This is the second volume of the handbook aiming at presenting the state-of-the-art of embedded systems. The two volumes consist of 48 contributions written by experts from industry and academia from Europe and USA. The presented material is in the form of tutorials, research surveys and technology overviews. All papers include rich bibliographies on the presented subject. Many of the contributions are from the industry at the forefront of developments in embedded systems. The second volume of the handbook is divided into five sections.
The first, introductory, section consists of 2 chapters. The first chapter gives an introduction to Networked Embedded Systems (NES). The concept of NES, design methodology and internode communication are outlined. Application areas include automotive systems, industrial automation and building automation. The second chapter is devoted to middleware design and implementation. It presents the role of middleware and its characteristics like remote communication, location independence, reusing existing infrastructure, providing real-time assurances, robustness, and simulation environments.
The second section of the book is devoted to wireless sensor networks. Chapter 3 introduces fundamental concepts in selected wireless application areas, and quotes companies active in network-related research projects. Chapter 4 provides a description of a sensor node architecture (processing unit, communication interface, power source). Companies engaged in sensor network-related research projects are listed. One of the architectures presented is EYES, a European project focusing on data extraction techniques. The next chapter discusses time synchronization issues in sensor networks. Requirements for time synchronization protocols are discussed. Different time synchronization protocols are presented. The topic of the next chapter is resource-aware localization in sensor networks. It explains positioning and navigation systems as well as localization algorithms grouped into the following categories: classical methods, proximit- based, optimization methods, iterative methods and pattern matching. The next two chapters are devoted to power-efficient routing with emphasis on energy-efficient routing protocols. Chapter 9 presents a novel mathematical model for reconstruction of information from data provided from many nodes delivering incomplete and redundant information. Chapter 10 describes security challenges in sensor networks such as avoiding and coping with sensor node compromise, maintaining availability of sensor network services and ensuring confidentiality and integrity of data protocols by key management. Chapter 11 is on testing and validation of wireless sensor networks and Chapter 12 presents basic concepts related to software development and simulation of large-scale wireless sensor networks. It also surveys operating systems frameworks for sensor nodes.
The papers in Section III deal with automotive networked embedded systems. Topics such as networks and their protocols, operating systems and other middleware, scheduling, safety and fault tolerance are covered. Chapter 13 presents requirements for automotive communication systems including buses, time-triggered networks and low cost automotive multimedia networks. Chapter 14 deals with time-triggered communication. It presents fundamental services – clock synchronisation, periodic exchange of messages carrying out state information, fault isolation mechanisms and diagnostic services. The next chapter is an introduction to leading serial buses for embedded control systems, CAN (Controller Area Network). Features of the CAN protocol are outlined. Chapter 16 presents the FlexRay communication protocol, which is an open, scalable, deterministic, and high-performance communication technology for automotive safety critical communication. The next chapter presents the Local Communication Network (LIN) communication standard. This chapter introduces the LIN’s physical layer and the LIN protocol. It then focuses on the design process and workflow, and covers aspects such as requirement capture (signal definition and timing requirements), network configuration and design and network verification put in the context of the Mentor Graphics LIN tool-chain local interconnection network standard. Chapter 18 overviews standardized basic system software for automotive applications. The software modules initiatives include OSEK/VDX HIS and JasPar. In Chapter 19, Volcano, a holistic concept defining a protocol-independent design methodology for distributed real-time networks in vehicles, is outlined.
Part IV of the book groups chapters on networked embedded systems in industrial automation. It emphasizes the evolution from wired networks to wireless technology. The first chapter in this section presents fieldbus systems evolution. It overviews communication fundamentals in the fieldbus ISO/OSI layered model in comparison with the OSI model. The industrial Ethernet is explained for novices to understand the concepts of fieldbuses. The standardization process and actual implementation of real-time Ethernet is described in the next chapter. Actual implementation of real-time Ethernet is discussed on top of TCP/IP, and on top of modified Ethernet solutions. The next chapter presents configuration and management of networks. The approach is based on the profile concept following an electronic datasheet approach (EDDL – Electronic Device Description Language), Field Device Tool/Device Type/Manager, Transducer Electronic Datasheets (TEDS) and Smart Transducer Description (STD) of the Interface File System (IFS). The following chapter characterizes networked control systems for manufacturing by their parameterization, differentiation, evaluation and application. Emphasis is put on control, diagnostics and safety. Although nowadays networks are mostly wired, future trends include migration toward wireless networking technology. The use of wireless technologies in industrial automation is covered in the next five chapters that deal with the use of wireless local and personal area networks on the factory floor, hybrid wired/wireless networks in industrial real-time applications, a wireless sensor/actuator network developed by ABB company and deployed in manufacturing environment. The next chapter presents wireless LAN technology for the factory floor with emphasis on error characteristics of wireless links and lower layer wireless protocols. Hybrid systems extending selected fieldbus technologies (such as PROFIBUS and CAN) and wireless technologies are compared. Chapter 25 focuses on wireless local and wireless personal area networks communication in industrial environments (including IEEE 802.15.1/Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee and IEEE 802.11 variants). Suitability for industrial deployment is evaluated to include aspects such as application scenarios and environments, coexistence of wireless technologies for use in industrial automation and control applications. There exists a lot of devices already available off-the-shelf at relatively low cost. Chapter 26 is on hybrid wired/wireless real-time industrial networks. Hybrid configurations of communication networks result from wireless extensions of conventional wired industrial networks. Four popular solutions include: a) Profibus DP and DeviceNet; b) two real-time Ethernet networks – Profinet and EtherNet/IP; c) the IEEE802.11 family of WLAN standards; and d) IEEE 802.15.4 WSNs. Chapter 27 deals with wireless sensor networks technology and may be treated as a primer on typical industrial automation applications. Chapter 28 is a case study of a factory floor communication system called Wireless Interface for Sensors and Actuators (WISA) developed by ABB company. Requirements for the system and its architecture are described.
Part V is a concise survey on network embedded systems in building automation and control and includes one chapter on data communication for distributed building automation.
This second volume of the handbook is an in-depth survey of embedded networked architectures and their applications. The applications include embedded networked solutions in automotive industry, industrial automation, and the building sector. The first volume of this handbook deals with embedded systems design and verification. It is not easy to thoroughly describe in a relatively short review the huge amount of topics written on several hundreds of pages in two volumes. Therefore, the interested reader is encouraged to read these books through. To conclude, the handbook may be highly recommended for professionals as well as lecturers and students of academic courses on the rapidly progressing field of networks-on-chips structures and applications.