Modern Embedded Computing

Chapter 1

Embedded Systems Landscape

In this book, you will explore the design of modern embedded computer systems and learn many of the principles and skills needed to develop and program them effectively. Our goal in this chapter is to establish the appropriate context. The world of embedded systems is vast and changing rapidly, so we will begin by sharing our view on what modern embedded systems are all about, and why their importance and popularity have been increasing so dramatically.

We are in the midst of an extraordinary technology transformation. Most classes of electronic devices will soon be Internet-accessible with software-defined feature sets—not just computers and mobile phones, but nearly all forms of electronics. In other words, ...