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Investigate Microprocessor

Based Systems
Microprocessor Systems
By Brendan Burr
Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................2

TASK 1................................................................................4

1.1 Choose 3 different microprocessor device families from


either the Intel, Motorola, AMD, range of manufacturers e.g.
Intel Pentium and Motorola 68000 (or any other)..................4
Solution:-.........................................................................................4

1.2 Where possible obtain manufacturers data sheets of the


microprocessor devices and use these to make a comparison
in the form of a table for each microprocessor, based upon
the following:-....................................................................4
Solution:-.........................................................................................4

TASK 2 ...............................................................................5

2.1 Choose 3 different typical applications of microprocessor


based systems....................................................................5

Some examples of typical applications are:- ........................5

(a) Control systems (e.g. Car engine management, robotics). 5


Solution:-.........................................................................................5

(b) Instrumentation systems (e.g. Test equipment, data and


logging systems, display systems).......................................5
Solution:-.........................................................................................5

(c) Communication systems (e.g. GPS, mobile phones,


broadband).........................................................................5
Solution:-.........................................................................................5

(d) Commercial systems (e.g. ATMs, PCs, laptops, printers,


hand held stock loggers).....................................................5
Solution:-.........................................................................................5

2.2 Evaluate your 3 chosen systems in the form of a technical


investigation. The investigation should be between 2000 and
3000 words i.e at least 3 sides of A4 per application
minimum, including diagrams etc.........................................6
Control System - Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS):-.............6
Communication System - Global Positioning System (GPS):-..........12

EVALUATION.....................................................................15

CONCLUSION.....................................................................15

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Books...............................................................................16

Catalogues........................................................................16

Websites...........................................................................16

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Task 1

1.1 Choose 3 different microprocessor device families from either the


Intel, Motorola, AMD, range of manufacturers e.g. Intel Pentium and
Motorola 68000 (or any other)

Solution:-

I have chosen the following Microprocessor device families:

• Intel® Core™ i7 Processor


• AMD Phenom™ II Processor
• Motorola 68000

1.2 Where possible obtain manufacturers data sheets of the microprocessor


devices and use these to make a comparison in the form of a table for
each microprocessor, based upon the following:-

Solution:-

Address
Processing Instruction Physical
and Data
Speed Set Size
Sizes
Intel® Core™ 42.5mm X
3.2GHz 64 Bit x86-64
i7 Processor 45.0mm
AMD
40.0mm X
Phenom™ II 3.2GHz 64 Bit x86-64
40.0mm
Processor
Motorola 33.8mm X
10MHz 32 Bit 56 Types
68000 15.8 mm

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Task 2

2.1 Choose 3 different typical applications of microprocessor based


systems.

Some examples of typical applications are:-

(a) Control systems (e.g. Car engine management, robotics)

Solution:-

I have decided to use the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) in


Aircraft.

(b) Instrumentation systems (e.g. Test equipment, data and logging


systems, display systems)

Solution:-

I have decided to use Display Systems in Aircraft.

(c) Communication systems (e.g. GPS, mobile phones, broadband)

Solution:-

I have decided to use the Global Positioning Systems in Aircraft.

(d) Commercial systems (e.g. ATMs, PCs, laptops, printers, hand held
stock loggers)

Solution:-

N/A

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

2.2 Evaluate your 3 chosen systems in the form of a technical investigation.


The investigation should be between 2000 and 3000 words i.e at least 3
sides of A4 per application minimum, including diagrams etc.

Control System - Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS):-

Introduction
The AFCS is a system which can control numerous aspects of an aircraft. It
was originally created to aid the pilot and relieve him/her during the tedious
stages of flight, such as high altitude cruising. The system prevents the need
for constant human intervention, reducing the workload considerably and
making standard manoeuvres much safer.
Advances to the system have resulted in aircraft which can practically fly
themselves, using basic human data entry. Inevitably the need for a pilot will
disappear entirely and the AFCS will control everything from flying
manoeuvres to climate control inside the cabin for its passengers.

System Requirements
The most standard AFCS will need to carry out calculations to control three
basic surfaces on an aircraft. The first area is the elevators, which are
devices on the tail of the aircraft that control pitch; this moves the aircraft on a
horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion. The second area is
also at the tail of the aircraft; when the rudder is tilted to the right the aircraft
yaws (twists on the vertical axis) in that direction, when the rudder is tilted to
the left the aircraft yaws in the opposite direction. The third area is the
ailerons, which are located on the rear edge of each wing; these roll the
aircraft from side to side.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

A three-axis AFCS is required to meet the control requirements of the above


three elements. This will fundamentally control the aircraft flying
characteristics to a level where the Pilot can program a number of settings
and the aircraft will compute and adjust to meet those requirements.

System Components
In the core of any modern AFCS, there is a computer with several high speed
processors. The computer receives its data from numerous inputs situated
around the aircraft in the form of sensors. The sensors will commonly be
found on the three areas of the aircraft defined in the system requirements
(elevators, rudder and ailerons).
Information is also fed into the system via the on-board instruments which are
also monitoring the environment, such as the altimeter, airspeed indicator,
gyroscopes, accelerometers and compasses.
The Avionics software will carry out a large number of calculations using the
input data. Those calculations will then determine if the aircraft is flying to the
requested setting. If the aircraft is not flying as requested then the AFCS
processors will send signals to Servo units, which will automatically adjust the
elevators, rudder and ailerons to remove any error.

The simplified Feedback Loop for control of the rudder is shown in the above
image, where the Control Mode is entered by the Pilot, which provides a
specification of parameters for the Autopilot Processor to follow. Parallel to
the Control Mode is the input data being received by the Sensors. These two
data sets are compared and the adjustment signal is sent to the Rudder
Servo, which will, either using hydraulics or motors, adjust the Rudder
position. The new Rudder Deflection changes the flying characteristic of the
aircraft and provides a new data set, received by the sensors, which is then
sent back into the Autopilot Processor, in a continuous loop.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Reliability of Parts
The problem with such a complex system is that the reliability of parts is
paramount to maintaining the safety levels acquired from using the system in
the first place.
If, during flight, a Servo malfunctioned, the signal being sent from the
Autopilot Processor may not change the angle of the Rudder and therefore
cause an altercation to the course or the aircraft. This malfunction would
require the intervention of the Pilot, who may not notice the change
immediately.
For the reason of requiring reliable parts to ensure safety, the expense of the
parts inevitably increases. There are numerous lengthy maintenance
schedules which need to be carried out to ensure all parts of the AFCS are in
working order, before each flight.

Microprocessor Usage
The microprocessors used in the AFCS have to be relatively powerful and
able to number crunch large data sets extremely quickly.
An Airbus A380 has a cruise speed of 680mph, which is effectively 11 miles
every minute. Because of the high speed, any adjustment created by the
AFCS system needs to be recorded and sent back to the processing unit as
quickly as possible. The consequence of having a feedback loop in the
control system which takes a minute to provide a new data set would result in
the aircraft having moved 11 miles through space before another change is
made. The end result could be catastrophic meaning that it is crucial to have
a fast processor to be able to provide new adjustments as soon as possible.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Instrumentation System - Display Systems in Aircraft:-

Introduction
The weight of an aircraft has always been a considered factor in the
engineering design stages. This is because of the basic principles in flight
which state that the heavier an object is, the more lift will be required to get it
off of the ground. This will then have a knock on effect with the type of
engines used and the overall cost of the aircraft.
The introduction of lighter components used in the aircraft decreases the
overall weight and results in major benefits in performance. Because of this
major weight reductions are achieved by integrating newer technology into the
aircraft, due to the common miniaturisation that takes place through time. For
example Moore’s Law describes the general trend of microchips becoming
smaller and yet more powerful every year and a half. So more can be
provided for less!
In aircraft a lot of weight is added because of the numerous mechanical
instruments, with each displaying a maximum of a few pieces of information.
Recently to save weight the instruments have all been integrated into a digital
format and are now commonly displayed in a “Glass Cockpit”. This is where a
cockpit coaming panel has several screens, with each being controlled by the
Flight Management Systems, displaying all aspects of the aircraft.

System Requirements
Information being gathered by the analogue sensors will need to be converted
and conditioned to a digital format and then sent to the screens. This process
will need to take place in an extremely quick time, as the information that the
Pilot works from is crucial in defining the required actions needed to keep the
aircraft and its passengers safe.
The refresh time of the instrumentation system will have to be very frequent to
ensure that the data being supplied to the Pilot is the most recent.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Above is an image taken inside the cockpit of an Airbus A380, as you can see
there are numerous LCD displays which can display highly detailed
information, such as weather reports.
The LCD displays will have to be capable of working in high vibration
environments, as the vibration caused in the take-off and landing phases, as
well as turbulence during flight can have adverse effects on electronic
components.

System Components
The Flight Management System processes and provides all the information
which is to be supplied to the displays. Within this system there needs to be
numerous Analogue to Digital converters, this is because there will be
hundreds of sensors located around the aircraft providing an analogue signal.
For example a Barometer in aircraft, used to measure the Altitude will require
a transducer with a diaphragm, the atmospheric pressure will flex the
diaphragm and provide a voltage out. The voltage output will require a
transformation into data, so that the Flight Management System can
understand its value. This is just one of many of the common aircraft
instruments which will require analogue to digital conversion.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Unlike the AFCS the Flight Management System used in the display screens,
has a basic open system:

Sensors ADC Flight Displays


Management
System

However when the Pilot uses the information to control the aircraft, the system
becomes a closed loop system:

Sensors ADC Flight Displays


Management
System

Aircraft
Pilots
Position
Actions
Changes

Reliability of Parts
It has been pointed out that the display systems in modern aircraft are far less
reliable than the older mechanical concepts. This is likely due to the fact that
there are a lot more components involved in the standard display systems, so
there is a greater chance of something going wrong.
Nevertheless the safety issues concerned with this are a matter of life and
death, so need to be considered intricately.
Like the AFCS it is of paramount importance that there is no failure in the
system. Unlike the AFCS where problems would arise autonomously through
corrupt data sets, it would be down to the two Pilots in the cockpit to make
decisions whilst flying blind, should the display system fail.
The cost would increase when aircraft manufacturers buy in parts which have
a better life expectancy and reliability rate. The cost will also increase due to
the LDC displays themselves, needing to be vibration proof, and unlikely to
display “dead pixels”.

Microprocessor Usage
It has only been since the turn of the millennium that the need for “Glass
Cockpits” has arisen. There is an ever increasing problem with air traffic, so
clear and precise data gathering systems have never been so important. The
“Glass Cockpit” allows calculations to be easily worked out, ensuring fuel
consumption is kept to a minimum when waiting in line to land.
The requirement of better display systems has only been possible because of
the increase in technological performance. The microprocessors used in a
standard Smartphone have more processing power than the computer that
put the first man on the moon.
The display system will have a frequent refresh rate, say 50Hz. This will
require high processing speeds to ensure that data changes are displayed to
the Pilots.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Communication System - Global Positioning System (GPS):-

Introduction
The expanse of air travel over the last century has led to long distance flying
becoming the norm. Within 24 hours, a standard large aircraft can transport
you to the other side of the world, with such accuracy that it will even land on
a 2 mile stretch of tarmac, after waiting in a queue of other aircraft, precisely
and safely.
I personally find it fascinating that information about each aircraft, of which
there are approximately 27,047 in flight a day, is so complex and yet so easily
monitored and it is practically down to one technology; GPS.
It increases the safety in flight considerably, as information can be monitored
by Air Traffic Control Towers, which will warn Pilots of unforeseen dangers
and direct them on a safe flight path. It also increases the accuracy, as
explained in my example above. Aircraft can now navigate to such precise
levels that they can travel the entire planet with ease. Looking back at a time
before GPS, Pilots often got lost over areas with limited landmarks, such as
the sea. You would have had to have used the map, compass, speed,
heading, wind speed and direction and many other variables, to get a rough
approximation on your location in the sky, with the hope that you had enough
fuel to make it to dry land before sinking into the vast ocean.
The GPS does not just increase the survival rate, but also promotes economic
flying, as flying direct to the destination, rather than getting lost and making a
“U” turn will inevitably save money and emissions from fuel usage.

System Requirements
The Global Positioning System allows aircraft to provide position reports over
a satellite network. The systems can be integrated into aircraft in many forms,
for example they can be implemented within the “Glass Cockpit” or they can
be handheld devices which the Pilots carry around with them. Either system
will have the same system requirements.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

The system will need to be able to send and receive data through antenna;
receivers and transmitters. This information needs to be sent at frequent
intervals to help in the tracking of the aircraft if there are ever any Air Crash
Investigations, and to help in the Search and Rescue activities that will take
place after the accident. Previous Air Crash Disasters have resulted in search
teams spending days on end trying to locate the missing aircraft. In my
example with the AFCS, an Airbus will travel 11 miles a minute at its usual
cruising speed, so if 15 minutes of flight have gone by, before noticing the
aircraft has crashed, the search and rescue team will have a 165 mile crash
radius where the aircraft could be. GPS takes this factor away, as constant
updates are provided so the aircrafts last known position can be easily
located.

System Components
The concept of a Global Positioning System is relatively simple. It involves
having a receiver, transmitter and software to help you decode the information
in terms of your position.
The receiver is the device in the aircraft, its job is to locate three satellites out
of the 24 which are in orbit around the earth. The satellites are constantly
transmitting their location to the earth’s surface, these are the transmitters.
Once the receiving device has located three satellites, it measures the
distance from each by comparing the time (set on an atomic clock in each
satellite). A simple time and speed calculation will determine the distance.
The trilateration calculation can then begin, where all three satellites are
encased in hypothetical spheres, the spheres will intersect in two places, one
is in space (which is discarded) and the other is on earth (which is the location
of the receiver). Finally the software on the receiver will help decode all of
this and provide the user with their location in space.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

In aircraft, especially with the new “Glass Cockpits”, the location of the aircraft
is implemented on a map layer, this provides a visual reference over terrain
maps. Implementing the GPS information with the altitude can allow amazing
three dimensional images, allowing pilots to visualise their surroundings, even
in zero visibility. These functions increase the safety aspect of flight
considerably, by helping prevent special disorientation during low visibility
scenarios.

Reliability of Parts
The Transmitter is located in orbit around the earth’s atmosphere, so if it
breaks down mechanically it would be extremely costly and difficult to fix. As
a precaution there are actually 27 satellites in orbit, but only 24 are
operational. So if a satellite goes out of action for whatever reason, it can be
replaced using one of the three reserve satellites.
The area which is in the hands of the Pilots is the Receiver. The antenna can
be damaged during flight if a piece of ice falls off a wing and hits it. For this
reason, the Pilots do a pre-flight check of a large number of things, ensuring
that there is no damage and if there is an operational report will be filled out to
get the problem fixed.
The parts in the receiver, such as the antenna, will need to be serviceable to
keep costs to a minimum when there are problems.
As with the other systems, the receiver will need to be able to work in
environments which have high levels of vibration. This is likely to increase the
cost, however another cause of cost increase is likely to be the need of having
high precision information, resulting in high precision and reliable components
in the receivers circuitry.

Microprocessor Usage
Microprocessors have enabled the production of GPS, because they are able
to number crunch large data sets quickly and accurately. With the satellites
positions (in consideration to the earth’s surface) constantly moving, there is a
need for calculations to take place within a second of receiving the information
packet. This could not happen if it wasn’t for the use of microprocessors.
The processors required will need to be fast and reliable to prevent any
corruption of the data received by the satellite of sent to the user. This is
especially important in an aircraft where the wrong information will potentially
be fatal.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Evaluation
This assignment forced me to look at aspects of an aircraft which I knew
existed, but didn’t know much about.
For Task 1.1 and 1.2, I managed to complete each task relatively easily. It
took me some time to find the Data Sheets for the processors, but I soon
managed to complete Task 1 having found them.
The only difficulty I had in Task 1 was finding the Data Sheets, however I did
get confused on what the Address and Data Size meant and what the
Instruction Set meant, as I got confused between the two.
Task 2 was a lot more in depth. It took me numerous hours to locate, extract
and organise a lot of information about the three systems. I decided to
research three applications that were related, as this enabled me to integrate
a whole product, an aircraft, rather than three individual ones.
The task appeared daunting and extremely time consuming at first, but once I
got into the first application I quite enjoyed learning new things about a
technology that I will, hopefully, one day be operating. This enjoyment
continued through all three applications, as they are all implemented into the
most basic of aircraft.
I worked out a number of basic headings for Task 2, which I covered through
each application. This helped me evaluate them and maintained continuity
throughout the each of the applications.

Conclusion
I feel I have covered all of the areas necessary in this assignment. I took a
long winded approach to it, however all of the work is my own and to a
standard that I usually perform. I understand that the time taken on the
assignment was due to my personal requirement to include examples when
explaining things, this meant that I had to search the little details to ensure my
whole investigation was accurate. A few examples of this are the cruise
speed of the Airbus A380 and the average length of a runway.

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Brendan Burr BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electronics
Microprocessor Systems

Bibliography

Through guidance from my lecturer, the following text books, catalogues and
websites I was able to complete this assignment:

Books
N/A

Catalogues
N/A

Websites
1. http://download.intel.com/products/processor/corei7/prod_brief.pdf
2. http://www.amd.com/uk/products/desktop/processors/phenom-
ii/Pages/phenom-ii.aspx
3. http://www.intel.com/cd/products/services/emea/eng/processors/corei7/
overview/405796.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_68000#
5. http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/autopilot.htm
6. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_cruising_speed_of_airbus_a38
0
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_cockpit
8. http://aviationglossary.com/wp-content/uploads/Kollsman-window-
glass-cockpit.gif
9. http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?
qid=20100905051436AAyZdsF
10. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_average_length_of_runway
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Aircraft_Tracking
12. http://www.ahmadmedix.com/aircraft/aircraft_gps.jpg
13. http://www.howstuffworks.com/gps-phone1.htm
14. http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/partsforaircraft/images/catalog/
3large.jpg

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