Embedded system is a combination of hardware and software designed for a specific function, typically with constraints on power, size, and cost. Think of it as the tech equivalent of a Swiss Army knife - it does one thing really well, but don't expect it to run Crysis.

How to use it in a sentence

• I spent all weekend trying to debug an embedded system for a smart toaster, only to realize I forgot to plug in the power cord. I think it's time to pivot my career to goat herding.

• My buddy claims he's a 10X engineer because he can write an embedded system in Assembly while blindfolded. I'm pretty sure he's just a masochist who enjoys job security.

If you actually want to learn more...

• For a deep dive into the challenges and trade-offs of embedded systems, check out this article on Caution and Accepted Lock-in in system design. It provides a handy 2x2 matrix to help you make smart choices and avoid vendor lock-in purgatory.

• If you're curious about the current state of software design and how embedded systems fit in, give Is Design Dead? a read. Spoiler alert: design isn't dead, but waterfall might be on life support.

• For a treasure trove of articles on software design principles that apply to embedded systems and beyond, check out Martin Fowler's software design guide. Warning: may cause uncontrollable urges to refactor legacy codebases.

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.