Embedded System : A career option
Embedded System :
A career option
Embedded system is termed as the micro-controller behind all
electronics based devices to process, control, store and control the data.
Smartphones and other mobile based devices are fitted with an embedded system
(such as a motherboard) in order to perform fully automatic or semi-automatic
functions. As time goes, our dependency on hi-end technology will increase.
Because of this reason, it is important that we have specialized professionals
who can work with different kinds of embedded systems.
What is an embedded systems engineer?
What do the avionics on a rocket, the automated powertrain of a self-driving car, and the internals of your programmable pressure cooker all have in common? They’re all examples of embedded systems—combinations of hardware and software designed to perform specific tasks.
An embedded system typically consists of:
- Analog sensors for real-time data collection (temperature, pressure, acceleration, etc.)
- Microcontrollers, microprocessors, and/or actuators for decision making, automation, and control.
- Embedded software: coded instructions that can run the whole system without human input.
When it comes to Embedded systems – following are the leading players in this industry.
Samsung :
They make gadgets and mobile phones, consumer electronics like air
conditioners, television, microwave oven, washing machine etc. You must know
about that there are many number of competitors for Samsung who make similar
products. All these products have embedded systems with its own hardware and
software. For example: In an air conditioner functions like intelligent
room temperature control will be controlled by the embedded device inside the
air conditioner. This embedded device is made up of a microcontroller and its
associated hardware and software for intelligent temperature sensing.
Siemens:
They make products in the field of automation industry
and medical electronics. The products will be cardiograph
machines, doppler, scanner, radiology machines etc. and its a big
list.
Bosch:
They make products for automotive industry.
We just mentioned 3 companies serving 3 different industries. There are so many other companies in the field of embedded systems offering various kinds of services, consultation and product building.
Various Domains In The Embedded Systems Industry: The
Embedded Systems industry is classified into a number of categories, each of
which deals with a particular area of work.
- Embedded Application Development
This area comprises of mobile and navigation
systems, wireless communications applications and multimedia on a
number of platforms such as Android, Blackberry, Windows and
Apple.
- Modelling and Simulation
This
area makes sure that the procurement costs do not exceed the limit when
developing an embedded product. In other words, they help in developing quality
products at a lower cost.
- Embedded Hardware Engineering
This
domain designs various hardware products in a number of industries such
as aerospace, solar energy, healthcare, consumer
electronics, automotive and defense.
Skills required for an Embedded Hardware Engineer
- High-speed board design of Microcontroller or Processor and peripheral devices like SPI, I ²C, USB,
- Power supply design.
- Knowledge on various instruments like Oscilloscope, Function Generator, Logic Analyzer, Multimeter.
- To become a PCB designer you have to know one of the Electronic design automation tools.
- Embedded Software Engineering
Considered
to be a critical area, this domain consists of Firmware
Development, Device driver development and Board support package. It
deals with Bluetooth, peripheral integration and WiFi of various electronic
devices.
- Verification and Validation
A lifecycle
test is implemented with the use of Six Sigma, EMC, CMM and EMI to
enable the proper functioning of software and hardware.
Career Opportunities In Embedded Systems
Though the starting packages are not high in this domain, all you need is an experience of three years to ask for handsome packages. There are a number of career options after finishing a course in Embedded Systems.
- Embedded Hardware Engineer
- Marketing and Sales Executive
- Embedded Software Engineer (firmware)
- Application Software Engineer (device drivers)
- Software Test Engineer
- Embedded System Trainer
- System Software Engineer (kernel and RTOS)
Simply completing an Engineering degree and a course in Embedded Systems simply isn’t enough for a successful career. You can look for Embedded System jobs in a number of sectors, as follows –
- Food industry
- Construction
- Medical electronics
- Telecommunications
- Automobiles
- Space
- Toys
- Consumer electronics
- Industrial machines
- Defense
- Agriculture
- Aerospace
As with any other choice of profession, you need to work hard to land a successful job as an engineer in the Embedded Systems.
Start preparing from your graduation itselfYou have to start preparing for your aim before graduating with an engineering degree at hand. Ideally, you should start preparing for Practical Electronics before your graduation completes.
Start working on your C Programming skillsYou should be excellent at programming. Start working on your C programming skills as it is the most effective language for this particular domain. Other programming skills like Python, PHP and C++ as well.
Earn a formal degree in Engineering Due to the
growing importance of Embedded Systems in the engineering field, many colleges
offer a certificate course in the same. You may pursue courses in computer
architecture, application of embedded systems and real-time operating systems.
Building projects
are another way to showcase your skills and make you stand different as a
candidate. Ideally, build your project with the use of Open source technologies
such as Raspberry Pi and Linux on Arduino.
Internships offer an inexpensive and fulfilling way to gain practical experience and maintain professional relationships. You will find a number of internships in the design and electronics industry and find quality work that could become your portfolio in the future.
The core skill set of an embedded systems engineer looks something like this:
- Programming languages such as C, C++, and Assembly Language are the most common requirements for this position. LabView is also popular for working with National Instruments data acquisition units. Depending on the job position, familiarity with other languages such as ADA, Lua, Rust, Python, VHDL, and Verilog may also be required.
- Microcontroller/microprocessor ecosystems such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Atmel AVR, ESP8266 NodeMcu, and PIC10Fxx.
- Memory management: a solid understanding of the different types of memory, including RAM, ROM and Flash, and how to develop software where memory is a premium.
- Circuit Design: PCBs, signal analysis debugging, assembly and testing of integrated circuits and their components. PCB analysis and design software such as sigrity and allegra.
- CAD Design: Basic hardware design using CAD software such as AutoCad or SolidWorks.
- Measurement: Experience using digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, DAQs, and other equipment to measure, analyze and troubleshoot electrical systems.
- IoT devices and frameworks such as Google Cloud Platform, IBM Watson, Azure, and AWS.
- Data Processing and Analysis: Able to process and analyze data using Excel, Matlab, and Python.
- Technical Writing: A large part of the actual engineering job is technical documentation. Even better if you can write research grants.
- Even if an embedded system engineer never has to directly touch the hardware of the systems they design, intimate knowledge of those hardware systems is required to properly design embedded software.
Depending on your industry, it may be worth considering some of these certificates:
Future Scope of Embedded Systems
As a conclusion, it’s safe to say that Embedded Systems is a better career option if you have the right qualifications and skills in place. If you’re a fresher, begin your career with a start-up company and gain some experience. In the meantime, you could start developing your technical skills as well. However, if you’re an experienced candidate with knowledge of Microprocessor or Microcontroller, you can work towards other open source technology platforms such as Linux.
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