Major purposes of embedded systems

Embedded systems are designed for a small number of general purposes:

1. Data collection, storage and representation: acquiring data from sensors, storing it and displaying it. Example: data logger, digital camera storing pictures, weather station.
2. Data communication: transferring data between systems, wired or wireless. Example: router, modem, mobile phone, network switch.
3. Data (signal) processing: manipulating audio, video or sensor signals with DSP algorithms. Example: MP3 player, speech recogniser, image compression in a camera.
4. Monitoring: continuously measuring and displaying the state of a process or patient. Example: ECG monitor, digital multimeter, temperature monitor.
5. Control: taking sensor input, computing and driving actuators to hold a desired output (closed loop). Example: AC thermostat, cruise control, washing machine, robot arm.
6. Application-specific user interfaces: keys, displays, touch screen and buzzers tailored to the product. Example: ATM keypad and display, remote control, microwave panel.