Customer Reviews

Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for Engineers and Programmers (Embedded Technology)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read through all the 5 star reviews prior to purchasing this book. I was very disaapointed to find most of the book devoted to very basic hardware concepts. Much of this information is obtainable from sources cheaper than a $70 book. For example, the MPC7450 PPC Reference Manual is over 800 pages and is free (check out Freescale or IBM websites) - you will learn about microprocessor architecture too!. There are two chapters in the book (Chapters 1 and 11) that have a weak discussion on architecture, and after a lot of hand waving, finally refer you to some other books (see page 533) that actually discuss architecture.

So if you know nothing about hardware or were sleeping in class, you might find this book useful. I am sending it back - and next time I will read all the reviews.

Wow. I have never read such a useful book explaining everything involved in understanding and designing an architecture of any embedded system. In fact, I do not think a book like this has ever been done (I am sure it has made the competition jealous, I certainly wish I could have written this type of book)

It explains all the major hardware and software components in a very organized way (where separate chapters reflect every major component and with chapters that bring it all together). The number and the quality of the diagrams are amazing!!!! The author clearly explains all the concepts using many visual diagrams, and even complex diagrams are introduced and dissected until the technical concepts within the diagrams are simplified and are clear (i.e., when the major components on the same hardware board are explained, or the major components found in a processor, ...). In fact, the hardware section is perfect for software people to get a good handle on understanding hardware, or students in EE just starting out!!!

I was also impressed that the architectural information is based on solid methodologies from credible organizations (i.e., the ABC invented by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, IBM Rational Unified Process,...) and applies it clearly to embedded systems, which I have not seen done before all in one text. I consider it a very valuable architecture book on Embedded Systems, and would not hesitate to recommend it!

As its title indicates, this is a comprehensive guide book that provides excellent overview of embedded system. This might have been indended for college students and inexperienced engineers, but this could be recommended even to experienced engineers. I have been an embedded software professional for more than twenty years, but I still have learned a lot from this book, or at least this book refreshed my memory. I wish I had this text book when I was a college student. Especially this book has excellent coverage of embedded software, and hardware portion is also good for software engineers. From that sense, I recommend this book to software people more than to hardware engineers. Highly recommended.

I, myself, am new to the industry and have been hunting for a quality embedded systems' book for months. Equipped with the knowledge a college education and 5 years of development experience would offer concerning embedded systems, I bought this book in hopes of fully understanding the research, design, and development of an embedded system. From its coherent introduction through its lucid analysis of standards, hardware, and software layers, to its elegant piecing of it all together, this book does a brilliant job in guiding both experienced and inexperienced engineers through the challenging field of embedded systems. The simple examples and diagrams made it easy for me to follow, and the fluid content made it clear for me to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially Java and .NET developers, interested in embedded system's design.

"Embedded systems are limited hardware/software computer systems that are part of larger systems. They are generally dedicated to a specific function, and they have higher quality and reliability requirements than personal computers (PCs) or supercomputers. Examples of such systems are digital and analog televisions, games, cameras, set-top boxes (DVD recorders, VCRs, and so on), and global positioning systems (GPSs).

Embedded systems are gaining great popularity in both academia and industry, due to increased user demand for embedded functionalities. This book seeks to provide a comprehensive guide for both engineers and programmers for designing and developing embedded systems. The book is made up of 12 chapters, divided among four sections.

Section 1 (chapters 1 and 2) introduces the book. First, a detailed description of embedded systems is given. Then, examples from the five markets into which embedded systems commonly fall are described. This section also presents a listing of market-specific standards implemented in embedded systems.

Section 2 (chapters 3 through 7) addresses the hardware layer of embedded systems. It discusses the main hardware parts of an embedded system, namely, embedded processors, board memory, input/output, and buses.

Section 3 (chapters 8 through 10) addresses the two main software layers that make an embedded system work. These are the system software layer, which includes the software aspects of device drivers like memory drivers, on-board bus drivers, and middleware, and the application software layer, which defines the function and purpose of the embedded system. A concise definition of each concept is presented and illustrated with real-world examples.

Section 4 (chapters 11 and 12) continues the discussion of the set of processes started in previous sections, presenting the design and development phase. It presents, in chronological order, the main steps in building an embedded system. These steps include defining the architectural structures, evaluating the architecture, implementing the system, and testing it.

This book is a complete reference for embedded systems design and development. It provides a detailed presentation of the main parts that compose an embedded system, namely, the hardware layer and the software layer. The author provides the needed technological background for working with embedded systems. Real-world examples enforce the theoretical and practical aspects presented in the book. The author succeeds in presenting her practical experience with embedded systems in a structured and pedagogical way. I especially appreciated the tips and tricks in the book, such as comments on debugging tools, and the references to technical magazines related to the subject. I recommend this book as a first reference for studying embedded systems."

- Ghita Kouadri Most?faoui (REAL NAME). Feb. 17 2006
Association for Computing Machinery
See ACM Website for more information

I have been reading ALL of the reviews on this site and on other sites before I bought this book. ACM reviews website in the last few weeks came out with 2 different reviewers saying this book is great for beginers, and after reading this book I completely agree.

"This book is a complete reference for embedded systems design and development. It provides a detailed presentation of the main parts that compose an embedded system, namely, the hardware layer and the software layer. The author provides the needed technological background for working with embedded systems. Real-world examples enforce the theoretical and practical aspects presented in the book. The author succeeds in presenting her practical experience with embedded systems in a structured and pedagogical way. I especially appreciated the tips and tricks in the book, such as comments on debugging tools, and the references to technical magazines related to the subject. I recommend this book as a first reference for studying embedded systems. - ACM Reviewer. Ghita Kouadri Mostéfaoui"

"This is a great textbook which has the right amount of detail to cover this large domain. It gives readers both the basics and the details of the field. == ACM Reviewer Claudiu Popescu"

I think this book is great, but maybe with someone very technically experienced in pure embedded systems could find this book as being too basic. The hardware sections is great for software programmers who do not have electronics experience, and there are several hundred pages on embedded software.

It is not really fair and is really wierd for someone who is obviously very experienced in embedded systems to be reviewing and bashing this book, when in the book's sales description it says it is intended for students and enginers just starting out.

I found the review by Bill Camarda of "Read Only" very helpful at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=VJ6wFJ0CLc&isbn=0750677929&TXT=Y&itm=13 or just go to www.barnesandnoble.com and look up this book.


"The Barnes & Noble Review
Embedded Systems Architecture is a tour de force: a book on building embedded systems that truly deserves to be called "definitive." Tammy Noergaard starts with first principles, then systematically illuminates everything from logic circuits and computer design to C and assembly programming.
Noergaard thoroughly walks you through every stage of designing and implementing an embedded system that will work reliably -- and profitably. Whether you're reading datasheets, writing device drivers, or managing projects that transcend your area of expertise, you'll find help here.

Noergaard's career has ranged from Stanford to Berkeley, from Wind River to Sony (where she helped build some of the world's best analogue TVs). Along the way, she's picked up immense knowledge about building embedded systems and teaching others to do so. You'll benefit mightily from that knowledge. Bill Camarda, from the June 2005 Read Only"

An easy-to-read and well written book, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is just starting out or needs an overview of embedded systems hardware and software. In fact, I have never read a computer systems book as comprehensive, clear, and concise as this one. I was impressed from the first page, and learned not only about the architecture of an embedded system, but how to think and approach learning in the future. Very well thought-out and structured.

This is an architecture book for beginners, and is an introduction to all the pieces that can go into an embedded system, how to build it, and gives a methodology. What makes this book so great is that this book also refers engineers just starting out on the different types of more technical places like in an embedded systems programming magazine or other engineering books to learn about a specific item. This book is not just a hardware book, but it has all the chapters on all the main types of embedded systems software like device drivers, operating systems, middleware, and application software. I even saw this in the table of contents before I bought this book. I bought this book because I saw what the table of contents had in it software and hardware, as well as information on how to build a system. I did read the other reviews, and even reviews that were on other sites that some of the reviews on this site referred to. I would also highly recommend this book.

I do not know if these other guys who wrote their bad reviews actually read the book or understand what they were reading. I researched online before getting my copy and only found very good reviews. After reading the book myself, I think it is really a great book. In fact the Barnes and Noble review (from Bill Camarda) reads

>Embedded Systems Architecture is a tour de force: a book on building
>embedded systems that truly deserves to be called "definitive."
>Tammy Noergaard starts with first principles, then systematically
>illuminates everything from logic circuits and computer design to C
>and assembly programming.

>Noergaard thoroughly walks you through every stage of designing
>and implementing an embedded system that will work reliably -- and
>profitably. Whether you're reading datasheets, writing device drivers,
>or managing projects that transcend your area of expertise, you'll
>find help here.