Embedded System Architecture Questions

Hardware Platform

1. Microcontroller/SoC:

   • ESP32 (WiFi/BLE, popular)
   • ESP8266 (WiFi, budget)
   • STM32 (ARM Cortex-M, powerful)
   • Arduino (AVR, beginner-friendly)
   • Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040)
   • Other: ___

2. RTOS or Bare Metal:

   • FreeRTOS (popular, tasks/queues)
   • Zephyr RTOS
   • Bare metal (no OS, full control)
   • Arduino framework
   • ESP-IDF
   • Other: ___

3. Programming language:

   • C
   • C++
   • MicroPython
   • Arduino (C++)
   • Rust

Communication

1. Primary communication protocol:

   • MQTT (IoT messaging)
   • HTTP/HTTPS (REST APIs)
   • WebSockets
   • CoAP
   • Custom binary protocol

2. Local communication (peripherals):

   • UART (serial)
   • I2C (sensors)
   • SPI (high-speed devices)
   • GPIO (simple digital)
   • Analog (ADC)

3. Wireless connectivity:

   • WiFi
   • Bluetooth Classic
   • BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
   • LoRa/LoRaWAN
   • Zigbee
   • None (wired only)

Cloud/Backend

1. Cloud platform: (if IoT project)
   • AWS IoT Core
   • Azure IoT Hub
   • Google Cloud IoT
   • Custom MQTT broker
   • ThingsBoard
   • None (local only)

Power

1. Power source:

   • USB powered (5V constant)
   • Battery (need power management)
   • AC adapter
   • Solar
   • Other: ___

2. Low power mode needed:

   • Yes (battery-powered, deep sleep)
   • No (always powered)

Storage

1. Data persistence:
   • EEPROM (small config)
   • Flash (larger data)
   • SD card
   • None needed
   • Cloud only

Updates

1. Firmware update strategy:
   • OTA (Over-The-Air via WiFi)
   • USB/Serial upload
   • SD card
   • No updates (fixed firmware)

Sensors/Actuators

1. Sensors used: (list)

   • Temperature (DHT22, DS18B20, etc.)
   • Humidity
   • Motion (PIR, accelerometer)
   • Light (LDR, photodiode)
   • Other: ___

2. Actuators used: (list)

   • LEDs
   • Motors (DC, servo, stepper)
   • Relays
   • Display (LCD, OLED)
   • Other: ___

Real-Time Constraints

1. Hard real-time requirements:

   • Yes (must respond within X ms, critical)
   • Soft real-time (best effort)
   • No timing constraints

2. Interrupt-driven or polling:

   • Interrupts (responsive)
   • Polling (simpler)
   • Mix