Chapter 2 assessment task cureg

Name: YVANNE E. CUREG
Assessment Task
Answer the following:
1. While browsing at Billy Bob’s computer store, you overhear a customer asking Billy
Bob what is the fastest computer in the store that he can buy. Billy Bob replies, “You’re
looking at our Macintoshes. The fastest Mac we have runs at a clock speed of 1.2 GHz.
If you really want the fastest machine, you should buy our 2.4-GHz Intel Pentium IV
instead.” Is Billy Bob correct? What would you say to help this customer?
-No, Billy Bob is not correct, the work of the computer is not measurable by using clock
speed only, other partsof the system factor should be considered.Even though Intel
machine may have a faster clock speed at 2.4 gigahertz it does not mean the system will
perform faster. There are a lot of factors such as system components(memory, buses,
architecture) and the instruction setthat are need to be taken care of. A more accurate
measure is to run both system on a benchmark. Benchmark program exist for certain task,
such as running office applications, performing floating-point operations, graphics
operation and so on. The system can be compared to each other on how long they take
to complete these task. According to Apple Computer, G4 is comparable or better than a
higher-clock speed Pentium on many benchmarks.
2. For each of the following examples determine whether this is an embedded system,
explaining why or why not.
A. Are programs that understand physics and/or hardware embedded? For example, one
that uses finite-element methods to predict fluid flow over airplane wings?
– No. These programs are never considered to be embedded because they are not an
integral component of a larger system.
B. Is the internal microprocessor controlling a disk drive an example of an embedded
system?
– Yes, whatever the disk drive’s function is. The HDA (head disk assembly) hardware is
controlled by software (firmware) within the disk drive, which is also hard real-time.
C. I/O drivers control hardware, so does the presence of an I/O driver imply that the
computer executing the driver is embedded?
No, because that computer may be a general-purpose computer that is not part of a larger
system.
D. Is a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) an embedded system?
– yes, Personal digital assistants (PDAs) is an example of device with embedded systems.
They perform a specific number of tasks which are controlled by a built-in computer
system.
E. Is the microprocessor controlling a cell phone an embedded system?
Yes, this is an embedded system and the reason is that the microprocessor has designed
in only and only one way to control and is to make the efficient use of the cell phone. The
firmware in the cell phone is controlling the radio hardware.
F. Are the computers in big phased-array radar considered embedded? These radars are
10-story buildings with one to three 100-foot diameter radiating patches on the sloped
sides of the building.
– Yes, these computers were generally some of the most powerful computers available
when the system was built, are located in a large computer room occupying almost one
whole floor of a building and may be hundreds of meters away from the radar hardware.
However,the software running in these computer controls the radar hardware; therefore,
the computers are an integral component of a large system.
G. Is a traditional flight management system (FMS) built into an airplane cockpit
considered embedded?
– If the FMS is not connected to the avionics and is used only for logistics computerizations,
a function readily performed on a laptop, then the FMS is clearly not embedded.
H. Are the computers in a hardware-in-the-loop(HIL) simulator embedded?
– Yes, both in the simulator, and in the thing being tested in the HIL simulator. Hardware
is being controlled on both sides.
I. Is the computer controlling a pacemaker in a person’s chest an embedded computer?
– Yes, in this case of the “system” is the combination of the pacemaker and the person’s
heart.
J. Is the computer controlling fuel injection in an automobile engine embedded?
– Yes, it is part of a large system, the engine, and it is directly monitoring and controlling
the engine through special hardware.
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