1. Lesson Objectives Aims To understand the purpose of embedded systems
To be able to give examples of embedded systems

2. 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

3. 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

4. There are literally thousands. Some examples:
Cruise Control
Washing machines
Dish washers
TV set top boxes
Heating controls

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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…

8. 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!

9. Review/Success Criteria