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The
Future is Wisely
Embedded
By Dhananjay Bendre
When
I bought my new
Fridge I was surprised
to see an interesting
panel board with
lights helping
me to identify
problems and to
get my things
done; my new washing
machine does not
have a knob to
change the rotation
speed, but it
has a panel and
I can choose a
program, depending
on clothes I want
to wash. My washing
machine automatically
decides on speed,
soap and also
informs me when
the clothes are
dry after they
get washed.
My new PDA has
enough memory
to run MS office,
I can check my
mails, log on
to the Internet;
it works as phone,
it has it's own
database where
I keep my sales
figures and it
also runs my other
applications.
Things have been
changing rapidly.
For a consumer
it is just an
advanced facility
in the machine
which has made
his life simpler,
and he is willing
to pay a premium
for more advanced
functionality.
But how do we
make the simple
electronic panel
understand your
commands and then
enable mechanical
action to give
you required result?
How can your phone
cum PDA do so
many things? In
short this called
EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGY.
Embedded System
An embedded system
is a special purpose
computer that
is used inside
of a device. For
example, a microwave
contains an embedded
system that accepts
input from the
panel, controls
the LCD display,
and turns on and
off the heating
elements that
cook the food.
Embedded systems
generally use
microcontrollers
that contain many
functions of a
computer on a
single device.
Embedded software
runs the computers
hidden inside
a vast array of
everyday products
and appliances.
These computers
are called embedded
systems. They
are found in dishwashers,
microwave ovens,
toys, cameras,
cell phones, handheld
"personal
digital assistants"
(PDAs), and even
in the keyboard
and mouse.
Cars are full
of them, as are
airplanes, satellites,
and "smart"
weapons and other
military equipment.
Demand is skyrocketing
for embedded systems
that can add new
functions and
"smart"
features to a
wide range of
products. Designing
reliable software
for increasingly
sophisticated
and complex embedded
systems, however,
has become a major
challenge.
A key feature
of embedded software
is that it must
interact with
physical processes
in real time.
An embedded system
controlling the
power train must
respond smoothly
to many rapidly
changing inputs.
It must also work
together with
other embedded
systems controlling
the brakes, the
steering, the
suspension, and
so forth.
There are various
applications/uses
of embedded technology
Today, the consumer
tends to interact
with a device
through its front
panel. In more
sophisticated
cases, they go
through something
like a TV or PC
display. We're
looking at connecting
many devices and
providing natural
and friendly access
to those devices
from different
parts of the home
so that it's not
necessary to be
interacting physically
with the device.
For example, you
can turn on your
CD player from
anywhere in your
home by using
speech input or
some other kind
of multimodal
input. In a sense,
you won't care
where these things
are anymore. Highspeed
communication
links, certainly
wireless ones,
will become important
for embedded systems
devices, particularly
in the home over
the next five
years.
There were some
predictions that
by 2005 about
70 percent of
a car's cost will
be due to its
electronics, and
most of this will
be due to embedded
systems technology.
Today, only 30
percent of a car's
cost is due to
electronics.
The applications
which can be used
on PDAs or on
cell phones are
beyond imagination.
Mobile multimedia
is foreseen as
one of the major
applications for
the upcoming broadband
mobile networks
like UMTS. Besides
pure streaming
applications for
unidirectional
communication,
bidirectional
applications like
video teleconferencing
and multimedia
messaging will
become more and
more popular.
In contrast to
the demanding
requirements in
terms of computational
power and memory
space of today's
software components
for multimedia
applications,
most mobile terminals
are built around
embedded processors.
Therefore, specialised
software components,
optimised for
embedded mobile
processors are
the key enabler
for the successful
implementation
of applications
like MPEG-4 A/V
coding and still
image processing.
The Bright
Future ….
The future of
embedded systems
is very bright.
“ If you're
in embedded software,
your future's
so bright you
need sunglasses
to see it”
Connecting embedded
devices will extend
the scalability
limits of today's
systems even beyond
the Internet's
global scale.
One user can have
hundreds and thousands
of embedded devices,
disrupting traditional
networking and,
in particular,
addressing techniques.
Furthermore, it
would not be possible
or economically
viable to connect
all these devices
by traditional
wired technologies;
therefore, wireless
will become an
attractive alternative,
opening up new
research and development
areas.
Almost all embedded
systems will be
networked. There
aren't going to
be very many things
that can just
stand alone anymore.
You can see this
in the homepeople
want to network
their TVs, VCRs,
stereos, refrigerators,
and so on; networking
is here to stay.
By the way, I
think this is
one of the driving
motivations for
this new generation
of embedded systems.
There is a vast
difference in
bandwidth and
requirements in
the networking
of embedded devices.
In a car, you
don't need it
to be too flexible.
You can design
it ahead of timethe
four brakes communicate
over a local area
network, which
is also well designed,
laid out, scheduled,
and understood.
But in a smart
environment, you
might have some
simple sensor
that indicates
somebody walked
through the door
or some complicated
device that sends
video, which needs
tremendous communication
bandwidth. I think
that for many
systems there
is almost no distinction
anymore between
whether an embedded
system is stand-alone
or on a network.
The future use
of embedded technology
can be mind-boggling.
Every company
and individual
will use Embedded
systems for better
productivity and
ease
of use.
Defense can use
embedded technology
for missiles,
tanks, planes,
ships, robots
and so on. The
technology can
be used to do
research on plants,
environment, animals
the applications
are just limitless…
One can use the
embedded technology
against terrorism
by using them
in planes and
tankers to ensure
they are on right
path/ route and
given an option
one can halt the
vehicle or change
direction of plane
remotely.
As the cost of
such devices is
very cheap against
traditional devices
and also as the
volume requirement
is very high there
is no other option
for a manufacturer
to use such devices
to stay competitive
and give the customers
value for money.
Global
Embedded Systems
Market, 2003-2009
($ Millions)
Source: BCC, Inc
The analysts have
predicted that
the world market
for embedded software
will grow from
about $1.6 billion
in 2004 to $3.5
billion by 2009,
and the Embedded
hardware growth
will be at the
aggregate rate
of 14.2 percent
to reach $78.7
billion in 2009.
There are very
few companies
in this area and
these companies
are on hot list
of Venture Capitalists
(VCs). Most of
the new VC investment
in start up is
in embedded space.
Companies like
Microsoft, Oracle,
IBM, Progress,
InterSystems are
eyeing for revenue
on embedded database.
These companies
have taken steps
to create separate
Business Units
to focus on this
market and capture
market share at
early stage.
In the US, many
startup companies
have been focusing
on the Embedded
technology and
are projecting
big numbers in
coming years.
In my view every
software company
must eye this
segment and before
the space is too
crowded one should
capture the market.
There will be
tremendous scope
for Networking,
bandwidth companies
and for the integration
services companies
as clients would
need there ERP
or other applications
to be integrated
with various Embedded
devises.
(The author provides
Strategic Management
Consultancy to
Small and Mid
size companies.
He can be reached
on email : bendre@bendre.net) |
