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The rapid growth of the Internet of Things, the 5G network, artificial intelligence and cloud or edge computing has a major impact on the development of embedded software.
Embedded teams are releasing software updates faster than ever before. This requires a range of tools that, despite the high speed, maintain good code quality, examine the software for potential pitfalls, enable automated testing, and verify software compliance. The guiding principle is always: "How do we improve quality while still delivering quickly?"
Testing and code quality for autonomous driving
Embedded devices are becoming increasingly common in automobiles. Artificial intelligence is making autonomous driving more reliable and is gradually pushing the boundaries away from manual and towards automatic control. Hundreds of sensors, together with AI algorithms and robotics, help to identify hazards while driving and better protect passengers. Autonomous driving will give the industry a strong boost in growth, it is believed. Shawn Prestridge, Lead FAE Engineer and US FAE Team Manager at IAR Systems, is certain.
A sure sign of this is the rising leasing rates for cars, driven by the growing desire to change vehicles more frequently and thus take advantage of the most innovative and best technologies. No one wants a car with outdated technology that quickly becomes obsolete. Added to this is the increasing electrification of vehicles. The sheer number of interconnected elements, and those required to build this ecosystem, demands embedded developers who can address the complex requirements. The focus will be on code testing and code quality.
Automation and rapid scaling through the edge cloud
Automation of processes and products is already firmly established in development and manufacturing. The pandemic restrictions of 2020 demonstrated the importance of automated remote access to systems that, if necessary, cover all essential areas of life. The implementation of automation is therefore a trend that more and more industries will have to address now and in the coming years. With the help of embedded devices, different storage elements are now being connected and networked. They help monitor environments for threats and trigger processes as needed. Modern edge cloud technologies support the rapid scaling of intelligent embedded applications remotely and precisely where they are required.
New applications for SoC solutions in medicine
Embedded devices are spreading rapidly worldwide via the system-on-a-chip market. Here, too, the Impact of the pandemicResearch and development of new medical devices received a further boost. In 2021, established SoC solutions found new applications in the medical and healthcare industries, resulting in affordable and portable products that offer significant benefits for patients. The increasing demand for smart and energy-efficient electronic devices and the growing prevalence of the IoT are also driving this growth.
Even purely embedded solutions (without a system-on-a-chip) are already helping in healthcare, for example in monitoring heart rate and during complex surgical procedures. Tiny, powerful chips and processors equipped with intelligence and functionality will be able to monitor patients' health and connect to network-based diagnostic processes.
Security for the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) remains a high priority in the technology sector. Security, in particular, requires continuous development to adequately address the ever-evolving security challenges. Implementing IoT security solutions in conjunction with embedded devices such as AI and robotics contributes to this improvement. In critical situations, embedded devices can make rapid and precise decisions regarding data and its security, independently identifying and resolving vulnerabilities within the system. For example, the latest microcontroller single-core and multi-core derivatives incorporate advanced protection mechanisms and safety management units capable of handling many of these tasks. However, this requires a thorough understanding of their functionality to ensure these services are used effectively.
The coming years promise a further boom in embedded technology, driven by the aforementioned sectors and industries. Many of the upcoming products and applications that will enter our lives will be perceived as useful everyday items rather than technological achievements.
Development advantage through up-to-date embedded knowledge
There will continue to be numerous current trends in the embedded systems field, which our trainers will address and examine in detail during MicroConsult seminars. With us, you will learn about the latest standards for software quality and deepen your knowledge of development and testing processes.
As an established provider of training and coaching in the field of embedded systems engineering, MicroConsult has been successfully passing on in-depth expertise to hardware and software developers worldwide for over 40 years. With us, engineers complete their embedded projects on time and within budget, while maintaining high quality.
