Article
Article
Embedded system
Article By:
Allan, Roger Formerly, Executive Editor, "Electronic Design Magazine," Rochelle Park, New Jersey.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.229150
A computer system that cannot be programmed by a user because it has been preprogrammed for a specific task and buried within the equipment it serves. The term derives from the military, where computer systems are generally activated by the flip of a switch or the push of a button. For example, a military aircraft pilot may wish to turn on the countermeasures equipment with a switch. There is no need for the pilot to be involved with the computer. The same holds true for a soldier who may direct a ground-to-ground missile against a target tank by the push of a button. In both cases, an embedded computer quickly goes to work.
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