What is an Embedded System and Characteristics

                Embedded System or Device

It is a device or a hardware which is collection of electronics, electrical, mechanical components  and software and put them all together on a platform to work in a certain way. An embedded system usually solves a particular problem. Few examples of embedded device are mobiles phones, refrigerator, robots, digital watches etc.

Embedded Device Applications:

Embedded systems are most widely used in consumer, industrial, automotive, home appliances, medical, telecommunication, commercial, aerospace and military applications. The embedded device could be of small size to big size depending on the problem it is solving and it could be very simple to very complex system.

Why do We need an embedded system or device?

An embedded system usually solves a particular problem. That is, it always works for a certain purpose and not perform generally or solve a multiple problems. Therefore, an embedded system helps in real life to save time, provide security, perform better work than human in some cases.

Embedded System made of:

Electronics: The electronic devices used are nothing but integrated circuits. These are microcontroller or microprocessor, memory chips, sensors etc.

Electrical: Power supply unit

Mechanical: Printed circuit board or PCB. This is used to connected all the components used via electrical lines. In bigger systems, other elements mostly mechanical components.

Software: The software is placed inside microcontroller. It is also called firmware.

Software is responsible for use all other components to achieve the required functionality.

 

User Interfaces: An embedded device might or might not have an user interface.

When an user interface is required, then probably a LED indicator or LCD panel is used. This provides user an experience of what is happening. This is a major indication to user take further actions if required.

 

Functioning of An Embedded device:

Let's understand this with an example. Consider a refrigerator where foods items are kept in cold environment to protect them for later usage.

 

Let's say, the current temperature in house is about 22degrees and refrigerator is put to keep the temperature inside of it to be around 5 or 6 degrees.

 

Below are steps performed in order to achieve what is required:

 

1) The refrigerator has its temperature sensors through which the embedded system reads temperature of refrigerator. Let's consider it to be around 10 degrees at the beginning.

2) Now user gives the input to refrigerator on the required temperature to be inside for food item protection.

3) The refrigerator system now takes this value and tells system to decrease temperature via a compressor. The compressor cools the air and the system pushed the cooled air inside refrigerator.

4) The refrigerator continuously keeps on monitoring the temperature and adopts the temperature accordingly.

5)   The updated temperature is shown to user via LED or LCD panel through which user can confirm the required temperature.

 

 

Categories of Embedded Systems:

Embedded systems are divided into 2 categories.

1) Hard time Embedded systems: this is a highly time bound operation for a successful performance. for example: Car's Turn indicators.

2) Soft time Embedded systems: this is not a time bound operation. 

For example: refrigerator.