Embedded Systems Concepts
Embedded Systems Embedded Systems, by my definition, are computer systems generally without standard keyboard / mouse / video interfaces, that do actual things in the real world. This could be anything from computers that control a rocket, to a little Arduino blinking an LED. As such, embedded systems typically consist of some combination of sensors, displays and actuators. Processors Embedded systems can broadly be split into two classes - microcontroller based, and microprocessor based. A microcontroller is a small processor that usually has real-time responsiveness. A microprocessor is closer to a desktop computer - it usually has an operating system to handle much higher level concerns, but doesn't always respond in real-time (think seconds instead of milliseconds). Sensors Sensors are devices that provide input to an embedded systems based on physical surroundings. They include temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, switches, light sensors, color sensors, humi...