The software that runs on their operating systems is probably the most familiar to computer users. They might not be as familiar with the software that controls the operation of some sophisticated hardware components. Professionals known as embedded software engineers program these components.
Embedded systems are hardware components that perform specific and specialized functions. These serve as mini-computers, each with its own processor and memory. Embedded systems receive data from specific hardware components, process it, and then pass it on to other hardware components in the machine. An embedded system’s role could be as complicated as converting data from internal antennae to a data format that the rest of the device understands, or as simple as transmitting specific signals when a button is pressed. The programs that run these devices are written by an embedded software engineer.
An embedded software engineer’s job is similar to that of a software engineer who works on desktop computers. On a personal computer and in an embedded system, the source code for converting data from one format to another is the same. The embedded software engineer’s job differs in that he or she adds additional code to the program so that it can run on the specialized hardware that serves as the embedded system.
A variety of driver software is included in the operating systems on which desktop applications run. Because of the variety of hardware that could be in the computer and the software that a user might run, this is appropriate for these systems. Embedded systems are self-contained computers that only run one program. As a result, the programmer only needs to load a small number of drivers into the device’s limited memory, as well as the program itself. The job of an embedded software engineer usually entails determining how few drivers the program will require to operate the embedded device.
An embedded software engineer’s work must be documented after he or she has completed programming a device. Embedded systems are never used in isolation; they are always part of a larger project. Other engineers will need to know the following information in order to use the device:
what data is expected by the embedded system
what data format is expected by its programming
how the device will respond to various inputs
the data format that the device will produce
This data is then included in the technical documentation that embedded software engineers create on their own, which is frequently in the form of a manual. Technical writers, rather than actual engineers, sometimes create such manuals from the notes provided by software engineers. Users benefit greatly from having documentation to refer to.