Embedded Software Architecture 

An embedded software architecture is a piece of software that is divided in multiple layers. The important layers in embedded software are

• Application layer
• Middleware layer
• Firmware layer

Application layer is mostly written in high level languages like java, C++, C# with rich GUI support. Application layer calls the middleware api in response to action by the user or an event.

The Middleware layer is mostly written in C++, C with no rich GUI support. The middleware software maintains the state machine of the device. And is responsible to handle requests from the upper layer and the lower level layer. The middleware exposes a set of api functions which the application must call in order to use the services offered by the middleware. And vice versa the middleware can send data to the application layer via IPC mechanism.

The Firmware layer is always written in C. The firmware is responsible for talking to the chipset either configuring registers or reading from the chipset registers. The firmware exposes a set of api’s that the middleware can call. In order to perform specific tasks.

We come across several technically advanced electronic devices in our daily life. Most of the devices are installed with embedded software systems. Embedded software is a combination of all the 3 layers mentioned above. It is created to perform some tasks or to behave in a predefined way. Most firms or companies maintain 3 layer embedded software architecture for their projects.

Before setting up embedded software in your systems, you must consult a great firm that is famous and experienced in this domain.

Advantages of layered software architecture

• Maintaining code will be easy.
• Advancement in technology hardware changes in performance and capabilities over time. With layered architecture very minimal changes are needed especially in the low level.
• Patenting a piece of software algorithm becomes easy with layered architecture.
• Eases porting from one platform to another platform.
• Documenting a finite state machine becomes easy.

How to find an embedded software development company? 

So how do you see to it that you have connected with the right embedded software company for embedded projects? 

Some aspects will help you to get your software development done right with proper embedded software architecture.

Knowing the embedded software architecture company well 

The requirements of business firms are getting more and more difficult nowadays. Embedded software development has become a long and cumbersome task. Thus, it is essential to research the firm and take feedback from the former clients for your embedded projects. If the response from the former clients is not great, it is always better to avoid giving work to such firms.

Servicing 

Servicing is one of the most important aspects when you are choosing an embedded software architecture company for embedded projects. It contains everything that is done for the client right from the introductory stage until the completion of development. It includes understanding the requirements and concerns of the clients and verifying and testing the software after its completion.

Reliability and Validity

You must check the reliability of embedded system design so that there are no disturbances with the system on the later stage. The software developer must see to it that the manual testing tools of the software are capable enough to perform in different scenarios. The software should have the latest tools and it shouldn’t be old. Thus, security and validity should be taken care of.

Experience and flexibility

A company that you choose to get embedded software development done from must have experience in this domain. Moreover, the selected person should be ready to customize and make changes to the software whenever required. It should have a team of creative and great software engineers who come up with new and innovative ideas so that it provides a boost to your business.

Embedded System Design 

An Embedded system is a system wherein the normal computer is designedly encapsulated by the device it manages and controls. Moreover, it is like a general-purpose computer which can be your personal or office computer. Above all, an embedded system usually performs one or a few predefined tasks and that too with very specific demands. 

Being committed to specific tasks the design engineers have got the freedom to optimize it by significantly reducing the size and cost of the product. Seeing its importance, now embedded systems are often mass-produced, so the cost savings may be added.

Several embedded software companies are offering embedded software design services but only a few can sustain in this competition. 

According to some software specialists and masters, debugging is one of the hardest parts of embedded software design. 

Debugging is usually done to test the software before it is passed on to testing by manual testing tools. Once it has been clear of all the bugs, the next task on hand is experimenting. 

Testing is the most crucial phase or stage wherein the software goes under various harsh tests to check its efficacy and functionality. 

Being the last and final stage herein software supports a lot of testing just to ensure it is functioning properly and also free from any bugs. Once the software has passed this phase it is ready to give to the client for the use.

Testing of the Embedded Software

Testing is a method that consists of evaluating the application against the expected criteria and is one of the most important aspects of any enterprise. The embedded software must be checked or tested to make sure that it gives the coveted and desired results and works according to the terms and requirements of the client. The embedded software should also be as defect-free as possible.

If the embedded software does not provide the desired outputs, it is mostly because it has some unforeseen bugs in it. 

It is the work of the software development team now to ‘debug’ the software or remove the bugs and repair the software to get the desired result. 

Testing of the software is mainly done to debug the software, if there are any bugs and repair the bugs, if there are any shortcomings from the requirements.

Embedded software is gaining more and more fame as days pass by and there is an increase in the use of 16 and 32-bit processors across the multiple areas. 

You might be thinking about what exactly is an ’embedded system’. An Embedded system can be said to be a computer system that is designed for one or more dedicated purposes. 

Even though there is rarely any concrete definition, there are lots of devices that we use in our daily life that have embedded software and systems in themselves. 

‘Embedded systems’ are present in every intelligent device like our mobile phones, the wireless infrastructure that is used in every small device nowadays, home theatre system. The software takes up the value of most of the devices that we use in our routine life.

Automated testing is one of the most effective methods of embedded software testing. It is much cheaper and simple than time-consuming manual testing tools. Automated testing will be without human error that can occur from carelessness and boredom. 

Automation is required to examine the code of programming. Many different tools are capable of carrying out the tests in a few hours like manual testing tools.

Embedded Systems

There are embedded devices everywhere you go in the world. The product development services, consisting of modified and expert engineers, are responsible for the system architecture and design of such. 

They usually feature the embedded system hardware design, high-level manual testing tools, and not forgetting the software as an embedded system is now equipped with a fully useful operating system for your business.  

Characteristics of the embedded systems 

• The first characteristic is that embedded systems are designed for a particular task. This is different from other computer systems as embedded cannot carry out various tasks. Also, these have real-time performance and production standards that have to be met for security and usability.
• Secondly, embedded systems are not always standalone devices as some of them have small electronic parts within a larger part that help a more general purpose.
• Thirdly, the programs and written on the embedded are called firmware. They are stored in read only memory or flash memory in the system. The firmware normally runs on restricted memory and computer hardware stores.

The Design requirements for an Embedded System 

• The first design requirement is real-time or reactive maintenance. This means that the accuracy of a computation done on an embedded system depends on the time the computation was delivered. The product development services responsible for the embedded hardware design have to take into account the worst-case execution scenario.
• The harsh environment that these work in also demands consideration. Because most of the embedded systems do not operate in a controlled environment, the embedded hardware design should enable this system to work even under a non-survivable fire environment.
• Lastly, the product development services of an embedded system must always consider the cost of it. Even if such embedded systems have severe conditions, the cost is always an issue.

Embedded Projects 

The term ’embedded’ means a minor hardware component of larger hardware that is designed to meet a particular purpose within the larger hardware device. With the development of a various variety of hardware devices fashioned to meet a variety of objects from playing music MP3 Player to placing the device on the word GPS, the importance of the embedding systems have developed influentially over the years as the hardware can be designed flexibly to satisfy a wide variety of purposes.

There is a broad class of such embedding systems that take part in several aspects of day-to-day projects. In the life of any individual, the embedded systems find their purpose in almost every electronic device inclusive of MP3 Players, gaming consoles, TVs, cell phones, and any other common device which has to be designed to achieve its functionality. 

Besides being a necessary component in the electronic devices, these systems perform significant roles in the array of automotive embedded systems, medical instrumentation, and riser monitoring types of equipment as well.

Upon the development of multipurpose devices growing at an immense rate, projects on embedded systems are being welcomed by the companies which use these systems as a component in their product. 

Various projects are being produced around the world to increase the cost-effectiveness and the ability of the devices which furthermore requisites sufficient efforts in the space.

Conclusion 

Several embedded projects have been successful in meeting their terms and conditions, embedded software companies who operate embedded projects are still on the lookout for similar products that are better in terms of cost-effectiveness and the ease with which it can be controlled.