14
Embedded Systems
This chapter discusses about architectural features of embedded systems, in general, along
with their application areas and special demands for their organizational developments.
After completion of this chapter, the reader would know about
R Architectural and organizational demands of embedded systems.
R Real-time systems and their developments.
R Some of the application areas of embedded systems.
C HAPTER OBJECTIVES
14.1 INTRODUCTION
Terms like embedded systems and embedded controllers are comparatively recent with respect to the
terms like Computers . As a matter of fact, with the advancement of technology, which had been able to
pack more and more transistors inside a tiny wafer of silicon, we are now able to get within a single chip,
the power of a computer, which would have occupied a big warehouse in earlier days of electronics
dealing with vacuum-tubes. These single-chip computers or microcontrollers, as they are designated,
allowed designers to design very compact, smart, energy-ef cient and powerful systems to function as
stand-alone units for dedicated applications .
As an example, consider a greetings card, which, when unfolded, starts the melody of jingle bell or
happy birth day to you . Or think about the security system at the factory gate which automatically opens
the gate to its employee when the employee places the thumb over a small nger-print reader. Another
and more popular example is the mobile handset that we use frequently. All these are considered as
examples of embedded systems.
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