Automated compile-time and run-time techniques to increase usable memory in MMU-less embedded systems

Random access memory (RAM) is tightly-constrained in many embedded systems. This is especially true for the least expensive, lowest-power embedded systems, such as sensor network nodes and portable consumer electronics. The most widelyused sensor network nodes have only 4–10 KB of RAM and do not contain memory management units (MMUs). It is very difficult to implement increasingly complex applications under such tight memory constraints. Nonetheless, price and power consumption constraints make it unlikely that increases in RAM in these systems will keep pace with the requirements of applications. We propose the use of automated compile-time and run-time techniques to increase the amount of usable memory in MMUless embedded systems. The proposed techniques do not increase hardware cost, and are designed to require few or no changes to existing applications. We have developed a fast compression algorithm well suited to this application, as well as runtime library routines and compil...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: CASES
• Authors: Lan S. Bai, Lei Yang, Robert P. Dick
• Keywords: CASES 2006, Embedded Systems, Random Access Memory, Sensor Network Nodes