Embedded system

An embedded system is an applied computer system, as distinguished from other types of computer systems such as personal computers (PCs) or supercomputers. Embedded systems are more limited in hardware and/or software functionality than a personal computer (PC). This holds true for a significant subset of the embedded systems family of computer systems. In terms of hardware limitations, this can m

ean limitations in processing performance, power consumption, memory, hardware functionality, and so forth. In software, this typically means limitations relative to a PC—fewer applications, scaled-down applications, no operating system (OS) or a limited OS, or less abstraction-level code. However, this definition is only partially true today as boards and software typically found in PCs of past and present have been repackaged into more complex embedded system designs.