Yukun Liu

An Application-Oriented Top-Down Scheme for FPGA-Based Embedded System Design with 3D Graphics Applications

In embedded system designs, most researches are involved in the hardware or software design, separately. These methods are effective and efficient for hardware or software (HW/SW) building, respectively. In an entire embedded system, hardware and software co-exist. In addition, software may consist of system and application parts. Thus these HW/SW methods cannot provide an overall and effective evaluation for the performance and cost of an entire embedded system. With the flexibility and configurability of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), this paper investigates an application-oriented top-down scheme (AOTDS) of FPGA-based embedded system design from the application layer down to hardware system. The AOTDS can help reduce the redundancy of system resources and increase their reuse. Since embedded systems are inherently application-specific, rather than all-round like general purpose computers, the AOTDS is natural and efficient for embedded system designs. The efficiency and effectiveness of AOTDS are verified through the implementation of an FPGA-based embedded system with 3D graphics applications.

An On-line Distributed Induction Motor Monitoring System Based-on ARM and CAN Bus

This paper presents an on-line distributed induction motor monitoring system based-on the ARM (Advanced RISC Machines), which is integrated with the embedded and CAN (Controller Area Network) bus technologies. The hardware structure of the system with the ARM microprocessor S3C2410X and CAN bus controller MCP2510 is introduced, the accomplishment of software of motor on-line monitoring system is also described. Compared to the complicated construction and low integration of traditional motor testing systems, this system has a reasonable structure with less external expansion units, and can carry out data transmission in real time, effectively, and with lower power cost and more reliability.

UNIX File System

When using a computer system, users are mostly performing file-related operations: reading, writing, modifying, creating, or executing files. And these operations are interacting with the file system. Therefore, readers need to understand the file system and file concept in UNIX, how they are managed and represented in the operating system, and how they are stored on the disk. In this chapter, we will discuss the file system structure, file concept in UNIX, how to manage file and file system, and the file representation and storage. This chapter will also focus on the local file system.

UNIX Process Management

Since UNIX is one of multi-user and multiprocessing operating systems, UNIX has its solution to the system resource management. The UNIX kernel handles almost all the basic issues related to process management, memory management, file system, and I/O system, and provide well-defined system programs that have the clear-cut assignment of responsibility in order to allow user programs to call them with system calls (Bach 2006; McKusick et al 2005; Mohay et al 1997). This chapter will discuss the UNIX process management. Chapter 5 will introduce the UNIX memory management. Chapter 6 will focus on the UNIX file system. Chapter 7 will be related to the UNIX I/O system.

UNIX Shell Introduction

Known in Chapter 2, UNIX provides a text-based interface or a CUI interface (see Figure 2.1). This interface is a shell, which bridges between the UNIX kernel and users. In other words, when typing in a command line in a terminal system or a terminal window, users of UNIX work on one of the shells. When a user logs on and enters a terminal system, UNIX starts running a program that is a UNIX shell (Bach 2006; Miller et al 2000; Mohay et al 1997; Quarterman et al 1985; Ritchie et al 1974; Sarwar 2006). When the shell starts running, it gives a shell prompt (

UNIX I/O System, I/O Redirection and Piping

for the Bourne or Korn shell, or % for the C shell) and waits for the user to type in commands (Bourne 1978; Bourne 1983; Joy 1980; Korn 1983; Rosenblatt et al 2002). The UNIX shell executes commands that the user types on the keyboard.

UNIX Memory Management

Known from Chapter 6, in UNIX, it is through a special file to access one of hardware devices, including character devices (such as the keyboard and printer) and block devices (such as the hard disk). Each hardware device is corresponding to at least one special file. To access a device, use the command or system call that accesses its special file. All I/O devices in the UNIX are treated as files and are accessed as such with the almost same read and write system calls that are used to access all ordinary files (Isaak et al 1998; Jespersen 1995; Sarwar et al 2006). The difference is that device parameters must be set by using a special system call.

UNIX in Internet and Computer Networking

In this chapter, we will focus on the memory management in UNIX, which is one of the most important services of UNIX kernel. In a computer system, CPU must cooperate with the memory to accomplish any computing. The main memory has scarce space and cannot contain all the programs on the disk. However, a process cannot execute if it is not brought in memory. Thus, the memory management becomes quite important, especially when the sizes of application programs become fairly large. And the memory management has a close relationship with the process management. We will introduce the outline of memory management, process swapping in UNIX, and demand paging in UNIX in this chapter.

How to Program in Bourne Shell (1)

In previous chapters, the local applications and services of UNIX in individual computers have been introduced. This chapter will present the remote and network functions and services of UNIX in servers and workstations. After explanation of general concepts about the Internet and computer networking, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suit will be presented, and contents associated with layers of TCP/IP model from down to up will be discussed. Finally, we will explain how to use some commands in the application layer of the TCP/IP model, such as telnet, ping, ftp, etc.

How to Start

Considering there are so many shells that two chapters cannot accommodate them totally (maybe a whole book can hold them), as a language, we will just discuss Bourne shell in detail and readers can find some references about other shells at the end of the chapter.