Embedded controller is a good and basic access device in Ethernet control network.
An embedded controller is a control system that performs specified independent control functions and has the ability to process data in a complex manner. It is an electronic device or device controlled by an embedded microelectronic technology chip (including a series of microelectronic devices such as microprocessor chip, timer, sequence generator or controller), which can complete various automatic processing tasks such as monitoring and control.
Embedded controllers are mainly used to control, monitor, manage or assist other devices in real time. It consists of a microprocessor chip, software that is solidified inside the chip, and other components.
Embedded controller software includes: embedded real-time operating system, application program, application programming interface API, real-time database and so on.
Embedded microprocessors
Embedded cpus present a colorful scene compared with general-purpose cpus, and there are more than 100 kinds of 32-bit embedded cpus in the world alone. Embedded CPU mostly works in the system designed by specific user groups, which has the characteristics of low power consumption, small size and high integration, which is conducive to the design of embedded controller tends to be miniaturized, intelligent and closely integrated with network applications.
Embedded operating system
Now the more popular Embedded operating systems in the world are: Microware OS9, Sun Java OS, Microsoft Windows CE, Windows NT Embedded, free software RT-Linux and so on. China’s Kais Group has also developed a general embedded operating system Hopen with independent intellectual property rights.
Network interface
Network interface provides the necessary conditions for embedded controller to access network. The network interface takes 32-bit CPU as the center, the controller completes the control function of the network interface, the communication interface has RS 232C serial interface, communication protocol repeater interface, network interface and so on.
The Ethernet control network can be constructed by using embedded controller and network interface. With the support of distributed network computing platform, distributed control network can also be built.
Technical essentials
The operating system platform and network communication platform of embedded controller are popular open platforms in the world, which lays the foundation for the openness of Ethernet control network.
The operating system platform of embedded controller, such as RT-Linux, has strong function, and the application software development is fast and convenient. The application software developed on the Linux operating system can run directly in the RT-Linux environment, that is, the development of embedded controller application software does not need special software development systems and tools.
The powerful embedded CPU provides the embedded controller with high performance, high speed processing power and flexible expansion mode.
Support TCP/IP protocol, easy to achieve network interconnection and network expansion.
Various networks can be used as embedded controllers to access the backbone network. These backbone networks have high communication speed, good real-time performance, and support distributed network computing to achieve network collaboration.
Embedded controller, network interface and distributed network computing platform can not only build open and powerful Ethernet control network, but also realize seamless integration of control network and information network.