Embedded system

lastmod 2026-01-11created 2014-04-126 edits

An embedded system (built-in system) is a computer system made up of a sizable electronic system that performs specific functions, and it has real-time computing constraints.

It is "embedded" in the sense that it is built in as part of a complete device that includes electronic hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, general-purpose computers such as personal computers (PCs) are designed to be flexible and can meet the needs of a wide range of end users. Embedded systems today control many of the devices used in everyday life.

An embedded system may be fitted with a processor core such as a microcontroller or a DSP (digital signal processor).

Microcontrollers are used in small systems and so tend not to include an operating system, whereas embedded systems are somewhat larger, so an operating system (Windows CE or the Linux kernel) is included in the system. Applications tend to be installed on top of this operating system to perform only specialized functions. For example, even with the same ARM, a microcontroller includes memory (flash, RAM) and other hardware (timers, UART, SPI, ADC, etc., fitted as needed) on a single chip. Here the memory is not large, so there are limits to including an operating system. In an embedded system, however, the hardware is fitted on a single chip, but it is common to fit large-capacity memory outside the chip and connect it on the PCB. This is because the system is large and needs large-capacity memory.

Categories

• Board support package (BSP)
• Embassy - A modern embedded framework based on Rust and async

Favorite site

• Wikipedia (en) Description of embedded systems
• [Recommended] Course: Becoming a Friendly Embedded Systems Developer
• Arduino homepage (an open-source board for controlling devices, with a built-in microcontroller)