Embedded Systems

As its name suggests, Embedded means something that is attached to another thing. An embedded system can be thought of as a computer hardware system having software embedded in it. An embedded system can be an independent system or it can be a part of a large system.

An embedded system is a microcontroller or microprocessor-based system which is designed to perform a specific task. For example, a fire alarm is an embedded system; it will sense only smoke.

An embedded system has three components:

• It has hardware.
• It has application software.
• It has Real Time Operating system (RTOS)
   

Embedded systems are small, fast, and very powerful tools, gadgets and equipment’s which have become part of our everyday life. They are those computer systems that do not look like computer systems to the everyday user.

They form a part of a larger system or product, part of anything, from mobile phones to medical devices, from agricultural farming tools to manufacturing equipment’s.

An embedded system is a micro-processor based system that is built to control a function or range of functions and is not designed to be used by the user in the same way that a personal computer (PC) is (Heath, 2003).

Embedded systems are where the software meets the physical world. As we put tiny computers into all sorts of systems (door locks, airplanes, pacemakers), how we implement the software is truly, terrifyingly important.

Why Embedded Systems:

• Many of the intelligent devices are surrounding us and are increasing rapidly.
• Can you imagine a single person without a smartphone and a computing device without a processor/controller? Today, most of the devices are connecting and talking to each other often referred as ubiquitous computing.
• There was a huge demand for professionals, expertise in Firmware (programming the hardware) and open source technologies like Linux. Also, most of the industries prefer candidates having knowledge in multiple domains.