How to program embedded systems?

An Embedded System is a programmable electronic system that is used for a very specific purpose in a wide range of industries - from the automotive industry to consumer electronics. Think of a printer in your office. Inside this printer one or more microprocessors operate with a limited amount of memory and peripheral electronics, to take data and print it out on paper. The tasks of this embedded system are manifold:

•     Communication with the PC via network, USB etc.
•     Reaction to keystrokes on the printer
•     Feedback on the printer display
•     Control of the entire printer mechanics (motors, sensors etc.)
•     Control and monitoring of the entire system

Depending on the desired printer performance (color, resolution, pages/minute), these tasks must be performed more or less quickly. For this purpose, as with PCs, there are processors of different performance classes. Well-known processor families are ARM, MIPS, Coldfire, 8051, but also the Intel x86 series known from the world of PCs.

Due to advances in Embedded System Development an increase in the efficiency of certain processes can occur. For example, a printer manufacturer can prepare a program library for all the displays in his devices and then simply reuse it in different gadgets. Because of those advantages, over time, operating systems also took a step into the world of Embedded Software Development. As in a PC, these take over fundamental tasks in the system to

• exchange data via networks,
• manage memory or
• respond to inputs.

The embedded operating systems differ in many areas from the known PC operating systems, are usually much leaner and react exactly predictable to events (real-time capable). Well-known representatives of embedded operating systems are VxWorks, Nucleus, QNX but also numerous Linux variants. Recently, well-known systems such as Windows or Android have also gained a foothold in the embedded sector.