Hardware-dependent Software: Principles and Practice

Hardware-dependent Software (HdS) plays a key role in desktop computers and servers for many years. Mainly due to its flexibility, the possibility of late change, and the quick adaptability, the relevance of HdS in the domains of embedded systems and in Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) has significantly increased.
Despite its importance, the role of HdS is most often underestimated and the topic is not well  represented  in literature and education. To address this, Hardware-dependent Software brings together experts from different HdS areas. By providing a comprehensive overview of general HdS principles, tools, and applications, this book provides adequate insight into the current technology and upcoming developments in the domain of HdS. The reader will find an interesting text book with self-contained introductions to the principles of Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS), the emerging BIOS successor UEFI, and the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). Other chapters cover industrial applications, verification, and tool environments. Tool introductions cover the application of tools in the ASIP software tool chain (i.e. Tensilica) and the generation of drivers and OS components from C-based languages. Applications focus on telecommunication and automotive systems. For automotive systems, two approaches for SystemC-based verification are presented.