Chapter 1

Introduction to Embedded and Real-Time Systems

Abstract

An embedded system is an electronic system that is designed to perform a dedicated function. It is a combination of computer hardware and software, which makes it a flexible solution when the system needs to be frequently upgraded to accommodate new changes. A real-time system needs to respond to a service request within a specified amount of time. Depending on how serious the consequence of missing a service deadline is, a system can be a soft or a hard real-time system. A soft real-time system offers best-effort services; it may miss a deadline occasionally, which is usually considered tolerable. A hard real-time system offers guaranteed services; missing a deadline is completely ...

Get Real-Time Embedded Systems now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.