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Computer Science with Embedded Systems

What is an Embedded System?

A friend of yours says 'come outside and look at my new computer'. You go outside, and he points to his new Ferrari. You look puzzled. Surely, this is a car? It might possibly contain a computer - actually, it probably contains several computers. But if your friend insisted that it was a computer; that it had a large fast piece of metal, painted red, as its main peripheral; and sorry about the lack of keyboard and monitor - you would think he was unbalanced.

He would have been showing you an Embedded System.

The computer (or computers) would have been embedded in the Ferrari.

When you saw it, you would think: nice car, I bet it has got a computer in it. You would not think: nice computer, interesting peripheral and I like the colour.

Or: nice washing machine, I bet it has got a computer in it. Or nice DVD player. Or television. Or remote control box. Or . . .

These are all embedded systems. See some more examples of Embedded Systems (Wikipedia).

You might wonder why embedded systems are important. In modern cars, systems such as brakes and airbags are controlled by computers. Imagine what could happen if they were to fail. If automatic brakes fail, it could be much more serious than the way this demonstration ended (video link).

What Embedded Systems programmes do we offer?

Click on Course Programme Qualification Duration UCAS Code
Single-subject Computer Science and Engineering with various specialisms
Computer Science with Embedded Systems with placement MEng 5 years G413
Computer Science with Embedded Systems MEng 4 years G412
Computer Science with Embedded Systems with placement BEng 4 years G411
Computer Science with Embedded Systems BEng 3 years G410

For more context visit our complete list of undergraduate courses.

What would your programme with Embedded Systems consist of?

Our Computer Science with Embedded Systems programmes allow you to study the hardware and software engineering of computer systems of the kind that are found in mobile phones, MP3 players, cars, aeroplanes and medical equipment.

Embedded systems must operate:

  • in real time - they interact with the application system (car, airliner, pencil-sharpener) in which they are embedded, perhaps microsecond by microsecond;
  • reliably - if they go wrong, they can annoy the user, or cost the user a lot of money, or . . .
  • safely . . . or do serious physical damage to the user;
  • appropriately - what they do, how they do it, when they do it, are all determined by the application system and the way in which the user will use it;
  • correctly - the requirements and specifications are often tight, detailed, and comprehensive.

The early part of the programme is common with our MEng Computer Systems and Software Engineering and BEng Computer Science programmes.

In the later years, you take advanced embedded systems modules to build upon the sound computer science and engineering foundation.

One example of what you might study includes the IBM software development kit, Mote Runner. This framework is for programming wireless sensor networks, which is used for a wide variety applications from recording traffic patterns to building electricty and supply chains. This video explains more about the kit and how it can be used.

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What are embedded systems?

Alan Burns - head of the Real Time Systems research group

Podcast:
Listen to Professor Alan Burns explain more about embedded systems and why choosing to study them can help your career.

Blog:
 Read the Embedded Systems blog to find out more about teaching and research in this area at York.