The Firmware Handbook

by Ganssle

• ISBN13: 9780750676069
• ISBN10: 075067606X
• Edition: CD
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-18
• Publisher: Elsevier Science

Summary

This handbook provides a comprehensive reference for firmware developers looking to increase their skills and productivity. It addresses each critical step of the development process in detail, including how to optimize hardware design for better firmware. Topics covered include real-time issues, interrupts and ISRs, memory management (including Flash memory), handling both digital and analog peripherals, communications interfacing, math subroutines, error handling, design tools, and troubleshooting and debugging. The companion CD-ROM includes all the code used in the design examples and a searchable ebook version of the text. this book is not for the beginner, but rather is an in-depth, comprehensive one-volume reference that addresses all the major issues in firmware design and development, including the pertinent hardware issues.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
What's on the CD-Rom?	xvi
Section I: Basic Hardware	1	(52)
Introduction	3	(2)
Chapter 1: Basic Electronics	5	(28)
DC Circuits	5	(9)
AC Circuits	14	(6)
Active Devices	20	(4)
Putting it Together-a Power Supply	24	(3)
The Scope	27	(6)
Chapter 2: Logic Circuits	33	(16)
Coding	33	(3)
Combinatorial Logic	36	(7)
Sequential Logic	43	(4)
Logic Wrap-up	47	(2)
Chapter 3: Hardware Design Tips	49	(4)
Diagnostics	49	(1)
Connecting Tools	50	(1)
Other Thoughts	51	(1)
Summary	52	(1)
Section II: Designs	53	(102)
Introduction	55	(2)
Chapter 4: Tools and Methods for Improving Code Quality	57	(12)
Introduction	57	(1)
The Traditional Serial Development Cycle of an Embedded Design	57	(1)
Typical Challenges in Today's Embedded Market	58	(1)
Generic Methods to Improve Code Quality and Reduce the Time-to-Market	59	(1)
Major Time Factors for the Engineering Cycle	60	(1)
Where is Most Time Needed?	60	(1)
How to Improve Software Development Time and Code Quality	60	(4)
How to Reduce Hardware Development Time	64	(1)
Outlook and Summary	65	(4)
Chapter 5: Tips to Improve Functions	69	(8)
Minimize Functionality	69	(1)
Encapsulate	70	(1)
Remove Redundancies	70	(1)
Reduce Real-Time Code	71	(1)
Flow With Grace	71	(1)
Refactor Relentlessly	72	(1)
Employ Standards and Inspections	72	(1)
Comment Carefully	73	(2)
Summary	75	(2)
Chapter 6: Evolutionary Development	77	(24)
Introduction	77	(1)
1. History	78	(2)
2. Issues Addressed by Evo	80	(9)
3. How Do We Use Evo in Projects	89	(3)
4. Check Lists	92	(2)
5. Introducing Evo in New Projects	94	(1)
6. Testing With Evo	95	(1)
7. Change Requests and Problem Reports	96	(1)
8. Tools	97	(1)
9. Conclusion	98	(1)
Acknowledgment	99	(1)
References	99	(2)
Chapter 7: Embedded State Machine Implementation	101	(10)
State Machines	101	(1)
An Example	102	(2)
Implementation	104	(4)
Testing	108	(1)
Crank It	108	(1)
References	109	(2)
Chapter 8: Hierarchical State Machines	111	(10)
Conventional State Machine Example	112	(2)
Hierarchical State Machine Example	114	(7)
Chapter 9: Developing Safety Critical Applications	121	(16)
Introduction	121	(1)
Reliability and safety	121	(1)
Along came DO-178B	122	(1)
Overview of DO-178B	123	(1)
Failure Condition Categorization	123	(2)
System Architectural Considerations	125	(1)
System Architectural Documentation	126	(1)
DO-178B Software life cycle	126	(5)
Object Oriented Technology and Safety Critical Software Challenges	131	(1)
Iterative Process	132	(1)
Issues Facing 00 Certification	133	(3)
Summary	136	(1)
References	136	(1)
Chapter 10: Installing and Using a Version Control System	137	(18)
Introduction	137	(1)
The Power and Elegance of Simplicity	138	(1)
Version Control	138	(1)
Typical Symptoms of Not (Fully) Utilizing a Version Control System	139	(1)
Simple Version Control Systems	139	(1)
Advanced Version Control Systems	139	(1)
What Files to Put Under Version Control	140	(1)
Sharing of Files and the Version Control Client	140	(1)
Integrated Development Environment Issues	141	(1)
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Issues	141	(1)
Common Source Code Control Specification	142	(1)
World Wide Web Browser Interface or Java Version Control Client	142	(7)
Bug Tracking	149	(1)
Non-Configuration Management Tools	150	(1)
Closing Comments	151	(1)
Suggested Reading, References, and Resources	152	(3)
Section III: Math	155	(52)
Introduction	157	(2)
Chapter 11: An Introduction To Machine Calculations	159	(22)
Introduction	159	(1)
Integer Arithmetic	159	(6)
Floating-Point Math	165	(11)
Fixed-Point Arithmetic	176	(3)
Conclusion	179	(1)
Bibliography	179	(2)
Chapter 12: Floating Point Approximations	181	(20)
General Trig Notes	182	(1)
Cosine and Sine	182	(7)
Higher Precision Cosines	189	(1)
Tangent	190	(5)
Higher Precision Tangents	195	(1)
Arctangent, Arcsine and Arccosine	196	(5)
Chapter 13: Math Functions	201	(6)
Gray Code	201	(1)
Integer Multiplication by a Constant	201	(1)
Computing an Exclusive Or	201	(1)
Integer Square Roots	202	(1)
Important Basic Math Operations	202	(1)
Chapter 14: IEEE 754 Floating Point Numbers	203	(1)
Special values	204	(3)
Section IV: Real-Time	207	(74)
Introduction	209	(2)
Chapter 15: Real-Time Kernels	211	(20)
Introduction	211	(1)
What is a Real-Time Kernel?	211	(1)
What is a task?	212	(3)
The Clock Tick	215	(1)
Scheduling	216	(2)
Context Switching	218	(1)
Kernel Services	219	(1)
Kernel Services, Semaphores	219	(4)
Kernel Services, Message Queues	223	(2)
Kernel Services, Memory Management	225	(1)
Do You Need a Kernel?	225	(1)
Can You Use a Kernel?	226	(1)
Selecting a Kernel?	227	(2)
Conclusion	229	(2)
Chapter 16: Reentrancy	231	(14)
Atomic Variables	231	(2)
Two More Rules	233	(1)
Keeping Code Reentrant	234	(1)
Recursion	235	(1)
Asynchronous Hardware/Firmware	236	(1)
Race Conditions	237	(1)
Options	238	(1)
Other RTOSes	239	(1)
Metastable States	240	(2)
Firmware, not Hardware	242	(3)
Chapter 17: Interrupt Latency	245	(6)
Taking Data	248	(3)
Chapter 18: Understanding Your C Compiler: How to Minimize Code Size	251	(16)
Modern C Compilers	252	(7)
Tips on Programming	259	(6)
Final Notes	265	(1)
Acknowledgements	266	(1)
Chapter 19: Optimizing C and C++ Code	267	(8)
Adjust Structure Sizes to Power of Two	267	(1)
Place Case Labels in Narrow Range	267	(1)
Place Frequent Case Labels First	267	(1)
Break Big Switch Statements into Nested Switches	268	(1)
Minimize Local Variables	269	(1)
Declare Local Variables in the Innermost Scope	269	(1)
Reduce the Number of Parameters	269	(1)
Use References for Parameter Passing and Return Value for Types Bigger than 4 Bytes	269	(1)
Don't Define a Return Value if Not Used	270	(1)
Consider Locality of Reference for Code and Data	270	(1)
Prefer int over char and short	270	(1)
Define Lightweight Constructors	271	(1)
Prefer Initialization Over Assignment	272	(1)
Use Constructor Initialization Lists	272	(1)
Do Not Declare "Just in Case" Virtual Functions	273	(1)
Inline 1 to 3 Line Functions	273	(2)
Chapter 20: Real-Time Asserts	275	(6)
Embedded Issues	275	(1)
Real-Time Asserts	276	(5)
Section V: Errors and Changes	281	(74)
Introduction	283	(2)
Chapter 21: Implementing Downloadable Firmware With Flash Memory	285	(14)
Introduction	285	(1)
The Microprogrammer	286	(1)
Advantages of Microprogrammers	286	(1)
Disadvantages of Microprogrammers	287	(1)
Receiving a Microprogrammer	287	(1)
A Basic Microprogrammer	288	(1)
Common Problems and Their Solutions	289	(6)
Hardware Alternatives	295	(1)
Separating Code and Data	295	(4)
Chapter 22: Memory Diagnostics	299	(8)
ROM Tests	299	(2)
RAM Tests	301	(6)
Chapter 23: Nonvolatile Memory	307	(6)
Supervisory Circuits	307	(2)
Multi-byte Writes	309	(2)
Testing	311	(1)
Conclusion	312	(1)
Chapter 24: Proactive Debugging	313	(8)
Stacks and Heaps	313	(2)
Seeding Memory	315	(1)
Wandering Code	316	(2)
Special Decoders	318	(1)
MMUs	318	(1)
Conclusion	319	(2)
Chapter 25: Exception Handling in C++	321	(18)
The Mountains (Landmarks of Exception Safety)	322	(1)
A History of this Territory	323	(1)
The Tar Pit	324	(2)
Tar!	326	(1)
The Royal Road	326	(2)
The Assignment Operator-A Special Case	328	(1)
In Bad Weather	329	(3)
Looking back	332	(5)
References	337	(2)
Chapter 26: Building a Great Watchdog	339	(18)
Internal WDTs	342	(1)
External WDTs	343	(2)
Characteristics of Great WDTs	345	(2)
Using an Internal WDT	347	(2)
An External WDT	349	(1)
WDTs for Multitasking	350	(2)
Summary and Other Thoughts	352	(3)
Appendix A: ASCII Table	355	(2)
Appendix B: Byte Alignment and Ordering	357	(4)
Byte Alignment Restrictions	357	(2)
Byte Ordering	359	(2)
Index	361