ALL ABOUT CAREER IN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

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Many students are not aware of the lucrative opportunities available in the field of Embedded Systems. While studying most students may come across the name “Embedded Systems”. Apart from that they may not be aware of -“what is an embedded system”, how do they work, what knowledge and skills should be acquired to build a great career in the field of embedded systems, which companies are working in this field etc.

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.

When it comes to Embedded systems – do you know who all are the leading players in this industry? Let’s have a look.

1.   Samsung :

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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.

2.   Siemens:

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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. 

3.   Bosch:

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They make products for automotive industry. We just mentioned 3 companies serving 3 different industries. Bosch's core operating areas are spread across four business sectors: mobility (hardware and software), consumer goods (including household appliances and power tools), industrial technology (including drive and control) and energy and building technology.

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.

 

DOMAINS IN THE EMBEDED SYSTEM 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.

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 Wi-Fi 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

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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)

 

   SECTORS SUITABLE FOR EMBEDDED SYSTEM JOBS

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:

         The process of food production consists of many steps, and for each one, the company needs to keep track of product quality, follow sanitary norms, legal and industry standards, and reduce food waste. Industrial automation and robotics can help with these tasks. For example, there are systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that are able to distinguish between fresh and perished fruits, and embedded machine learning (ML) solutions can help with preventive and predictive maintenance of equipment.

•  Municipal infrastructure:

       Smart parking is an example of embedded electronics. Powered by sensors, computer vision, and data analysis features, they are quite effective for parking lot management and generating profits for municipalities.

•  Agriculture :

       Water, organic fertilizers, and manual labor are the main drivers in agriculture. However, this process can be optimized through the use of agricultural robots, which are examples of the Internet of Things (IoT) embedded systems. They can be used for rational soil fertilization and weed pulling.

•  Machine-building enterprises:

       Embedded systems are at the heart of smart car development. Car manufacturers can also use embedded systems in their production processes to track quality and compliance for each part of the production line, as Audi does.

•  Trading object service:

       Large stores and shopping malls can also use an embedded system for resources like electricity and heating control and consumption optimization.

•  Pharmaceuticals and medical devices :

       Medical devices are embedded software examples, however, embedded software may also be used as part of an industrial control system by pharmaceutical companies in the process of medicine production and quality assurance.

HOW SHOULD YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER IN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS AS A FRESHER?

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 working on your C Programming skills

You 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.

• Work on your project

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.

 

• Engage in internships

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.

 

 

SKILLS THAT WILL HELP IN YOUR CAREER 

As observed, a general degree in Electronics Engineering isn’t enough to help you in your career. Keep yourself updated with the following skills to stand different as a candidate among the others –

• Embedded C programming designed for Target devices such as ARM, 8051 and others

• Debugging tools such as Valgrind, Gdb and JTAG debugger

• Analog electronics and digital electronics

• Test instruments such as Logic Analyser and CRO

• Troubleshooting

• Device drivers

• Scripting language such as Python

• Linux operating systems and kernel interfaces

• Power supply circuit designing

• Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)

• Experience working with circuits and PCBs

• Knowledge regarding the working of Microcontrollers and microprocessors

• Protocols such as UART, I2c and SPI

• Understanding of the functioning and framework of embedded devices

An embedded engineer must also be able to work efficiently in a team environment, collaborate with other stakeholders and work independently without supervision while making decisions for the company. 

 

CONCLUSION

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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REFERENCES

·        http://i3indyatechnologies.com/articles/career-opportunities-in-embedded-systems.html

·        https://www.techtrainees.com/embedded-systems-career-prospects/

·        https://www.codrey.com/embedded-systems/career-in-embedded-systems/

Thank you for reading this blog!  We tried our best to explain what are embedded systems, Career Opportunities in Embedded Systems, Related Sectors and Skills to gain. We hope you enjoyed reading. Please comment and share.

The contributors to this article are Vedika Patil, Suraj Patil, Swati More, Mayuresh Patil.