Embedded software engineering: the state of the practice

Technologies for the development of embedded systems should address specific constraints such as hard timing constraints, limited memory and power use, predefined hardware platform technology, and hardware costs. Existing development technologies don´t address their specific impact on, or necessary customization for, the embedded domain. Nor do these technologies give developers any indication of how to apply them to specific areas in this domain, for example, automotive systems, telecommunications, or consumer electronics. Consequently, tailoring a technology for a specific use is difficult. Furthermore, the embedded domain is driven by reliability factors, cost factors, and time to market. So, this embedded domain needs specifically targeted development technologies. An inventory of eight European companies reveals what tools developers of embedded-systems software are and aren´t using, and why. The need exists for more specific, yet flexible, tools.