Embedded Systems
Examples of Embedded Systems
Embedded systems are built into all sorts of products, not just into what you would normally call a computer. Each one is a small computer system built in to carry out a dedicated function — one particular job inside a larger device. The examples below show how varied those products can be.
| Category | Example | What the embedded system does |
|---|---|---|
| Household appliances | Coffee machine | Heats water to the right temperature and runs the pump for the chosen drink. |
| Vehicles | Electric scooter | Checks the battery temperature and cuts the power if it gets too hot. |
| Personal devices | Wireless games controller | Reads button presses and sends the signals to the console. |
| Medical devices | Insulin pump | Delivers insulin in controlled amounts through a small tube. |
| Industrial equipment | Wind turbine | Adjusts the angle of the blades to suit the wind speed and checks the generator temperature. |
In every row the system is tucked inside the product and is only there to do that one job, which is why the categories cover so many different industries.
A device can contain several embedded systems
A larger device can hold more than one embedded system, with each one dedicated to a different function. A gym treadmill, for example, might have one system that controls the speed and incline of the running belt, another that reads pulse sensors in the handrails and adjusts the workout, and a third that checks a safety key and stops the belt if it is pulled off. These are separate systems inside the same treadmill because moving the belt, reading a pulse and stopping for safety are three different jobs.
So you cannot tell how many embedded systems a device contains just by looking at it: one product can hold several computer systems, each busy with its own task.
Practise this
OCR GCSE Computer Science · Embedded Systems