Real-time Characteristics and Safety of Embedded Systems

Abstract

What an embedded system is, is not exactly defined. In general, this term is understood to mean a special-purpose computer system designed to control or support the operation of a larger technical system (termed the embedding system) usually having mechanical components and in which the embedded system is encapsulated. Unlike a general-purpose computer, it only performs a few specific, more or less complex pre-defined tasks. It is expected to function without human interaction and, therefore, it usually has sensors and actuators, but not peripheral interfaces like keyboards or monitors, except if the latter are required to operate the embedding system. Often, it functions under real-time constraints, what means that service requests must be handled within pre-defined time intervals