--- title: Achieving Real-Time Performance with Embedded Control Systems description: Maintaining deterministic real-time performance is critical. Embedded real-time systems provide specialized technologies to ensure high-speed operation. image: https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/visual8.jpg --- ![Spin gif](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/Spin.gif) ** ** Boston Engineering Customer Portal ## Service Desk for PTC Windchill and ThingWorx IIoT ![thigworx](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/thigworx.png?width=143&name=thigworx.png)   ![ptc](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/ptc.png?width=216&name=ptc.png) Use the Boston Engineering customer portal to submit service requests, get status updates, and Check PLM/IIoT KPIs. [![Sign In](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21108934/6a9fc184-54c0-4e07-a4ec-93658a369e1a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21108934/6a9fc184-54c0-4e07-a4ec-93658a369e1a) Emails for specific Issues ![Boston](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/be-logo.png) Questions regarding Managed services portal access [ info@boston-engineering.com ** ](mailto:info@boston-engineering.com) ![PTC](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/vuforia.png) Questions regarding PTC + ThingWorx + Vuforia [ ptc@boston-engineering.com ** ](mailto:ptc@boston-engineering.com) ![Ansys](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Boston_Engineering_September2022/images/ansys.png) Questions regarding Ansys [ ansys@boston-engineering.com ** ](mailto:ansys@boston-engineering.com) ![](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hubfs/visual8.jpg) # Achieving Real-Time Performance with Embedded Control Systems Published by [ Robert Davis ](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/author/robert-davis) on Jun 19, 2024 7:29:06 AM Maintaining deterministic real-time performance is critical for applications ranging from industrial robotics to medical devices. Embedded real-time control systems provide the computational horsepower and specialized technologies to ensure reliable, high-speed operation. Embedded real-time control technologies are crucial enablers for the smart, autonomous, and high-performance products in demand today and into the future. By leveraging deep expertise in areas like embedded real-time architectures, sensor integration, control theory, and model-based design, companies can their next real-time product vision a reality. We explore some of the key technologies and architectures along with example use cases below. [Continue Reading](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/achieving-real-time-performance-with-embedded-control-systems#continuebelow) --- What are Embedded Systems? In its simplest form, an embedded system is a computing system, built of a processor, memory, and input/output devices, with a dedicated function inside of a larger device or system. Embedded Systems is one of **[Boston Engineering’s Centers of Excellence](https://www.boston-engineering.com/centers-of-excellence/).** Visit our website for insights into: - [Why a company uses an Embedded System](https://www.boston-engineering.com/expertise/embedded-systems-2/#Use-Cases) - [Where Embedded Systems are Employed](https://www.boston-engineering.com/expertise/embedded-systems-2/#Applications) - [Boston Engineering Embedded System capabilities](https://www.boston-engineering.com/expertise/embedded-systems-2/) --- ### Select the correct Processing Element for your Embedded System and create lasting impact today! Review the Key Steps for Selecting a Processing Element through reading the "Selecting a Processing Element for Your Embedded System" white paper. For a copy of the the complete publication, visit the [Selecting a Processing Element for Your Embedded System download page today!](https://page.boston-engineering.com/selecting-a-processing-element-for-your-embedded-system-white-paper)   [![embedded download](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hs-fs/hubfs/embedded%20download.jpg?width=760&height=229&name=embedded%20download.jpg)](https://page.boston-engineering.com/selecting-a-processing-element-for-your-embedded-system-white-paper)   --- Key embedded real-time control technologies and architectures along with example use cases include: Microcontroller/Microprocessor Based Control -  For many real-time applications, utilizing dedicated microcontroller units (MCUs) or microprocessor chips provides an optimized embedded computing solution. Chip vendors like NXP, Microchip, TI, and others offer families of real-time MCUs and heterogeneous processors with architecture features tailored for control. - Example: An automated Hospital Logistics system using autonomous robotic carts to transport materials. The cart's motor control, sensor interfacing, navigation and fleet management is coordinated by distributed ARM microprocessors with hard real-time performance. **FPGA-Based Control - **Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are integrated circuits that can be configured with custom digital logic flows and parallelized signal processing. This architectural flexibility makes FPGAs very powerful for ultra-high-speed real-time control that exceeds the capabilities of microprocessors. - Example: Vision-guided semiconductor manufacturing robots use FPGA-based control for semiconductor manufacturing robots to process high-definition video at multi-gigapixel per second rates to enable real-time defect detection and precision part alignment. **Real-Time Operating Systems -** While some applications can use bare-metal firmware running directly on hardware, deploying a commercial real-time operating system (RTOS) like FreeRTOS, embOS or Zephyr provides scheduling, task management, and low-level driver support to build sophisticated real-time applications. - Example: A surgical robot with multiple sensor interfaces (vision, haptics, kinematics) and multiple control loops for instrument positioning and master/slave workflow control runs an RTOS to manage and synchronize independent tasks with deterministic timing. **Motor Control: AC, DC, Brushed/Brushless** - Precisely controlling rotation of motors is fundamental to automation systems. Embedded motor controllers use specialized processors and control algorithms tailored to different motor types to achieve high-performance operation and efficiency. - Example: An HVAC optimization system integrates embedded brushless DC motor drives with IoT connectivity to provide real-time adaptive control of air handling unit motors, fans, pumps based on occupancy sensing and energy pricing data. **Sensor Integration -** From analog interfaces to digital/serial protocols to wireless sensor connectivity (Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.), embedded systems must reliably interface with diverse sensor types as inputs to real-time control loops. - Example: A pan/tilt platform designed for autonomous drone tracking integrates inertial sensors, GPS, and high-speed machine vision cameras via MIPI interfaces to maintain stable tracking in real-time. Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation - Prior to deploying embedded control on physical hardware, engineers can use real-time simulation testbeds with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) to validate control algorithms, tune parameters, and test failure mode responses. - Example: An automotive company uses a HIL simulator combining physical engine control units connected to real-time plant models to perform verification of new engine control software across operating envelopes in a virtual environment. [Get more insight into Embedded Technology](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/tag/embedded-systems) ---   ![Surgical Robotics (1)](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Surgical%20Robotics%20(1).png?width=760&height=133&name=Surgical%20Robotics%20(1).png) As the engineering landscape continues to evolve, [Boston Engineering](https://www.boston-engineering.com/) is committed to proactively integrating cutting-edge technologies and methodologies into the solutions it delivers, ensuring that clients stay at the forefront of industry trends and maintain a competitive edge. ---   Ready to learn more about Boston Engineering?[![Contact Us Today](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21108934/0df87125-bacf-44e3-9194-7564d8dc6f31.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21108934/0df87125-bacf-44e3-9194-7564d8dc6f31)   --- Imagine *your* Impact: Stay up-to-date with the latest insights and trends we're watching. Add your email address below and sign up for a monthly summary of our most impactful posts! [![Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21108934/c0423d17-340b-4977-9b7e-567ee867605e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21108934/c0423d17-340b-4977-9b7e-567ee867605e) Tags: [Embedded Systems](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/tag/embedded-systems), [Centers of Excellence](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/tag/centers-of-excellence) [Back to Blog](https://blog.boston-engineering.com) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## Related Articles ## [Understand the Development and Sustaining Team(s) when Selecting a Processing Element for Your Embedded System](https://blog.boston-engineering.com/understand-the-development-and-sustaining-teams-when-selecting-a-processing-element) This article is an excerpt from the Boston Engineering "Selecting a Processing Element for Your... 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