What is embedded technology?

What is embedded technology?

Virtually every electronic device designed and manufactured today uses an embedded system and virtually no person is untouched by this technology.

An Embedded System is any electronic system that uses a A computer chip but that is not a general-purpose workstation, desktop or laptop computer. It is a combination of hardware and software which creates a dedicated system that performs specific, pre-defined tasks and which is encapsulated within the device it controls.

Such systems use microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors (MPUs) or custom-designed chips.

Embedded Systems were initially used for large, safety-critical applications such as rocket and satellite control.

Today, they are at the core of every modern electronic device from toys to traffic lights to nuclear power plant controllers. These processors help run factories, manage weapon systems and enable the worldwide flow of information, products, and people.

Embedded Systems have evolved from the stand-alone single-processor computers of the eighties to the special-purpose sophisticated fixed-function multi-processor systems of today. These systems will become even more important in the
future.