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In the last video we learned about Embedded Software which is considered to be "The Brain of Embedded Systems", and in this video, we will learn about "Embedded Hardware" which can be thought of as "The Body of Embedded Systems"
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https://embeddedinventor.com/firmware-vs-software-explained-with-examples/
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0:00
Hello inventors! Welcome back to the embedded 101 course. In the last video we
0:05
have learned about embedded software which is considered to be the brain of
0:10
embedded systems. In this video we will learn about the embedded hardware which
0:16
can be thought of as the body of embedded systems. This video will focus
0:22
on answering the following questions. What are the main hardware parts of an
0:28
embedded system and what skills do we need to develop embedded hardware. So let's begin. Let
0:35
us first take a look at the main parts in the hardware of an embedded system. An embedded system
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typically consists of the following parts. Microcontroller that can be thought of as the heart of
0:48
embedded hardware. Input devices that can be thought of as the eyes and ears. Output devices
0:55
that can be thought of as arms and legs, PCB that can be thought of as the body, electric and
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electronic components can be considered as everything else. We will see each of these
1:07
parts with some ogies so that you can understand everything better. Let us start
1:13
with the first part, the microcontroller. Microcontrollers are considered to be the
1:19
heart of the embedded system. They contain RAM, flash space, and processor cores. Since this is
1:26
such an important component, we have an entire video coming up in this course on microcontrollers
1:32
We will learn it more when the time comes. Now let's focus on the input devices. Input devices
1:40
can be broadly classified into two types the sensor and everything else Sensors can be considered as the eyes and ears of the embedded system Sensor senses various signals in the environment
1:55
and gives that information as input to our embedded system. The actual sensor that an embedded system has
2:03
is highly dependent on the application. Since the hardware is custom built for the given application
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So, there is no use having sensors that we don't need. The following are some examples of the sensor used in embedded systems
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Temperature sensor, pressure sensor, light sensor, ultrasonic sensor, humidity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, or compass
2:32
These are not only the inputs to the system, as inputs can also come from the user
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For example, a button press event can also be an input and data coming in through antennas or through wired means from external devices can also be considered as inputs
2:52
Coming back to our ogy of comparing humans to embedded system, our skins can be ogous to buttons
3:00
Now, let us look at some output devices. Actuators can be considered as arms and legs of embedded system
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They take instruction from the software and transform them into movement. For example, a motor can rotate forward or backward depending on the instructions given to it via the software
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which in turn will make the embedded system move forward or backward in the environment
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Actuators are largely found in industrial robotics and automotive applications Another example of output devices can be speakers through which you can play sound whenever needed
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So I guess we can call them the voice of embedded systems
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And unlike humans, our embedded devices are also capable of producing lights in the form of LCD screen and LED lights
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Next, let's have a look at electric and electronic components. Connections between microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators can require some passive components
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like resistors, capacitors, and inductors. You will also see some active electronic components like transistors and diodes in a typical embedded system
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All these components will look alike from distance as shown in the picture
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Circuit circuit boards aka PCBs can be considered as the body which connects all the above mentioned
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components together. Simple PCBs are usually very easy to design. You should be able to get started
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with just 10 to 20 hours of training and then you can start producing your own personal PCBs
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PCB design is beyond the scope of this course. However, we will probably make an introductory
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course on PCB design in the future once we reach 100k subscribers. Some say PCB design is an art
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These are specialists that design high-performance PCB boards with multiple layers to achieve smaller
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sizes of an entire board at the same time keeping the product functionality intact
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There are lots of external factors that can affect the performance of PCBs like temperature electromagnetic interference etc The job of PCB designer is to find solution to these problems and design
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PCB that give high performance. So what skills do we need to develop embedded hardware
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An embedded hardware engineer must have good knowledge about fundamentals in electronics
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reading data sheet and schematics, circuit design and ysis, microcontroller architecture, circuit debugging, PCB designing, electrical engineering, JTAG for production and testing
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use of tools like multimeter, spectroscopes, oscilloscopes, and soul rings. These are just
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the basics. Depending on the product being designed, other skills like radio engineering
6:17
can also be needed. For the beginners and hobbyists, we don't need to learn everything in the above list
6:23
before we can start our journey. We can always use development boards to build our projects
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If you wish to take up embedded engineering as your career, you need to make a choice between
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hardware and software and then focus on one of those to develop your career in that
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If you are looking for some good books to get started learning about the hardware side
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of embedded systems, I recommend taking a look at our article mentioned in the video
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description below. With that, I will end this video, hope you got a good overview of embedded hardware
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If you like this video and you wish to support us, please like and subscribe
7:04
Keep inventing, keep exploring and I will see you all in my next video
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Thank you
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