Embedded software is integrated into hardware systems and performs specific functions. It evolved from military applications and became popular in the late 1980s due to the development of microcontroller chips. They are present in almost all electronic devices and work by receiving input, running a program, and returning results. As devices become more computerized, embedded software is being replaced with standard computer systems.
Embedded software is a type of software that is integrated into hardware systems. This software is typically designed to perform a specific function, although a single piece of hardware may contain multiple software components embedded within it. Any piece of technology that has circuit boards and computer chips will likely have software embedded within it, from digital watches to cell phones to calculators. These systems enable many of the advanced features common in modern devices.
Like many innovative pieces of technology, early forms of embedded software were developed for military applications. The Americans in particular used different types of integrated systems in space exploration, missile guidance and avionics from the late 1930s to the mid 1960s. These early systems were typically hardwired into other components and had a high failure rate. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that this type of software evolved to the point where it was useful to ordinary people.
In the late 1970s, the first standards for an embedded microcontroller chip got embedded software off the ground. This single chip acted like a tiny computer; may acquire, save and issue data, as well as process your information. With these chips, it became possible to write a single program, load it into the chip, and then have that chip execute its program whenever it gets the correct input. In the late 1980s, nearly every form of consumer electronics had some sort of microcontroller chip embedded within it.
Over the next several years, the cost of manufacturing integrated microcontrollers dropped to pennies. As a result, they are present in almost all electronic devices and each of these chips has one or more integrated software. They’re also present in items that most people wouldn’t think had computers, such as toasters, electric fans, or children’s toys.
Regardless of what the software is a part of, the embedded pieces of software work the same way. Their chip receives input from the connected device. The software reads the input and determines if it needs to be activated. If it does, it runs its program and returns the results. These results can go to the user or even to another piece of software.
The integrated software takes the place of a real computer system. In an ordinary computer, or in a machine connected to an ordinary computer, there is relatively little built-in software. Typically, computer systems have only a handful of pieces that control boot procedures and essential hardware functions. As complex devices become more computerized, their embedded software is actually declining as it is replaced with standard computer systems.
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