Adventures in embedded development

Embedded applications are not easy or unsophisticated: unique problems create situations that cannot always be predicted, and native tools and environments do not transfer well to embedded designs. Embedded-systems developers must remember that the task is the embedded system. Building things like tools, operating systems and protocol stacks almost always costs more than buying commercial products and usually creates unplanned critical paths and development delays. Don´t invent what you can buy. An off-the-shelf real-time operating system (RTOS) is one of the best buys you can make. Diligence in project planning and development always pays dividends, especially in embedded systems. Understand how difficult a project is relative to timing demands, and plan accordingly.<>