Some of the most important trends today in embedded systems are wireless, mobile computing, and data analytics. They can be summed up in the following words: integration, intelligence, and openness. These trends are being used by companies like Intel to propel the industry forward and make embedded systems more powerful and user-friendly than they have ever been.
Let's take a look at the three most important trends in embedded systems and how they're influencing embedded system innovation.
- Integration
One of many things that makes technology solutions so complex is that it’s not just about a single platform; even if you’re just building for a specific phone or tablet, you need to take into account all of its elements—and there are a lot of them. There are different form factors, screen sizes, processors, operating systems (OS), and ecosystems.
Integration is taking on new challenges as new devices and technologies proliferate in our connected world—especially in the Internet of Things. Even if every device manufacturer was standardized on one OS and ecosystem, integrating with those would still be complicated because OS platforms can be fragmented by version or country.
- Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has arrived and it’s smarter than you. And what’s next? Fears of autonomous killer robots aside, embedded systems are being used in all sorts of applications, from environmental management to vehicle safety systems to smartphone control.
The global market for embedded systems is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% through 2020, reaching $84 billion by then.
- Openness
According to Gartner, Open source is here to stay and will be a significant part of application development. While closed-source software can be more reliable in some circumstances, open-source communities have given developers numerous opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
Let's say your team intends to develop an application for two different phones but only has one model on hand - you can reach out to an app developer from an open-source community and enlist his or her help—for free. Closed-source software provides users with fewer options and thus drives up costs in many instances.
Let's look at the three emerging trends in embedded systems in more detail below.
1. 1. Wireless
Wireless communication is a form of communication whereby information is transmitted from one point to another without using connections such as wires, cables, or other physical mediums. The physical layer used in wireless communication is typically an infrared (IR) or radiofrequency (RF) channel.Let’s face it: wires suck. They get tangled, they create clutter, and they’re just not very good at getting wireless data from Point A to Point B. Wireless connections are much more portable than their hardwired counterparts—it’s easier to build a mobile phone that can connect to Wi-Fi than it is to make a desktop computer that has an Ethernet port.
Bluetooth technology is an example of a wireless system. It uses radio waves for communication and has the ability to communicate with many different devices at once without an interface.
2 2. Mobile computing
There’s no doubt that mobile computing is here to stay, and it will continue to increase in popularity and demand. As device manufacturers scramble to design a computer that can fit into your pocket, one of their biggest challenges has been shrinking down memory storage. There’s no way around it: as we move forward into a more mobile-centric world, microcontrollers (or MCUs) are going to be called upon to take over some of those tasks.
Key features of cloud computing that make it highly useful are its portability, socially interactive, context sensitivity, and connectivity. There is no doubt that mobile computing increases productivity.
With it, you aren't bound to only one zone because of its portability. It also can be a source of entertainment for a lot of people. The other common advantage of mobile computing is that it offers cloud computing. However, it has downsides such as battery consumption hindrance and protection constraints.
3. Data analytics
Data analytics can be defined as the process of collecting, storing, and analyzing data. It has been going on for decades. However, it's only recently that better tools have become available to perform data analytics at faster speeds and cheaper prices.
Data analytics is without a doubt the next big thing in the business world. As a result, a lot of people are taking advantage of it and expanding their businesses. Thanks to data analytics, businesses are now able to make informed decisions and solve problems.
Conclusion
Are you looking forward to seeing what the future holds for embedded systems and what we can accomplish with these new technologies? I am too. Please feel free to share in the comments section below what you think about the above-mentioned trends in embedded systems.
If you found this article interesting, you can also forward it to your colleagues who might be interested in embedded systems.
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