What is an embedded system engineer?

Now that we have a plan, we need to define what is exactly the scope of the job.

What are the boundaries of an embedded system engineer?

In a nutshell, an engineer is a trained professional who applies scientific, mathematical, and technical knowledge to design, create, build, or improve systems, products, processes, and solutions to various challenges. Accordingly, an embedded system engineer (E.S.E) is specialized in designing, developing, and testing embedded systems. 

What is an embedded system then?

Embedded systems are self-contained computing systems integrated into larger products or devices to execute specific tasks efficiently. In simple terms they are a combination of hardware and software designed to perform specific tasks or functions within a larger system. These systems are typically dedicated to particular applications, often with real-time requirements, operating autonomously with little or no user intervention.

Responsabilities of an embedded system engineer:

From that point, we can define the primary responsibilities of an E.S.E as:

• Definition of application: Defining the goal of the product, its functions, scope, requirements and specs.

• Choice of technology: according to the previous step, making choice on what technical solution to take in term of hardware and software.

• System Design: Designing the architecture and specifications of the embedded system, including selecting appropriate hardware (microcontrollers or microprocessors, sensors, and other components).

• Embedded Software Development: Writing software code that runs on the embedded system to control its functions and perform specific tasks. This involves programming in languages like C, C++, Python, or assembly language, depending on the hardware platform and the level (more or less close to machine).

• Hardware Integration: Integrating hardware components and peripherals into the embedded system design, ensuring proper communication and synchronization between different parts.

• Testing and Debugging: Conducting testing and debugging to identify and resolve issues with the hardware and software components, ensuring the system functions correctly and reliably.

In three words it is about defining, designing and verifying an embedded product. Those actions are repeated in a loop where the errors found will feed the development process (c.f DevOps / CI). 

Embedded consequences:

In addition to those responsabilities, the fact that we work on a product integrated in a larger system with associated communication and compatibility requirements, will have consequences on the job:

• Real-Time Systems: Dealing with real-time constraints and optimizing the system's performance to meet strict timing requirements in critical applications.

• Integration with Larger Systems: Collaborating with other teams or engineers to integrate the embedded system into the larger product or device.

• Version Control and Collaboration: Utilizing version control systems like Git to manage software changes and collaborate effectively with other team members.

• Documentation: Creating documentation for the embedded system's design, software, and testing procedures, to keep knowledge continuity.

• Validation and Verification: Validating the embedded system design against the project requirements and verifying its functionality.

• Prototyping and Testing: Building prototypes of the embedded system for testing and validation before the final product is manufactured.

Relevant industries to work for:

Embedded system engineering can be needed in different industry sectors, each tailored to specific applications with distinct knowledge and skills. Each sectors definitely share common tools and knowledge. They need to have a deep understanding of hardware and software interaction, strong programming skills, and knowledge of electronics and digital systems. But jumping from one to another can sometimes be tricky. Here some sectors with embedded system needs:

• Automotive Embedded Systems: Engineers in this branch work on developing embedded systems used in modern vehicles. These systems power functionalities like engine control, infotainment systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and more.

• Industrial Automation: Industrial embedded systems engineers focus on designing systems used in manufacturing and process automation. These systems control machines, monitor processes, and optimize production efficiency.

• Consumer Electronics: This branch involves designing embedded systems for everyday consumer devices like smartphones, smart home devices, wearables, and IoT gadgets.

• Medical Devices: Engineers in this field work on embedded systems used in medical equipment and devices, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and diagnostic instruments.

• Aerospace and Defense: In this branch, engineers develop embedded systems for aircraft, spacecraft, and defense applications, including avionics, guidance systems, and communication equipment.

• Internet of Things (IoT): IoT embedded systems engineers design devices and systems that connect to the internet, enabling data exchange and remote control for smart homes, industrial IoT, and more.

In our case we are going to mainly focus on the Automotive sector. 

Skills and tools for an automotive embedded system engineer:

Skills

Here, I am going to propose a list of necessary skills to be a successful embedded system engineer:

• Algorthms: First thing first, you need to have a solid base in fundamentals of algorithms. From the capacity to summarize a problem and implement a solution in a really clear set of instructions, you will be able to start a product design on solid foundation.   

• Electrical engineering and electronics: Understanding electronics and circuit design is crucial for integrating hardware components into the embedded system. It is also fundamental to understand how to translate your set of instructions to electrical current manipulation and create a circuit that performs your initial algorithm (analog / digital circuit). 

• Advance electronics: Familiarity with various microcontrollers and microprocessors is vital for selecting the right hardware for specific applications. Dealing then with more complexe hardware structure such as ASIC, FPGA, SOC will bring you to the next level.

• Programming languages: Once you start to work with advance electronic devices, it is necessary to be able to program them to execute specific tasks. This is the point where programming skills is mendatory. Proficency in languages like C and C++ or Assembly for low level (close to machine), and like Python for high level (application layer, automation, testing) is essential for embedded software development.

• Operating Systems: To orchestrate applications, routines, and simply manage your system / device you need now to be able to use an Operating System. In some cases, you will need to use RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) for managing real-time tasks and ensuring precise timing in critical applications.

• Communication: to embed your device in a bigger system, you will have to make it communicate with other components. Therefore, understanding protocols like UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, and Ethernet is essential for enabling communication between different embedded systems.

• Testing: Testing and debugging your embedded system / software in more or less isolated (VMs, containers) and/or simulated environment (HIL, SIL) will be a valuable skill to fix issues.

• Continuous integration: More than an organization method, related to Agile/Scrum and DevOps, that skill will allow you to have a feed back loop on your development and automatize a big part of you testing, verification and validation. 

Softwares

Mastering the following software tools is crucial for efficient embedded system development:

• PCB design: KiCad.

• FPGA: VHDL language, Xilinx software. 

• Integrated Development Environments (IDEs): IDEs like Eclipse, Keil, VScode and MPLAB provide a comprehensive platform for coding, debugging, and building embedded software.

• Version Control Systems: Git and GitHub are essential for managing code changes and collaborating with team members.

• Simulators and Emulators: Tools like QEMU and Simulink enable engineers to test and simulate their embedded systems before hardware integration (as well: Matlab, AMESIM).

• Lab graphical programming environment: Software suite that allows you to perform automated lab test (Vector CANoe/CANape, NI Labview). 

• Testing Frameworks: Pytest and other testing frameworks are used to validate the functionality and performance of embedded systems.

• RTOS Development Tools: Software tools specific to the chosen RTOS, such as FreeRTOS or VxWorks, are crucial for managing real-time tasks.

•  Debugging tools: JTAG and GDB are valuable tools for identifying and fixing issues.

• Diagnostic tools: CANalyzer, DSA, Dlt-viewer. 

• Organizing: Jira, Miro.

• DevOps /CI: Jenkins, GitLab.

To sum up:

As described, understanding hardware, mastering programming languages, grasping the interaction between code and machine, using associated specialized software tools are key factors to become a successful embedded system engineer. But more than technical skills, problem-solving, critical thinking and fast learning abilities will be the back bone of our professional development. 

This non-exhaustive list will evolve all along this learning journey, so let's start!

© Pierre Congiu Consulting - 2023