Embedded Computer Systems

An embedded system is a special-purpose system in which the computer is completely encapsulated by the device it controls. Unlike a general-purpose computer, such as a personal computer, an embedded system performs pre-defined tasks, usually with very specific requirements. Since the system is dedicated to a specific task, design engineers can optimize it, reducing the size and cost of the product. Embedded systems are often mass-produced, so the cost savings may be multiplied by millions of items.


Some examples of embedded systems include ATMs, cell phones, printers, thermostats, calculators, and videogame consoles. Handheld computers or PDAs are also considered embedded devices because of the nature of their hardware design, even though they are more expandable in software terms. This line of definition continues to blur as devices expand.

Embedded Computer Systems

The field of embedded system research is rich with potential because it combines two factors. First, the system designer usually has control over both the hardware design and the software design, unlike general-purpose computing. Second, embedded systems are built upon a wide range of disciplines, including computer architecture (processor architecture and microarchitecture, memory system design), compiler, scheduler/operating system, and real-time systems. Combining these two factors means that barriers between these fields can be broken down, enabling synergy between multiple fields and resulting in optimizations which are greater than the sum of their parts.

One challenge with embedded systems is delivering predictably good performance. Many embedded systems (e.g. anti-lock brakes in a car) have real-time requirements; if computations are not completed before a deadline, the system will fail, possibly injuring the user. Unfortunately, many of the performance enhanceming features which make personal computers so fast also make it difficult to predict their performance accurately. Such features include pipelined and out-of-order instruction execution in the processor, and caches in the memory system. Hence the challenge for real-time system researchers is to develop approaches to design fast systems with easily predicted performance, or to more accurately measure existing complex but fast systems.

Embedded Computer would be a chip on which RAM, I/O bus, Data bus, Memory, ROM etc, are built in.

Beagle Bone, Raspberry Pi are the examples.