Consumer Electronics

Our lives are surrounded by embedded systems: phones, watches, toys, appliances - even some light switches - all qualify. You have a small computer that must control a physical thing that you interact with. Because of this physical interaction, safety must always be the top priority - and there are many international standards that may apply to help ensure appropriate steps are taken to reduce risk to the consumer to an acceptable level. Longevity is also a concern for consumer goods. If I have to buy a new phone every two years I might be okay with that, but if I have to buy a new clothes washer after two years I probably won't be buying that brand again.

All of these customer expectations feed into your device requirements and trickle down into your hardware and software design decisions. Additionally, consumer electronics usually must offer a wide selection of options - so planning for a common platform to share throughout your portfolio can pay huge dividends in only a few years.