Features of an Embedded System

An embedded system can defined as a system that has embedded software and computer-hardware, which makes it a system dedicated for an application (s) or specific part of an application or product or a part of a larger system.

An embedded system is characterized by the following:

• Real-time and multi-rate operations that define the ways in which the system works, reacts to events, interrupts and schedules the system’s operations in real time.
• Complex algorithms.
• Complex graphic user interfaces (GUI) and other interfaces.
• Dedicated functions.

An embedded system is usually designed by keeping in consideration a number of constraints, namely:

• The available system memory.
• The available processor speed.
• The need to limit power dissipation when running the system continuously in cycles of ‘wait for events’, ‘run’, ‘stop’, ‘wake-up’ and ‘sleep’.

Related: Exploring Raspberry Pi: Interfacing to the Real World with Embedded Linux

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Author: John Mulindi

John Mulindi has a background in a technical field and he writes on topics ranging from automation, computer systems, embedded systems, mechatronics to measurement and control. View all posts by John Mulindi