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Looking at the present and the future clearly shows that the embedded world and the IT world are intertwined and will become increasingly so. Embedded systems are becoming part of the Internet of Things, which is evolving into the Internet of Everything and will be a breeding ground for many new business ideas. The major challenge lies in thinking in terms of increasingly complex and dynamic systems and combining the ever-accelerating pace of technological and entrepreneurial developments to create new systems and business ideas. Our trainers have given this some thought.
„Interdisciplinary cooperation is needed.“
„Classic embedded systems like production machines already interact with smartphones, tablets, PCs, and servers,“ emphasizes Frank Listing, our specialist for the use of PC and smartphone technologies in embedded environments and a software developer and architect with many years of experience in the communications industry. „Human-machine communication is increasingly taking place via smartphones and tablets, which are evolving into universal communication interfaces in all directions.“
But convenience and connectivity come at a price: Security, meaning protection against unauthorized access to machines or whatever will be accessible via the Internet of Everything, is becoming increasingly important. To avoid creating entry points for cybercrime, significantly greater expertise and closer collaboration between embedded and IT specialists are needed from a security perspective.
„"What's needed here are well-designed system architectures that guarantee this security while simultaneously offering sufficient flexibility for system expansions and innovations. Project teams must be proficient not only in C/C++ but also in C#, Java, or HTML5 with JavaScript to meet the new requirements. The gaps between IT and embedded systems must be bridged as quickly as possible. Interdisciplinary project work is essential."“
„Software architecture design is a must.“
Thomas Batt, who is responsible for software engineering and processes at MicroConsult, echoes this sentiment: „I see that more and more companies are recognizing the benefits of a defined software architecture, but the way out of the quagmire of legacy software is arduous. The way embedded software was often developed (or should one say entangled?) in the past demonstrably not only leads to a dead end, but also poses an ever-increasing security risk.“
The increasing complexity, coupled with growing demands for safety (operational reliability) and security (system protection), places high demands on software architectures and the quality of their implementation. This, in turn, argues for the use of proven software components (operating systems, stacks, file systems, etc.) and the application of object-oriented methods using high-level languages such as C++. The goal must be to counteract the gradual erosion of software from the outset.
From the perspective of Thomas Batt, who has many years of project experience in the industry, this realization has also led to greater attention being paid to requirements engineering and requirements management, as well as software modeling: “The move to higher levels of abstraction, combined with professional software engineering, is essential to mastering complexity. Another way to manage complexity, increased security requirements, and rapid product cycles is through operating systems that support manufacturers' applications. It's no coincidence that embedded Linux is enjoying great popularity – not just because there are no licensing costs. It's becoming increasingly important for application developers to be able to detach themselves from the details of the hardware and access important services and interfaces without having to develop them themselves. Hardware must be replaceable more quickly through hardware abstraction via the operating system.“
However, there is still much to be done in the area of multicore technology. Ideally, this would also be possible for the operating system using an Operating System Abstraction Layer (OSAL). The system and software architecture should definitely take these aspects into account.
Conclusion
The rapid evolution from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Everything makes close collaboration between embedded systems and IT vital. Systems and software must be able to meet the demands of this dynamic future, in which we don't yet know which application, function, or technology will be decisive for competitiveness tomorrow.
Further information – continuing education
Software architecture training for embedded systems and real-time systems
Embedded software design and patterns with C
Quality in program code – training
MicroConsult Expertise
Embedded and Real-Time Software Engineering
Systems and Hardware Engineering
Peter Siwon: Systemic project management
