processors, available for various computing devices and environments. 

The ARM CPU architecture is developed by the Arm Ltd company, which licenses the architectures to other companies, allowing them to design their own products that incorporate different components, including interfaces and memory. 

There have been a number of generations of ARM architecture. The original version, ARM1, was introduced in 1985, almost 40 years ago. First application for ARM processors was as an additional second processor for the BBC Micro, providing support to speed up the simulation software. ARM1 used 32-bit internal structure but also had 26-bit address space, limiting it to 64 MB of main memory. This limitation was removed in ARM 3.

ARM 8-A, released in 2011, received the support for 64-bit address space and 64-bit arithmetic. 

ARM processors quickly gained popularity due to their low power consumption, lower costs compared to available alternatives, and minimal heat generation. 

Even though ARM CPUs were widely used since the initial release of this architecture, they really came to power in the late 2000s, upon the release of the first smartphones. Being the best CPU choice for portable devices due to light weight and low power consumption, ARM processors are preferred by the manufacturers of smartphones, tablets and laptops. For the same reasons, ARMs are also widely used in embedded systems. 

According to the official data, more than 200 bln ARM chips have been produced around the world as of 2021. 

What is RISC? 

Since we already mentioned the RISC a number of times, a few words about it need to be said as well. 

RISC is a technology designed to simplify the individual instructions provided to the computer to perform certain tasks. The difference between RISC and CISC (a complex instruction set computer) is that RISC architecture typically requires more instructions provided to a computer in order to complete tasks as individual instructions in RISC are written in simpler code. 

One of the key concepts of RISC computers is that every instruction performs only one function during single CPU cycle. 

What is RISC-V?

RISC-V is basically the fifth generation of the RISC architecture, provided as an open standard instruction set architecture (ISA) based on the RISC standard principles. Unlike the majority of other ISA designs, it is provided under the open source license, so it’s free to use for all the computer chip producers.

The RISC-V specification defines both 32-bit and 64-bit address space options, and additionally includes a description of a 128-bit flat address space variant. 

The RISC-V is a load–store architecture, using IEEE 754 floating-point instructions. RISC-V ISA also includes instruction bit field locations as a way to simplify the use of multiplexers in CPUs. 

Started with a goal to create a practical open source ISA that will be easily deployable in various hardware and software designs, including embedded systems, the RISC-V ISA is a continuation of a long history of CPUs architecture design projects developed at the University of California, Berkeley, since the late 1980s.

History of the RISC-V specification development

The project to develop RISC-V specification was originally started in 2010 by the University of California experts with an intent to create a practicable instruction set that will be available for practical use in various CPUs manufacturing. 

Dr. Krste Asanović, a professor of computer science at UC Berkeley, was an author of the project to develop RISC-V. Eventually, Dr David Patterson, another UC Berkeley professor and one of the creators of the original RISC chips back in the early 1990s, joined the project.

As any ISA needs to be stable for commercial use, the RISC-V Foundation was formed in 2015 with a goal to develop, maintain and publish the intellectual property related to the RISC-V specification. The original authors of the project at UC Berkeley have transferred all the rights to this non-profit corporation controlled by its members.

Currently, the RISC-V Foundation comprises over 325 members, including representatives from companies such as Google, NVIDIA, Microsemi, Western Digital. The RISC-V Foundation members participate in the development of the RISC-V ISA specification and related projects. 

In 2019, due to the U.S. trade regulations concerns as the main reason, the RISC-V Foundation relocated to Switzerland. In 2020, the organization was renamed as RISC-V International, becoming a Switzerland-registered nonprofit business association.

Today, the RISC-V International publishes all the documentation and specifications related to RISC-V designs, which remains open source and available for everyone to use free of charge. However, only the members of RISC-V International can vote to approve any changes to RISC-V specifications. 

ARM vs RISC-V Comparison 

Here’s a table comparing technical specifications of ARM and RISC-V. 

Final thoughts. ARM vs RISC-V: Which one to choose? 

As you can probably tell from the comparison chart above, there is no simple answer to this question. 

In many ways, right now, ARM-based CPUs are still a better option, mainly due to much longer lifecycle and the fact that ARM Ltd has invested billions of dollars into this specification over the years. ARM processors have a huge market share, being used in the majority of smartphones, as well as laptops and even PCs that are choosing ARM instead of x86 architecture-based designs. 

We could say, however, that RISC-Vs are the future and a very strong contender to the throne of the most used computer processors architecture. RISC-V can provide better performance using a minimum amount of power. The fact that RISC-V is open source and free to use by any processor manufacturers is also a huge advantage.

Some manufacturers, such as Western Digital, for example, have already started implementing the RISC-Vs in their microcontrollers attached to RAMs and SSDs. 

RISC-V is also getting increasingly popular in IoT devices and embedded systems of various kinds, due to its highly scalable nature. But it will undoubtedly take several years for industry players to transition to using RISC-V instead of ARM-based designs. 

The Tauro Technologies’ team of electronic engineers and designers has a proven track record of successfully designing custom hardware for various kinds of products in multiple technology fields. Drawing on the specific needs of our clients, we select and apply various engineering methods to electronic product development and manufacturing in order to achieve the desired result. Utilizing our in-house PCB assembly and debug expertise, we are able to build and evaluate your prototypes before high-volume manufacturing, rapidly and cost-efficiently. 

Interested to know more? Get in touch with us for details.

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Outsourcing to fill a resource gap as a business practice is common and widespread in the modern global economy. As the costs of hiring highly qualified technical experts are growing, and finding the right talent gets more and more difficult amid the widening tech talent gap, companies are turning to outsourcing as a way to access niche expertise when they need it. In addition, many product designs only require niche experience and expertise during the product design phase.

It is certainly the case with electronics design and engineering of electronic products. When companies are not able to find an off-the-shelf electronic solution that would meet their needs, outsourcing is the only alternative to designing and engineering the required product in-house. 

The development of an electronic product can pose a number of challenges for a business. Today we are going to discuss some of those challenges. 

Off-The-Shelf vs. Custom Solutions

First, we would like to share our considerations on the issue of choosing between commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom solutions for product development. 

• Off-The-Shelf Solutions.

There is a wide selection of ready-made single-board computers (SBCs) from various vendors that supply all the major hardware and software components, such as all the interface boards, operating system, and SDK for application development. The benefits of utilizing off-the-shelf hardware should be rather obvious. It allows you significantly shorten the time required for design and development, getting the product to the market faster, and lowers the cost of early production.

Naturally, this approach also has a handful of downsides to look out for, such as:

• Unpredictable long-term availability. The support of COTS hardware by its provider can be discontinued as well as the newer versions of the same hardware may not be backward compatible and will require reconfiguration and redesign of your product. 

• The COTS solution may not meet all your product requirements. Another major weakness of COTS hardware is that it is designed to be general-purpose and support a range of most popular features. As a result, using COTS may impose limitations and compromises on the design of your product that can only be avoided by utilizing custom hardware. 

• Poor price balance. Another common problem with COTS solutions is that it can inflate the final costs of the product considerably. As a result, it may be feasible for the creation of a product prototype, but not suitable for in-volume production of a final product. 

To sum it up, utilizing COTS hardware could be a reasonable choice if you are developing a product that is required in small volumes and if its technical requirements are general enough to be satisfied with COTS.

• Custom Solutions. 

Custom hardware is required when available COTS solutions don’t meet the product needs in terms of technology, features, design and production costs. As we said earlier, custom solutions are preferred in cases when keeping in-volume production cost low is more important than rapid prototype development and validation. 

Custom hardware can be designed to match the application specific requirements of your product. Many applications have physical dimension, environmental specifications or weight restrictions that cannot be met with a COTS solution. When the product is designed to be produced and sold in high volumes, custom hardware pays off quickly as it will have much lower per unit production cost. 

Firmware Development Uutsourcing

Another aspect of electronic product design is firmware development, which is also a commonly outsourced service as many companies do not have sufficient internal resources or niche expertise. Almost any company designing embedded products needs a team of experienced firmware developers in order to ensure the hardware and software components of the product are integrated in a way to optimize performance and user experience. 

Firmware development is a wide area that includes a number of specialized skills focused on improving the performance of hardware functions, solutions for continuous integration, and enabling innovative technologies such as IoT and M2M computing.

Here are some of the most common services in the firmware development outsourcing domain: 

• Embedded Firmware Programming

• Firmware Testing

• Hardware/Firmware Co-Design

• Firmware Maintenance and Continuous Integration

• Real-Time System Design

• Device Driver and BSP development

Why and When to Outsource Electronics Design? 

Another major consideration is choosing the best architecture and design approach for the desired product. 

Clearly, in some cases, in-house development is a feasible solution, as it allows a company to have better control over the design. What’s more important, in-house development is only an option for those companies that can afford it and have the right resources available at the right time. 

Consider the following when choosing to outsource design elements of your product. 

1. Lack of in-house Resources and Expertise

The most obvious indicator is when your company simply doesn’t have qualified human staff to deliver such a project. It is often the case, and not just for small companies and startups but also large enterprises as well.

2. Issues During Development Process

If the product development was started in-house but progresses slowly with multiple challenges and delays, it can be another good reason to source external help. 

3. Need for Niche Expertise.

Some companies do have a qualified team to deliver such a project in-house, but end up lacking expertise in a specific technology niche and experience with alternative components and architecture choices that solve the design challenges in a more efficient manner. Outsource electronics design service providers can satisfy this need with their talent. 

4. Cost Control

In-house development also implies higher risks of potential financial losses if the project goes over budget due to delays and complications or ends up a failure. Outsourcing it to a reliable service provider allows business leaders to minimize risks, control costs, and guarantee the successful outcome of the project. The differentiator and value proposition for many companies is their application layer and hardware design team is required only during the initial phase of a product launch, thus it is more cost effective to outsource the hardware design and focus the internal team on the companies’ core product.

Benefits of electronics design outsourcing 

As all the factors listed above are quite common in today’s business environment, outsourcing electronics design is the best choice for many applications. 

There are three common outsourcing models:

• Off-shoring, when the project is outsourced to a company located in another part of the world, far away from the client, with major time and language differences. 

• On-shoring, when the service provider and the client are based in the same country. 

• Nearshoring, when the project is handled by a company located in a nearby country.

Each of these models has its pros and cons, so your choice should be based on specific project requirements, the availability of electronics design providers in your country or nearby, and, of course, costs. 

Regardless of the model you choose, here are the main benefits of outsourcing electronic product design as opposed to doing it in-house. 

1. The ability to focus on delivering the best software and apps

Outsourcing electronics design allows businesses to focus on the core aspects of their products, such as applications and other aspects of the application software. It is not untypical for companies willing to implement the latest hardware technologies to suffer from the lack of skillset when it comes to firmware and hardware development. In these circumstances, hiring an outsourcing electronics design firm that has hardware and firmware experience with selected component base is the only way to deliver the product without delays and/or board re-spins. 

2. Best Utilization of Hardware Capabilities

Many COTS vendors do not implement all the features supported by the hardware, creating additional difficulties when utilizing the device in an application. It can be tricky to select the best components that would enable desired application results and maximize efficiency while also meeting timeline and product release targets. Electronics design outsourcing can be a solution to this problem. 

3. Focused Expertise

Outsourcing electronics design allows you to make sure that the team working on the project has extensive expertise in this particular domain, thus avoiding potential mistakes and complications if the project is handled by inexperienced engineers. 

4. Reduced Costs

Clearly, reducing project costs is always a core objective of outsourcing. Hiring a third-party service provider to deliver an electronic product design is typically cheaper compared to in-house development costs, considering all the expenses involved. 

5. Increased Resources

For companies that clearly lack the resources for streamlined product engineering process, outsourcing is the way to make sure the project is developed and tested to match high quality standards and modern manufacturing practices.

6. Predictable Outcome

Finally, choosing a reputable electronics design firm with proven experience of successfully delivering product design projects is a way to minimize risks of delays and complications. Outsourcing allows business leaders to protect their companies from potential project-related losses while also minimizing the costs of development. 

Summary 

Electronic product development is a complex process, and if you decide to outsource it, choosing the right outsourcing partner becomes essential. You want a partner who can offer high level of expertise in designing and engineering of electronic products, a well-diversified team of technology specialists and rapid development cycles.

The Tauro Technologies’ team of embedded hardware and firmware engineers has a proven track record of successfully designing custom hardware for various applications in multiple technology domains.

Interested to know more? Get in touch with us for details.

The post When Outsourcing Electronics Design of Your Product Is a Good Idea? appeared first on Tauro Technologies.