Updated March 29, 2023
Definition of Embedded System Development
The computer system has a part of delicate functions built inside a larger mechanical or electrical system is called embedded systems. It is often used to sever real-time scenarios with few computing constraints. It is embedded as a section of a complete device that includes mechanical and hardware parts. There are multiple available methods for the development, design, planning, analysis, and implementation of that embedded system to make it function for a specific purpose are discussed in this article.
What is embedded system development?
Embedded systems are subjected to doing specific tasks instead of performing like a multitasking computer. Few embedded systems have a real-time performance where all the criteria should be met, like usability, safety, etc. Hence the embedded systems are dedicated to doing certain tasks, and it is structured simple to reduce the cost. So the design engineer can make it more optimized and enhanced to increase the reliability and performance. The range of embedded systems varies from portable components to huge hybrid vehicles. The household appliances like washing machines, ovens, and dishwashers have embedded systems in them to provide more efficiency and flexibility.
Embedded systems development Idea
Budding youngsters show a huge interest in gaining practical knowledge in embedded systems, and they begin their project with the help of a PIC microcontroller or 8051 microcontrollers. The projects provide them strong interface to associate different sensors, input, output gadgets, and other communicating devices. The embedded system has basic ideas like embedded web technology in traffic areas, car automation, safety and security systems, SCADA to deploy in industries, transient control projects, door lock systems, solar tracking systems, ARM technologies, wireless message circular systems, RFID projects and so on. There are multiple projects available.
Embedded systems development design implementation
The fundamental steps to design an embedded system are listed below,
- Purpose of the system:
Consumers or manufacturers should decide the possible requirement of the embedded system, and they should define the reliability of the product. Engineers had to brainstorm on the working of the system. They will be curious to find the price of the system in which the customers are ready to pay for it.
- Define the requirements:
Engineers will decide the intention of the product and will be prepared to answer the queries, like still what functions needs to be completed, size, shape, weight, cost limits of the product.
- Technical specifications:
The document should be provided with the technical specification, which includes environmental conditions, manufacturing components, and other details of the used components.
- Graphical user interface:
Few of the embedded system requires a simple graphical display interface to provide users the info about the operation of the system. But it is up to the design engineer whether to keep a GUI or not.
- Create a prototype:
It is helpful to develop a standard prototype to work on the hardware, to find the necessary components and how they operate together.
- Build a system architecture:
At this step, the entire plan will be ready and can start to design the architecture in which the embedded system wants to work. The Engineer should work on how the power is supplied to the unit, how the system is linked to the internet, and what operating system can be used.
- Choose the operating system:
Engineers can decide the operating system, and it needs to be the best and reliable one, as it gets incorporated into the real-time components. So they should be fast, reliable, time-constraint and safe. If not, they can also choose the OS which serves less efficacy in non-real-time.
- Architecture:
The popular architecture used in the embedded systems is Von Neumann architecture and Harvard architecture. If the code and data lie in various memory blocks, it is called Hardvard architecture, and when the code and data lie in the single memory block, it is called Von Neumann architecture.
The Von Neumann architecture has a single data bus for both data and instructions. So the CPU performs only a single operation at a time. It either makes read or write operations, or it fetches data from memory. So in a common bus, no data operation or memory fetch process occurs. It supports standard hardware and enables the use of sequential memory.
Harvard architecture provides separate areas for signal bus and storage to work on the data and instructions. The architecture has different storage areas within the CPU where there is no place to store instruction as information. They have individual memory space to work on an internal data bus and allow access to both data and instructions.
- Planning:
The beginning rule, the embedded system should respond to a particular need. It can be either public related or private, or corporate related. The end-product that is delivered should have a new solution, and it should be updated in case of any issues. When the requirement is clear, then the engineer can target to work on the audience choice. The design engineer should understand the end-user of his product; characteristics like gender, profession, and age of the end-users also play a vital role in the decision making. The engineer should understand in what situation that the end-user is looking for the product.
- Analysis:
The device aimed to develop should solve a particular problem. At this analysis phase, the design engineer should be familiar with his potential competitors. Because few have attained a top position in the development of embedded systems, and some have failed in it. So it is important to learn the lessons from their experience. It gives a better way to approach the product. Analyzing the product of the competitor and its price and overcoming the flaws in your design will also anticipate the reaction of the end-user.
Conclusion
Hence the development of the embedded system has many processes in it, and it should be followed effectively without any shortcoming to obtain a reliable and effective end product that should be in high demand, and that product will achieve remarkable height.
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