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Serial Communication Protocol for Embedded Application

Article  in  International Journal of Information Technology · January 2010

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International Journal of Information Technology and Knowledge Management
July-December 2010, Volume 2, No. 2, pp. 461-463

SERIAL COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL FOR

EMBEDDED APPLICATION
Gade S S1, Kanase A B2, Shendge S B3, Uplane M D4

Serial communication protocol is developed for the small embedded application to have better communication in between
personal computer and hardware module. The liability of this protocol is lies in its two different rules for data transmission
and reception. The beauty of this protocol is that it reduces the code size of embedded application and most important is no
data loss or collision. This method is support both half and full duplex mode. The protocol has been developed and tested in
laboratory.
Keywords: Data Format, Embedded Systems, Frame, Microcontrollers, Microprocessors, Serial Communication.

1. INTRODUCTION method [5]. This application has two major functioning parts
An embedded system is hidden electronic circuitry present one is hardware and second is application program running
in electronic product. Embedded system is also called as on windows platform. The software needed for this
dedicated controllers. Most of the consumer electronics application is designed as per the system requirement and a
products are consists of embedded controller, memory new set of rule is created to have better communication in
module and other useful peripherals depending on its between these two and various results are also compared
application [1]. The firmware which is running on [6]. Block diagram of the hardware of developed system is
embedded platform has special architecture. The software shown in the figure 1.
architecture is selected on the basis of nature of application Hardware
and system complexity. The RTOS is good solution for this
type of development [2, 3].
In most of time there is necessity of interfacing
embedded module with personal computer. This is the
situation where developer has to concentrate on
communication protocol; this means that a set of rule is to
be followed by in between application program and
firmware in personal computer and embedded system
respectively [4].So as to have good data transfer between
personal computer and embedded module a technique is
adopted which is the part of this proceeding work.

2. SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM Fig. 1: Block Diagram of Hardware Module

The hardware module has been designed and tested in the Software
laboratory for the embedded application of on line auto
tuning of PID controller using successive approximation

1
E&TC Department of Annasaheb Dange College of Engineering,
Ashta Sangli Maharastra
2
E&TC Department of Karmyogi Poly-technique College,
Pandharpur, Dis : Solapur Maharastra
3
Computer Department of PVPIT, Budggaon Sangli Maharastra
4
Electronics Department of Shivaji University, Kolhapur
Maharastra
Email: 1Sachin_gade123@yahoo.co.in, 2Ajeetkanase@yahoo.co.in,
3
Sangam333@gmail.com, 4Uplane_suk@hotmail.com
Fig. 2: Data Flow in Application Program
462 GADE S S, KANASE A B, SHENDGE S B & UPLANE M D

The hardware structure in figure 1 shows the various First create new project with only serial communication
circuitries are connected to meet the desired application [5, module in VB 6.0 and after that open this project in visual
6]. studio 2005 then the window will appear as shown in figure
3 and click next and follow on screen command to update
The embedded application is designed in such a way
the code from VB 6.0 to visual studio 2005 [8]. This updated
that it can communicate with application program on
project has property that synchronisation of thread in case
personal computer. The data flow is shown in figure 2 [5,
of serial port is not required and hence transfers become
6]. The serial communication is build using MSComm visual
faster than threading technique in VB 2005.
module of VB (visual basic) tool set.

4. SERIAL COMMUNICATION EMBEDDED PROTOCOL

3. MSCOMM MODULE
A communication protocol is developed in order to have
When a serial port is opened, the program creates receive
faithful data transfer between hardware module and personal
and transmit buffers. To manage these buffers, the
computer. Communication protocol has two important
communications control has a number of properties that is
software module that is application and firmware control
set at design time using the control’s property pages. For
running in personal computer and hardware module
example, it’s probably not a good idea to have a
respectively.
communications event (an OnComm event) for every byte
read; instead, the RThreshold property to the number of
bytes is set to read before triggering that event. The Application Control
communications control’s buffer management properties are Application program is running on windows platform has
InBufferSize, OutBufferSize, RThreshold, SThreshold, very simple read operation using MSComm read property
InputLen, and EOFEnable [7]. and event evoked by serial port. The property settings are
as follows
Visual Basic 6.0 Module
In VB 6.0 port opening and closing as well as reading and
writing to the port using property looks simple. The next
version of this tool set is dot net framework [7, 8].

Dot Net Module

In visual studio 2005 express edition the serial port
communication module is treated as separate thread. This
programming defined with some threading technology and
as a result of this threading there is necessity to synchronise
two threads with each other [8]. Thread synchronisation
takes some time as compared with its earlier VB 6.0 module;
hence a technique is adopted to solve this problem.

Updating

A frame of seven byte is created which consists of

CRLF (2-byte) + command (1 byte) + data (4 byte). The
frame is purposely kept short for faster data transfer from
hardware module to personal computer. Data receive
protocol is simple and easy to use. According to command
byte at max 255 different type of command can be
transmitted by hardware module with each having data of
four byte.
Fig. 3: Updating Window
 SERIAL COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL FOR EMBEDDED APPLICATION 463

Byte by byte protocol is adopted for the data transfer developed for firmware to handle serial communication has
from personal computer to hardware module. This technique optimum code length which saves code memory. This
is adopted due to slow speed of microcontroller as compared protocol has different rule for receiving and transmission
with desktop processor [9, 10]. The routine will send number and hence in full duplex mode it has better speed. This serial
of bytes, there is no restriction of byte, but first two byte is communication protocol is suitable for small embedded
the count depending on the number of data bytes. After applications.
successful receiving of byte hardware module sends
acknowledgement confers that byte is received hence there REFERENCES
is no chance of data missing or collision. This technique
[1] IEEE Paper on “Software Architectures and Embedded
improves the overall throughput of embedded application. Systems” Nenad Medvidovic Sam Malek Marija Mikic-
Rakic.
Firmware Control [2] Gade S S, Mujawar I. I., “Embedded System Software
The firmware is designed with the seven byte frame for the Design”, National Level Paper Presentation at COP,
Pandharpur 2008.
data transfer from hardware to personal computer. The
transmission is very simple and hence no extra code is [3] Gade S S, Shendge S B, “RTOS Design in Embedded
Systems”, National Conference at Nagpur NCOAT
required to handle complicated frame which saves code
NIRMITI 2009.
memory and increases throughput. According to command
byte at max 255 different type of command can be [4] IEEE Paper on “A Wireless Embedded Sensor Architecture
for System-level Optimization” Jason Hill and David Culler.
transmitted by hardware module with each having data of
four byte. [5] Gade S S, Shendge S B, Uplane M D, “On line Auto Tuning
of PID Controller Using Successive Approximation
The firmware handles the receiving byte whenever it Method,” Accepted for to be Publish in IEEE Xplore,
requires. The serial communication is not handled using International Conference on 12th – 13th March, ITC-2010
interrupt because receiving and transmission event both of to be Held at Cochin.
having same vector address in MCS-51 family [6] Gade S S, Shendge S B, Uplane M D, “Performance
microcontroller [9]. Hence firmware routine and application Comparison of Auto Tune PID Controller with
routine is synchronized during software development. Some Conventional PID Controller,” Accepted for to be Publish
care has to taken at development time but this technique in International Journal IJCSC.
improves speed. [7] Visual Basic 6 Black Book, (Publisher: The Coriolis
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5. CONCLUSION
[8] Visual Basic .net Programming, (Publisher: The Coriolis
The serial communication protocol is very simple to Group), Author(s): Steven Holzner.
implement. It is collision free, no data loss occurred and [9] Intel Datasheet of MCS-51 Family.
hence easy to use in slow speed microcontroller. The routine [10] Intel Datasheet of Pentium 4 Processor.

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