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Embedded Systems

An embedded system is a combination of hardware and software designed to perform a dedicated function. Embedded systems are found in devices like washing machines, microwaves, and pacemakers. They consist of input devices to collect data, a microcontroller as the processing brain, and output devices to perform actions. Unlike general purpose computers, embedded systems are designed to perform a single task very efficiently using specialized hardware and software. Common examples of embedded systems include appliances, vehicles, and industrial machinery.

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94 views5 pages

Embedded Systems

An embedded system is a combination of hardware and software designed to perform a dedicated function. Embedded systems are found in devices like washing machines, microwaves, and pacemakers. They consist of input devices to collect data, a microcontroller as the processing brain, and output devices to perform actions. Unlike general purpose computers, embedded systems are designed to perform a single task very efficiently using specialized hardware and software. Common examples of embedded systems include appliances, vehicles, and industrial machinery.

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jascnj
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EMBEDDED

SYSTEMS
The most common definition of Embedded System is :
"It is a combination of hardware and software to perform
a specific task"
Example of Embedded System :
In fully automatic washing machine, user just put the
clothes in the machine and rest all the tasks are done by
machine itself.
What is the brain of a washing machine ?
Embedded system is the brain of washing machine (or
any automatic machine or device). There is an Embedded
system inside a washing machine which get inputs from
user, save those inputs in its memory and operate the
machine as per the inputs.
It means, if you know how to make an Embedded System
then you can automate any task with the help of it.
Embedded System consists of 3 things:
1. Input Device
2. Micro controller (The Brain)
3. Output Device
Input device collects input from user or environment. It
could be done via a sensor or a remote control.
Microcontroller is the brain, it is the processing unit. It
collects information from input device and perform the
output as per the logic defined inside it.
Output device collects the instructions from micro
controller and perform accordingly.
In Electronics world Embedded systems is an electronic
system that has a computer software that is embedded in
a computer hardware.
A hardware platform is generally a micro controller or
processor in which the program is dumped.
For example, take 8051 controller. Here we embed
program into it and it performs the task as per the
program instructions.
Most people confuse General purpose system (GPS) with
Embedded system (ES). A GPS does multiple tasks. Take
an example, Laptop. Here we can do multiple things at a
time (Watch video, write mail, etc).
But an Embedded system is destined to do a single
particular task. Take example, Pace Maker. This device
keeps monitoring heart beat, so when heart pump goes
slow it take counter acting action and make heart beat
come back to normal condition.
Some other examples of Embedded systems are
Microwave oven, Washing machine, Printers, etc.
Say e.g. the system which controls a washing machine -
to keep costs down you'd not go and install a full Core i7
with 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD in there now would you?
So you end up with something even lower on the food
chain than a Raspberry Pi. Thus you're extremely
restricted by CPU speed (and usually also a much
reduced instruction set) and even more by RAM/storage
size.
So you make a specialized system which only does what's
needed for that specific task instead of installing
something like Windows and then writing a program to
sort out the controls.
It's not uncommon to use a minimal OS in an embedded
system. E.g. Android, BSD, Linux, QNX, etc. in a car. A tv-
set-top / DVD player/recorder is quite ubiquitous these
days.
In 1971 Intel Corporation introduced the world’s first
Microprocessor, the 4004. The 4004 was designed
specifically for embedded control - instead of general
purpose computing, and was first used in the Busicom
141-PF calculator.
With the introduction of the Intel 8080 Microprocessor in
the early 1970s the embedded system industry began to
take off.
One of the early embedded systems to make use of the
8080 was custom designed for mass transit(rail) systems
around the world.
In a true embedded system there is “firmware” running
on usually a microprocessor or microcontroller in order to
control the electronics of the embedded system to
perform a (usually) fixed task or set of tasks. 
Firmware is software, but it is different in that it is
intended to be run over and over again to perform the
embedded system functionality without ever being
“swapped out” for another body of code (“firm” vs
“soft”).
To differentiate, a “standard computing device” has the
ability to run any number of different bodies of code (app
or program) to accomplish different tasks at different
times.
An interesting fact is that 95% of the microprocessors
made go into embedded systems, and only 5% into what
we consider “computers”. 

Embedded systems outnumber “traditional computers”


by orders of magnitude, although they are seldom
recognized as “computing devices” by the general public.

Embedded systems is a branch of electronics. Generally


people think electronics means circuits, ICs, transistors,
etc.
Embedded means "hidden inside".
A branch of electronic systems where you see
components (hardware) outside, but those components
are controlled by set of instructions (software), which is
hidden inside the components is called embedded
systems.
In essence, embedded systems = programming in
electronics. That is the reason today the embedded
systems field calls for more programmers.
To state simply, a software controlled system which is
tailored for a single purpose is an embedded system.

If you are in doubt, if a system is an embedded system


check if the below conditions are met by it.
1. It does just a single task.
2. It has an electronic control unit (Microcontroller, FPGA
etc) which runs a software.

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