Lesson Objectives Aims To understand the purpose of embedded systems To be able to give examples of embedded systems
Embedded Systems A computer system that is built in to another device A combination of hardware and software Custom built for a specific purpose Designed to perform a single, well defined task
Embedded Systems Unlike a general purpose computer (PC, tablet, phone) an embedded system does not usually have an operating system They may have very limited interfaces (maybe only a numeric display) Usually rely heavily on data from sensors
There are literally thousands. Some examples: Cruise Control Washing machines Dish washers TV set top boxes Heating controls
Advantages Usually small which means cheap to manufacture Very reliable (when did your dish washer last crash?) Will be perfectly suited/customised for the particular purpose it’s made for
Disadvantages Very expensive to create and develop Can be used in safety critical environments so must be heavily tested Can be very complex systems (usually) cannot be easily updated
Security Embedded systems have been given a super exciting buzz word name: IoT devices! All this means is lots of very pointless devices are being made that connect to the internet Which has some implications…
IoT Security is a huge one Silly default passwords No encryption Open to misuse without a user knowing What happens if the service is removed?! Not such a smart device any more!
Review/Success Criteria