Embedded software is computer software, written to control machines or devices that are not typically thought of as computers, commonly known as embedded systems. It is typically specialized for the particular hardware that it runs on and has time and memory constraints.[1] This term is sometimes used interchangeably with firmware.[2]
A precise and stable characteristic feature is that no or not all functions of embedded software are initiated/controlled via a human interface, but through machine-interfaces instead.[3]
Manufacturers build embedded software into the electronics of cars, telephones, modems, robots, appliances, toys, security systems, pacemakers, televisions and set-top boxes, and digital watches, for example.[4] This software can be very simple, such as lighting controls running on an 8-bit microcontroller with a few kilobytes of memory with the suitable level of processing complexity determined with a Probably Approximately Correct Computation framework[5] (a methodology based on randomized algorithms). However, embedded software can become very sophisticated in applications such as routers, optical network elements, airplanes, missiles, and process control systems.[6]
- ^ "Stroustrup on C++ for embedded (bottom p.2)" (PDF). Retrieved 9 December 2012.
- ^ Emilio, Maurizio Di Paolo (2014-09-01). Embedded Systems Design for High-Speed Data Acquisition and Control. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-06865-7.
- ^ "I.C.S. on embedded software". Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ "Embedded Systems Methods and Technologies". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
- ^ Alippi, Cesare (2014), Intelligence for Embedded Systems, Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-05278-6.
- ^ http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/publications/papers/02/embsoft/embsoftwre.pdf [bare URL PDF]