Embedded Systems Dictionary

Rating:
Summary: Top Notch Reference for Engineers and Managers
Review: A handy source for definitions of the words used by embedded systems designers on the job. Having served my time as an EE/hardware designer, I can confirm the technical depth is accurate. And now that I'm the manager of a team that develops firmware for real-time systems, I'm finding this dictionary helps me communicate better with my engineers.

It's helpful that this one book spans the areas of hardware and software, real-time and embedded, and project management. Since buying it I've been keeping it handy, right on my desk. I'm back on Amazon today ordering copies for the engineers on my team. The book's figures, code listings, equations, etc. should hopefully make their work easier. And we'll finally be able to communicate better about what needs to be done.

Rating:
Summary: Top Notch Reference for Engineers and Managers
Review: A handy source for definitions of the words used by embedded systems designers on the job. Having served my time as an EE/hardware designer, I can confirm the technical depth is accurate. And now that I'm the manager of a team that develops firmware for real-time systems, I'm finding this dictionary helps me communicate better with my engineers.

It's helpful that this one book spans the areas of hardware and software, real-time and embedded, and project management. Since buying it I've been keeping it handy, right on my desk. I'm back on Amazon today ordering copies for the engineers on my team. The book's figures, code listings, equations, etc. should hopefully make their work easier. And we'll finally be able to communicate better about what needs to be done.

Rating:
Summary: Help for the the Newbie
Review: Very few people are comfortable admiting that they don't understand something. As a teacher, I deal with this all the time. As a former Engineering Manager, I know first-hand that an engineer is usually very reluctant to admit that they don't understand what you are talking about.

As with most engineering disciplines, embedded systems designers have their own language. What we didn't have, until now, was a dictionary for the language. "Embedded Systems Dictionary" is the book that every Embedded Systems Engineer should have at their desk, even if they cover it in a plain brown wrapper.

As with any dictionary, you will not get an extensive discourse on a word or term that is puzzling you. However, you will get a really good starting point so that you can do some extensive research later. In fact, I noticed that a number of the entries also included references as well.

As I read through the book I was really impressed by the completeness of it. I was able to come up with only one term, "n-wire", that wasn't included included.

Finally, two very minor quibbles. I found a few explanations that were as arcane as the concept that they were trying to define ( see "H-infinity filter" ) and a few that were so basic ( "average" ) you have to wonder.

In summary, this is a much-needed text for a technical subject area that has more than its share of jargon. I highly recommend it.