• CPU buses are built on handshaking protocols.

• A variety of memory components are available, which vary widely in speed, capacity, and other capabilities.

• An I/O device uses logic to interface to the bus so that the CPU can read and write the device’s registers.

• Embedded systems can be debugged using a variety of hardware and software methods.

• System-level performance depends not just on the CPU, but the memory and bus as well.