An embedded system is a central control platform that can be embedded into a device. Initially, embedded systems could be embedded in a specific environment, including the software runtime environment and operating system, and were suitable for various terminal control devices. The embedded software runs stably and is a computer system designed for specific applications. Compared with ordinary computer systems, embedded systems are more singular, more compact, and have stable operation and high execution efficiency.
Embedded systems are characterized by their singularity and compactness, which distinguishes them from general-purpose electronic computers and is also a standard for differentiating their application scope. They cannot perform large-scale storage, which means that the system and software must be designed on demand.
To better accommodate different application areas and industrial machinery, the characteristics of embedded systems are also reflected in their high integration and coordination capabilities. They are characterized by strong technical expertise, small size, customizability, high stability and reliability, and can meet the diverse detection and servo control systems that various machines and equipment in industrial production need to install.
With the rapid development of industrial internet and Internet of Things technologies, intelligent control has become a development trend. Industries such as industrial automation, artificial intelligence, communications, automobiles, aerospace, consumer electronics, and smart healthcare also rely on embedded systems. Embedded systems have entered a stage of rapid development, and the form of systems and software programs has also changed accordingly.
Embedded systems have evolved through three stages: from dedicated computers with functions such as detection, servo control, and equipment identification, to general-purpose computers characterized by chip and internet technologies. Driven by the development of industrial automation, embedded systems have entered a phase of rapid development. The efficient connection of chip, internet, and IoT technologies is propelling the continuous development of intelligent control.
As the requirements for system application integration continue to increase, embedded systems are gradually transforming into embedded computers. Apart from the unique operational requirements in terms of performance, they are no different from ordinary computers today. They have evolved from a single software operating system with relatively low memory to a computer that can independently modify programs and systems, and their application scope and functions have been greatly expanded.
As embedded technology has evolved, it has gradually become centered around chip and internet technologies. As a system support infrastructure, what are its new requirements? Perhaps embedded AI chips, artificial intelligence algorithms, industrial IoT, and advanced technologies related to human brain development. From its initial simple applications requiring only the harmonious design of hardware and software, to increasingly complex programming and computation, embedded systems have transcended the industrial control field, and their future applications will be even more widespread.
