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Max the Magnificent
I have this book sitting in one of the "waiting to be read" piles on my office ...
rpcy
Read the book One Second After for a truly chilling look at a plausible scenario ...
Microcontroller Invasion!
Clive Maxfield
7/1/2012 12:41 PM EDT
A few weeks ago I was cogitating, contemplating, reflecting, and generally ruminating on "this and that" when I happened to muse out loud (well, in a column) as to how many microcontrollers I might come into close contact with in a typical day.
I'm not talking only about microcontrollers in equipment that I directly interface with, such as the microwave oven and my cell phone and suchlike, but also all of the little rascals that are embedded in the various systems that surround me – lighting, air conditioning, my truck, and so forth.
Some time ago – I can’t really remember when, but let's say 15 years – I remember reading that the average person comes into contact with – or is affected by – around 20 or 30 microcontrollers with which he or she comes in close proximity each day.
But 15 years is an eternity when you think how fast things are moving. As one simple example, it was almost exactly 15 years ago (give or take a couple of days) as I pen these words that the first publically-shared picture via a cell phone took place.
On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn used his "home-grown" system involving wireless software and a camera integrated into his cell phone to share pictures from the maternity ward where his daughter Sophie was born. He wirelessly transmitted his cell phone pictures to more than 2,000 family, friends, and associates around the world.
The world's first commercial offering of a camera and video cell phone came in 1999 in thre form of the VP-210 from a Japanese company called Kyrocera. Since this was originally intended, for face-to-face communication, the lens is located on the front of the phone. Due to the fact that the controls were also on the front of the phone, it was hard for users to capture any images except of themselves (grin).
In the early 2000s – about 10 years ago at the time of this writing – cell phones with cameras were pretty darned expensive. Also the picture resolution and quality sucked. I remember telling my colleagues that all I wanted from my cell phone was the ability to make and receive calls. I had no idea about the possibilities inherent in things like iPhones and Android phones with MP3 players and GPS and …
But we digress… my original musings prompted one reader to email me saying the following:
So, what do you think? How many processors in the form of microprocessors, microcontrollers, and digital signal processors to we come into close contact with each day? Let's include both standalone devices and also hard processor cores in other devices; so, in the case of a System-on-Chip that might contain multiple processors in a smart phone, for example, let's count all of these processors individually.
In the case of cars, I'm not an expert here, but I would love to know the range of processors one might expect to find in typical modern low-end, mid-range, high-end, and luxury vehicles.
So, what say you? Can you add anything to this conversation?
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
I'm not talking only about microcontrollers in equipment that I directly interface with, such as the microwave oven and my cell phone and suchlike, but also all of the little rascals that are embedded in the various systems that surround me – lighting, air conditioning, my truck, and so forth.
Some time ago – I can’t really remember when, but let's say 15 years – I remember reading that the average person comes into contact with – or is affected by – around 20 or 30 microcontrollers with which he or she comes in close proximity each day.
But 15 years is an eternity when you think how fast things are moving. As one simple example, it was almost exactly 15 years ago (give or take a couple of days) as I pen these words that the first publically-shared picture via a cell phone took place.
On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn used his "home-grown" system involving wireless software and a camera integrated into his cell phone to share pictures from the maternity ward where his daughter Sophie was born. He wirelessly transmitted his cell phone pictures to more than 2,000 family, friends, and associates around the world.
The world's first commercial offering of a camera and video cell phone came in 1999 in thre form of the VP-210 from a Japanese company called Kyrocera. Since this was originally intended, for face-to-face communication, the lens is located on the front of the phone. Due to the fact that the controls were also on the front of the phone, it was hard for users to capture any images except of themselves (grin).
In the early 2000s – about 10 years ago at the time of this writing – cell phones with cameras were pretty darned expensive. Also the picture resolution and quality sucked. I remember telling my colleagues that all I wanted from my cell phone was the ability to make and receive calls. I had no idea about the possibilities inherent in things like iPhones and Android phones with MP3 players and GPS and …
But we digress… my original musings prompted one reader to email me saying the following:
The question you ask is one I have been actively asking the non-techie people in my circle. The subject is brought up by me usually when I'm asked what is a microprocessor and what does it do? (My friends know that I use with them a lot).
Talk about a leading question… I say show me your phone, and they comply but are puzzled. I then ask to see their iPod (if any) and then their car keys.
Then I give them a rough guess as to how many microprocessors they have in hand or have control over.
They get the cell phone and iPod readily enough, but are shocked when I go through all the systems in the car that employ microcontrollers.
As for the quantity of microcontrollers in my life, I started counting each item around me in my daily activities. After only allowing for one MCU per device (I was not about to tear down everything to count them) I stopped at 45 because I was losing track of what was counted already.
It was my turn to be shocked.
So, what do you think? How many processors in the form of microprocessors, microcontrollers, and digital signal processors to we come into close contact with each day? Let's include both standalone devices and also hard processor cores in other devices; so, in the case of a System-on-Chip that might contain multiple processors in a smart phone, for example, let's count all of these processors individually.
In the case of cars, I'm not an expert here, but I would love to know the range of processors one might expect to find in typical modern low-end, mid-range, high-end, and luxury vehicles.
So, what say you? Can you add anything to this conversation?
If you found this article to be interest, visit Microcontroller / MCU Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs on all sorts of "stuff" – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of designing and using microcontrollers.
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out all of the discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet. For example, in addition to blogs by yours truly, microcontroller expert Duane Benson is learning how to use FPGAs to augment (sometimes replace) the MCUs in his robot (and other) projects.
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David Ashton
7/1/2012 8:12 PM EDT
Well if you're using a desktop PC you'd have the main processor, a graphics processor, one in the display, one in the keyboard and like as not one in the mouse as well. There'd be one in your desk phone too. That's 6 without even getting out of your chair.
"Japanese company called Kyrocera" - this should be Kyocera (no R). They used to make nice cellphones, but you don't see much of them these days. I had one once, but the speech recognition didn't like Zimbabwean accents.....
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Max the Magnificent
7/2/2012 8:39 AM EDT
What I want to know is what your current Zimbabwean-Australian Accent sounds like!
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antedeluvian
7/2/2012 10:20 AM EDT
The Zimabwean accent sticks fast. Not even 22 Canadian winters have dislodged mine!
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Paul A. Clayton
7/2/2012 11:38 PM EDT
You forgot the disk drive. I suspect that I/O Hub chips also commonly contain at least one processor, but I do not recall reading anything confirming that suspicion.
In addition, if separate processors in a SoC are counted separately, then the individual cores of a more recent CPU should be counted separately. PC GPUs also tend to have more than one core (in the sense of independent hardware for instruction fetching, not the execution units which NVIDIA calls "CUDA cores").
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Max the Magnificent
7/3/2012 9:19 AM EDT
Actually disk drives typically have at least a couple of processors as I recall.
Re GPUs, some of these can have ~1000 cores ... but I tend to think of these as being separate beasts :-)
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Paul A. Clayton
7/3/2012 9:48 PM EDT
GPUs do not really have that many cores. The "core" count is inflated by counting each SIMD/vector lane as a separate core. NVIDIA's terminology uses "Streaming Multiprocessor" for what I would call a core, and the Fermi GPUs provided 32 "CUDA cores" per "Streaming Multiprocessor" (with up to 16 SMs on a chip).
GPUs also use multithreading, which might be viewed as virtual cores, further increasing the number of contexts available. (Intel's SMT/hyperthreading does present threads as virtual processors. MIPS' MT ASE distinguishes between Thread Contexts and Virtual Processor Elements.)
(You might guess that I like reading about computer architecture!)
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Brian @ BDH
7/2/2012 12:11 AM EDT
Here are the statistics I found from 2009 (see "Ref" link below). I couldn't find anything newer. However, from my experience, the estimates seems in-line with current vehicles (not including EVs, Hybrids, etc. - they would have more.)
- Most automakers say that today's average car uses between 35 and 45 microcontrollers.
- Luxury automakers employ 40 to 50.
- BMW's 7 Series is said to have topped out at 70.
Ref: http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=228519
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Max the Magnificent
7/2/2012 8:38 AM EDT
Good Grief!!! 70 MCUs in a single vehicle ... my mind is well and truly boggled...
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Paul A. Clayton
7/3/2012 12:08 AM EDT
Based on the article, it sounds like a lot of processors are special purpose (along the lines of one for each power window motor control and door lock). Some of this excess probably comes from a separation of design (intended to reduce communication requirements among design groups).
It is not clear from the article why a centralized control would require more wiring since (I assume) the electricity has a central supply anyway. With a desire for whole-system monitoring (so a single interface could probe faults in any component), a distributed system would seem to require at least as much networking as a more centralized system. It seems extremely unlikely that the designers would do something stupid, though internal politics (e.g., "if we merge these functions, Manager X have fewer workers/less status") and poor communication can breed stupid choices.
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Brian @ BDH
7/3/2012 2:43 AM EDT
Actually, I believe it as to do with the large number of applications and ECUs in vehicles. Yes, there could be some duplication (door zone modules as you mention); however, most people do not realize how many ECUs are in vehicles.
Here's a few lists of application examples.
1) Expand each of the Subcategories at the Infineon link below.
http://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/applications/automotive/index.html
2) Expand the "Automotive Applications" at the Freescale link below.
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/homepage.jsp?code=IFATOATMTV
3) Scroll down to page 2 on the Atmel link below. And note, that doesn't include any chassis ECUs, safety ECUs, driver assistance, ABS/Braking, missing engine/trans under Powertrain category, etc.
http://www.atmel.com/Images/doc4073.pdf
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przemek
7/10/2012 12:59 PM EDT
It makes sense: wiring is expensive to make and install, and fault-prone: for instance, a squirrel chewed through half of the wires in my main engine harness.
It's cheaper and more reliable to run a serial connection everywhere (power, ground, data), implying a communication and execution nodes all over the place, including doors, windows and mirrors.
I read that some companies began using microcontrollers instead of timed fuses in individual firecrackers now.
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Paul A. Clayton
7/3/2012 12:14 AM EDT
Nice article. While multicore and coarse-grained time multiplexed processors (by implication in use of more powerful processors for multiple tasks) were mentioned, I was a little disappointed that fine grained and simultaneous multithreading were not mentioned.
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Max the Magnificent
7/3/2012 9:17 AM EDT
Fortunately you just mentioned them :-)
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ftuccio
7/3/2012 6:50 AM EDT
I'm reminded of a Sci-Fi novel I read many years ago, titled "The day the machines stopped" by Christorpher Anvil (sp?), wherein after some catastrophy, all the machines in the wotld stopped working, and no one remembered how to do anything. If we're not careful, we could end up like that someday.
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antedeluvian
7/3/2012 8:14 AM EDT
The tite, as well as the theme, reminds me of a short story I had to study in school called "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. Written in 1909 it is remarkably prescient.
It can be found here:
http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html
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rpcy
7/18/2012 11:23 AM EDT
Read the book One Second After for a truly chilling look at a plausible scenario for exactly this.
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Max the Magnificent
7/18/2012 11:31 AM EDT
I have this book sitting in one of the "waiting to be read" piles on my office floor...
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Sam.Showalter
7/3/2012 8:08 AM EDT
I read recently that a kitchen cook-top had 5! You really can't assume only one per device. In the controls world its amazing how many people think one "controller" should run the entire system. Any more would add cost. A carry-over, I guess, from the mainframe days when any "computer" was crazy expensive. We're still stuck with the idea that one processor should do everything we can cram into it. So we add all sorts of interrupts and complex multitasking software to prevent adding another chip. Its all about smart partitioning.
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sanjaac
7/5/2012 8:59 AM EDT
For a quick look at the sub-categories in automotive from the leader:
http://www.renesas.eu/applications/automotive/index.jsp
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przemek
7/10/2012 1:05 PM EDT
The situation with micro-controllers today reminds me of electric motors 100 years ago. They started as an expensive novelty of which you would have one per factory floor, and ended up ubiquitous and cheap everywhere. Just like counting microcontrollers, you could amuse yourself by counting motors around you: wristwatch, cellphone (buzzer motor), one or two in each disk drive, door locks, windows, timers, etc. etc.
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