Key Takeaways

• New trends in embedded electronics will change how electronics are programmed and increase the impact of machine learning in technology.

• The global embedded systems market will grow exponentially in the coming years, reaching more than $130 billion yearly by 2027.

• The increase in embedded electronics has led to new design software and strategies specific to those systems.

The Future of the Embedded Electronics Industry

A PCB module containing embedded electronics.

Embedded electronics are vital parts of the modern world—from computers to cars, they are a part of the crucial machines we rely on daily. As our dependence on digital devices grows, so too does the market for embedded electronics. 

The Latest Trends in Embedded Electronics

A microprocessor, which contains embedded electronics.

Trends in embedded electronics can tell designers and developers a lot about the embedded electronics industry and about the future of the market. The future of these electronics is linked to our need for modern technology—as long as we want the newest technologies, embedded systems will have a place in modern life.

Python Is Growing in Popularity Among Embedded Systems Engineers 

Python has been a well-loved computer language for decades, but it is finding a new popularity among embedded systems engineers. The language is becoming common in modern electronics, and Python kernels are found in many popular system architectures. This diversity has put Python in an ideal position to take the lead in programming embedded electronics in the next decade. 

Universities have even taken note of Python’s popularity, and older languages like C and C++ are rarely taught in university courses anymore. The simplicity of Python is part of its advantage—even in embedded systems, it isn’t necessary to know a lot of complex low-level programming. Programmers of any specialty can contribute to Python programs easily. This opens up embedded systems programming to an enormous amount of collaboration. The more programmers can collaborate effectively, the faster they can develop new projects and push technology forward.

Machine Learning and Embedded Electronics

In the coming decade, machine learning is likely to impact many industries through embedded electronics, from business to software development. Machine learning has potential in many areas of engineering and technology, but the Internet of Things (IoT) is perhaps the most interesting. Embedded microcontrollers are the newest way to communicate seamlessly with the cloud, and they require less bandwidth than previous technologies. They can perform object detection, and their ability to analyze the world around them with their own form of vision has a potential all its own. Advances in hardware technology have moved in step with machine learning, making it easier to run software on microcontrollers, further expanding the reach of IoT. 

The Future of the Embedded Electronics Market

An embedded system works as a device’s processing core, and the number of devices with those cores is projected to skyrocket in the coming years. A report by Fior Markets projects that the embedded electronics industry is going to grow from just over $84 billion annually to more than $137 billion annually. 

The Fior Marketing report emphasizes medium-scale embedded systems, real-time embedded systems, and embedded software. Embedded software claimed the highest market share among embedded system characteristics in 2019. The fast pace of embedded software development has driven the advancement of hardware that can use that software to its full potential.

Highly Customizable Embedded Systems Will Push Innovation

Part of embedded system’s popularity is their ability to be highly customizable, allowing great flexibility for new applications and new inroads into other industries. Since embedded systems are relatively new in the technological landscape, they are still expensive, and their cost sometimes holds back innovation. 

A Variety of Programming Strategies Makes Embedded Systems Cost-Effective

The chance for cybersecurity breaches in these systems also gives some designers pause. Fortunately, the variety of programming strategies for embedded systems gives designers and developers many options for functionality, cost-effectiveness, and safety. Even with potential security concerns, the embedded electronics market is projected to grow quickly and sustainably.

New Technology Will Contribute to Embedded Electronics Growth

The increasing complexity of embedded electronics hardware means that some CAD programs are no longer complex enough to handle their designs. New 3D design software tailored specifically to simplify the usually long, complicated embedded systems design process will become increasingly important to growth in the field.  

Embedded electronics will be critical for mobile devices and networks as well as real-time applications. The telecommunications industry has the highest market share of embedded systems applications right now because these systems are already widely applied in wireless communications networks. Other industries are projected to grow in the next decade, including healthcare, military, aerospace, and consumer electronics applications.

Embedded electronics are a vital part of modern technology and are poised to become even more important as engineering advances. Stay up-to-date on these advances through our PCB Design and Analysis overview page at Cadence Design Systems. Learn what’s new in OrCAD and use the OrCAD PCB Designer to keep your design processes both time and cost-efficient. 

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