As long as electronic devices exist, the embedded software development market flourishes. According to expert forecasts, the embedded system market share will reach $258.72 billion by 2023. Let’s discuss the main trends in embedded software for the upcoming year of 2021.
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Application Software is not a Replacement for Embedded Solutions
Due to the popularization of the application software development niche, some clients of IT companies are skeptical about the need to go for embedded software at all. But that’s where we beg to differ: embedded software lies at the core of absolutely every smart device. Without it, plain hardware is nothing but a mere piece of iron.
Application software can only serve as an addition to the existing embedded software in devices with the respective compatibility. Embedded software is created mainly for devices with a limited range of tasks, for instance, IoT system components that simply cannot function without low-level software capabilities.
Where is embedded software mostly common?
One of the first iconic solutions of the embedded systems development is the onboard control computer of the Apollo spacecraft, created in 1965 by Charles Stark Draper.
Today, embedded systems perform more mundane tasks – they can be found integrated with:
- ATMs;
- payment terminals;
- CNC machines;
- telecommunications equipment;
- onboard electronics.
Such solutions are also used for physical controls in microcontrollers of popular manufacturers, such as Fujitsu, Atmel Corporation, and Microchip Technology.
Top 5 Embedded Software Tech Trends of 2021
Now that we wrapped our heads around some basics, let’s find out what technologies will be predominantly used in top-notch embedded systems in 2021.
Robotics
Robotics and industrial automation are two related industries where embedded software is used instead of capacitive and resource-intensive application software.
This approach practically eliminates major errors because embedded software is much easier to test – there are no ambiguous functions and test cycles require a limited number of test cases.
On top of that, in the context of large enterprises, embedded software for robotics consumes a minimum of resources, which is reflected, among other things, in optimal energy consumption. As a result, business owners manage to save tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In recent years, artificial intelligence has embraced literally all business areas. Based on this advanced technological concept, specialists create smart solutions for precisely diagnosing cancerous tumors, diabetes, eye diseases, etc., as well as business-boosting innovations, such as chatbots.
Not all devices-carriers of such smart software are able to cope with complex high-load applications based on modern frameworks. For example, for use in ATMs, it is much more profitable to use low-level programming languages like C to create fault-tolerant AI-based solutions.
Moreover, in the last couple of years, smart solutions for speech recognition (also AI-based) have become especially popular. When it comes to using them in robots or self-service boxes, the format of the embedded software is most preferable (due to the autonomous performance requirements).
IoT systems
The IoT concept is not new, nevertheless, it still remains in demand in all kinds of smart systems – smart homes, smart cities, smart security systems, etc. That is, wherever there is a need to use the most compact and resistant to external negative factors devices (e.g., sensors).
Embedded software is used to turn all these devices into smart equipment – make them function as a single mechanism and provide data transfer to a central control element.
eCommerce
The eCommerce industry has long gone beyond the scope of ordinary online stores and smartphone apps. Today, all sorts of effective marketing applications can be found on interactive stands in offline retail outlets.
Embedded software is usually used to power the equipment which is inferior to full-fledged PCs, tablets, and other smart devices in terms of technical characteristics.
Wearables
Last but not least, embedded software is efficiently used in wearable devices – smartwatches, smart headphones, and so on. Obviously, it’s not easy to stuff a full-fledged solid-state drive for performing computing operations into a fragile and super-compact case. Instead, it makes sense to create embedded software that works off a single-chip board. This approach ensures the long-term autonomous operation of devices.
Conclusion
As you can see, embedded software solves such typical problems associated with the application software as high power consumption, the need for large form factor computing boards, and the lack of heat removal elements.
As for the trends, they all overlap with the main trends of the entire IT industry. This means that with the help of embedded software, you can implement even the most modern digital solutions. If you need specialists to implement a project with embedded software at its heart, turn to Sirin Software for professional, expertise-driven assistance.