Embedded systems are everywhere in our daily lives. They are integrated into a multitude of electronic devices and systems, from household appliances to cars and communication systems. Essential to a wide range of products and industries, embedded systems enhance comfort and quality of life for everyone.
With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), these systems have evolved to include advanced connectivity and data processing capabilities. They transform ordinary objects into intelligent, interconnected devices capable of real-time communication and decision-making. According to forecasts, the market for embedded systems will continue to grow in the coming years.
In this Tech Report, our embedded systems development experts share their favorite technologies for creating intelligent everyday objects and addressing technical challenges. Discover how these solutions can benefit your projects and help you meet the growing needs of an increasingly connected world.
Key Programming Languages
Embedded systems development often relies on low-level programming languages such as C and C++. These languages are preferred for their performance and precise hardware control, allowing developers to maximize the limited resources of embedded systems. At Uzinakod, we count several experts with proven expertise in optimization and assembler, which is ideal for specific tasks such as optimization or bootloaders.
Today, the definition of embedded systems has broadened to include Internet of Things, advanced architecture, and more complex solutions like data aggregators and Edge Computing. In this context, our teams favor Python and C# programming languages for their flexibility in pre-processing data before sending it to the Cloud. Python is renowned for its simplicity and extensive library of modules, while C# is appreciated for its seamless integration with Microsoft platforms, often beneficial for developing robust, scalable IoT applications.
The Best Options for Microcontrollers and Processors in IoT
Microcontrollers, central to modern embedded systems, include popular examples such as:
- ARM Cortex-M: Powerful and low-power, these microcontrollers are suitable for a wide variety of IoT applications.
- Microchip’s PIC: Robust and economical, they are often used in industrial and consumer applications
- Atmel’s AVR: Easy to program and affordable, they are generally popular for learning projects.
These microcontrollers are appreciated for their performance, low power consumption, and ability to handle real-time tasks. Our teams use a wide range of microcontrollers, primarily working with Microsoft’s Azure Sphere (based on ARM), Espressif‘s ESP32 and ESP8266, and the entire STM32 family from ST Microelectronics.
Microcontrollers from different families each offer unique advantages and disadvantages. With our in-depth expertise across these platforms, we optimize performance and overcome inherent limitations in each of those types.
For aggregation and Edge Computing technologies, we often use traditional processors like Intel and AMD. These processors, common in professional embedded systems, excel in demanding tasks requiring significant computing power and efficient data management.
Ultimately, the choice of microcontroller or processor for your IoT application depends on the specific needs and constraints of your IT systems. Our experts consider factors such as performance, power consumption, connectivity, cost, and security to select the option that will ensure the success of your project.
Operating Systems for Your Embedded Projects
Real-time operating systems (RTOS) play a crucial role in managing resources and tasks in embedded systems. Our team is proficient with various popular variants, including Eclipse ThreadX, FreeRTOS, and others.
The selection of the best RTOS heavily depends on the application. For example, in medical or industrial certification contexts, it is crucial to choose a platform that meets required standards and certifications. RTOS used in these environments must ensure reliability, safety, and performance, often validated through stringent certifications such as ISO 13485 for medical devices or IEC 61508 for industrial systems.
Essential Tools for Embedded Development
It’s often said that hardware developers prefer VIM* and Git over sophisticated integrated development environments (IDEs). Then Visual Studio Code (VSCode) came along and changed everything. VSCode offers a multitude of extensions tailored to different microcontroller families, making embedded development much more accessible and efficient. You can find them all here.
For a long time, the embedded world largely escaped the use of unit and integration tests. Fortunately, practices have evolved to meet modern requirements! Our teams now use advanced programming techniques that allow them to write tests based on solid requirements, even for code deployed on microcontrollers. For example, the use of Throw the Switch‘s CUnity framework has enabled us to integrate Test Driven Development (TDD) into our embedded systems projects, ensuring greater reliability.
Here’s a list of essential tools for embedded development:
- Logic Analysis Tool: Saleae Logic Pro (Saleae Logic Analyzers)
Saleae Logic Pro logic analyzers are crucial for diagnosing and solving communication and synchronization problems in embedded systems. - Universal Microcontroller Interface Tool: J-Link (Segger)
Segger’s J-Link is a powerful debugging tool compatible with a wide range of microcontrollers. It enables fast, efficient programming and debugging. - State-of-the-Art Laboratory Equipment
All our developers have access to advanced tools in the office, such as oscilloscopes, analyzers of all types, signal generators, controllable DC sources, and more. This equipment is essential for developing, testing, and validating the performance of embedded systems.
As you can see, modern embedded development is no longer limited to text editors and traditional approaches. By adopting these development tools today, you are choosing to accelerate your project development, improve the quality of your code, and reduce your maintenance costs.
The Challenges of Connectivity for Embedded Systems
Connectivity has become a crucial aspect of embedded systems, facilitating fast, efficient interactions between devices and paving the way for new innovations. Here are some key aspects of connectivity:
Wireless Connectivity for Embedded Systems
Connectivity is a fundamental aspect of modern embedded systems, enabling rapid communication between devices. Wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRA, LTE, and 5G have revolutionized the way these systems operate and interact.
These technologies not only enable faster, more efficient communication between systems but also provide greater mobility and flexibility. For example, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are commonly used for short-range communication, while LTE and 5G enable long-distance, high-speed connectivity.
The Impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) on Embedded Systems
The arrival of Internet of Things (IoT) has marked a significant milestone in the evolution of embedded systems. With IoT, embedded systems can now connect to other systems and the Cloud, facilitating real-time data collection, analysis, and sharing. This connectivity has greatly improved the efficiency and performance of embedded systems.
IoT enables embedded systems to exchange information continuously, allowing for optimized monitoring and control. For example, in industrial automation, IoT allows machines and systems to communicate with each other, optimizing processes, reducing downtime, and preventing potential breakdowns through predictive maintenance.
In agriculture, embedded IoT sensors can monitor environmental conditions, helping farmers make informed decisions to improve crop yields—a concept known as smart farming. This extended connectivity and real-time data processing capability opens up new possibilities for embedded systems, driving rapid innovation.
Choosing the Right Partners for Embedded Development
Embedded product development often requires cutting-edge knowledge in specialized areas such as data fusion, stochastic analysis, motorization, advanced sensors like IMUs, and various connectivity technologies.
While our teams are highly qualified in their fields, we sometimes collaborate with trusted partners like Brioconcept. These partnerships allow us to accelerate project development, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. By working with other experts, we bring together the specialists needed to meet our customers’ requirements in a fully integrated and transparent way. This approach allows us to offer state-of-the-art solutions optimized for performance and reliability, while adhering to our customers’ deadlines and budgets.
The field of embedded systems is evolving rapidly, with trends like embedded AI, IoT connectivity, security, and automatic updates driving continuous innovation.
Choosing the right technology for embedded systems is crucial to the success of any project. From programming languages and microcontrollers to operating systems, development tools, communication protocols, and connectivity, every aspect is important and must be carefully considered.
Our team of experts is ready to apply these technologies to your projects. Contact us today and let us show you what we can achieve together!
*Marc Antoine, one of our embedded systems developers, prefers VIM and command prompts and always impresses us with his favorite Linux tools—perhaps a great topic for a future blog post? 😅
