Why are embedded systems usually physically small?

An embedded system must fit inside the product it controls. A single microcontroller chip often contains the processor, the memory and the input and output connections.

Why do embedded systems usually need little power?

Many embedded systems run on batteries or stay switched on all the time. Low power use makes batteries last longer and keeps running costs down.

Why are embedded systems usually cheap to produce?

An embedded system needs only the limited hardware that its one task requires. The chips are made in huge numbers, which lowers the cost of each one.

Why must many embedded systems be highly reliable?

Many embedded systems run for years without being restarted or maintained. Some control safety-critical equipment, such as car brakes or pacemakers, where a failure could cause harm.

OCR GCSE Computer Science J277

Systems Architecture

Topic overview CPU components and the fetch-execute cycle Factors affecting CPU performance Embedded systems

Memory and Storage

Topic overview RAM, ROM, cache and virtual memory Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state Data units and storage capacity calculations Binary, denary and hexadecimal conversions Binary addition, overflow and binary shifts Character sets, ASCII and Unicode Bitmap images, colour depth and resolution Sound sampling, sample rate and bit depth Lossy and lossless compression

Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols

Topic overview LANs, WANs and network performance Client-server and peer-to-peer networks Network hardware, DNS, hosting and the cloud Star and mesh topologies Wired and wireless connections, IP and MAC addresses Protocols, standards and layers

Network Security

Topic overview Malware, social engineering and brute-force attacks Denial of service, data interception and SQL injection Identifying and preventing vulnerabilities

Systems Software

Topic overview User interfaces, memory management and multitasking Peripheral, user and file management Utility software

Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Digital Technology

Topic overview Ethical and cultural issues in digital technology Environmental impact of digital technology Privacy and digital technology Computer Science legislation and software licences

Algorithms

Topic overview Abstraction, decomposition and algorithmic thinking Flowcharts, pseudocode and structure diagrams Trace tables and correcting algorithms Linear and binary search Bubble, merge and insertion sort

Programming Fundamentals

Topic overview Variables, constants, operators and assignment Sequence, selection and iteration Data types and casting String manipulation and file handling Arrays, records and SQL Functions, procedures and random numbers

Producing Robust Programs

Topic overview Defensive design, input validation and authentication Writing maintainable code Testing, errors and test data

Boolean Logic

Topic overview Logic gates and truth tables Combining gates in logic diagrams

Programming Languages and Integrated Development Environments

Topic overview High-level and low-level languages and translators The integrated development environment (IDE)

Systems Architecture

Embedded systems

3 things to know
J277/01

Overview

What embedded systems are and how they differ from general-purpose computers, why they are small, cheap, low-power and reliable, and examples from homes, cars, washing machines and traffic lights.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Where are embedded systems found, and why is a smartphone usually not classed as one?

Key term

What is an embedded system?

Key term

How does an embedded system differ from a general-purpose computer?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is an embedded system?
Model answer
An embedded system is a computer system built into a larger device to carry out one dedicated function. The controller inside a washing machine is an example.
2
How does an embedded system differ from a general-purpose computer?
Model answer
A general-purpose computer, such as a laptop, can run many different programs for many tasks. An embedded system is designed for one specific job and runs a fixed program.
3
Why are embedded systems usually physically small?
Model answer
An embedded system must fit inside the product it controls. A single microcontroller chip often contains the processor, the memory and the input and output connections.
4
Why do embedded systems usually need little power?
Model answer
Many embedded systems run on batteries or stay switched on all the time. Low power use makes batteries last longer and keeps running costs down.
5
Why are embedded systems usually cheap to produce?
Model answer
An embedded system needs only the limited hardware that its one task requires. The chips are made in huge numbers, which lowers the cost of each one.
6
Why must many embedded systems be highly reliable?
Model answer
Many embedded systems run for years without being restarted or maintained. Some control safety-critical equipment, such as car brakes or pacemakers, where a failure could cause harm.

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Systems Architecture

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