Designing an embedded system for interfacing with networks based on ARM

Abstract

This paper presents a method to design a smart circuit to interface with some protocols such as RS232, USB, CAN, and the most important of all: Ethernet. The main feature in the designed circuit is using Real Time Operating System (RTOS) on ARM series 32-bit processors: LPC2478. Compared with the customary ways to control and data acquisition, the device based on the embedded system offers better features and flexibility, with an overall design for reliability, durability and ease of installation. This paper has illustrated hardware architecture and real time multi-task software process based on μC/OS-II. There are too many usages for such designed system in control and data acquisition systems. Especially, in network interfaces with different protocol layers, it can be used as a smart gateway or router and so forth. As a proof of concept, a simple system was designed to test the designed circuit.