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Flip to reveal answersDefine an embedded system.
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All 4 Flashcards — Embedded systems
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Question
Define an embedded system.
Answer
A microcontroller and its software built into a larger product to carry out one specific task — one program for the life of the product, invisible to the user.
Question
What three things does an embedded system add?
Answer
Functionality — things the product could not do before. Efficiency — using only what the job needs. Automation — making decisions the user used to make.
Question
What does it mean that embedded systems communicate?
Answer
The useful behaviour often exists only between them. A thermostat, a boiler controller and radiator valves each do one small job; the heating system lives in the messages they exchange.
Question
What is the liability of embedding a system in a product?
Answer
Bugs, security updates for the product's whole life, repairs needing software nobody else has, and features that die when a server is switched off. Keep the core function working without the network.
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Topic 3.4 hub
Electronic systems
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