Introduction to Embedded Systems WHAT IS AN EMBEDDED SYSTEM? An embedded system is an electronic/electro-mechanical system designed to perform a specific function and is a combination of both hardware and firmware(software). Difference between embedded and general purpose computing system Embedded System A system which is a combination of special purpose hardware and embedded OS for executing a specific set of applications. May or may not contain an operating system for functioning. The firmware of the embedded system is pre-programmed and it is non alterable by the end-user (There may be exceptions for systems supporting OS kernel image flashing through special hardware settings). Application-specific requirements (like performance, power requirements, memory usage, etc.) are the key deciding factors. Highly tailored to take advantage of the power saving modes supported by the hardware and the operating system. For certain category of embedded systems like mission critical syste...