Parametrics for the choice of Embedded Systems and Control Algorithms for Application Specific Robot Designs

Micro controller contains one or more processor cores along with peripheral devices and memory. Micro-controllers find extensive use in embedded system applications such as automobile engine control systems, bio-medical devices, electronic appliances, etc. They are specific to a particular task, are small and compact in size, and consume less power; all of these features have resulted in the ubiquitous deployment of micro-controllers in various devices. However, it must be noted that a microcontroller is a Control Circuit, and not a Driving Circuit. This statement is supported by the fact that the output current of a microcontroller is too small to drive a motor connected to it directly; in fact, this is an unpropitious experiment and can damage the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the working of actuators connected to it by following the logic coded onto it, and in this sense, forms the very brain of the embedded system. But in order to drive the motor, we need a type of switch (MOSFET, Relay, etc.) which can take the small output current of the microcontroller and control the power source to the motor. Essentially, a microcontroller accepts real-time inputs and generates an output control signal as per the rules and predefined logical deductions, in the prescribed algorithm. This paper discusses the criterion one must consider for the choice of an embedded system from the plethora of systems available in the market and the choice of control technique for different robotic applications.