How embedded systems work: the hidden computers in everyday things, and how engineers build them
Real-time systems: what "real time" means inside an airbag
An airbag that opens one second late is no better than no airbag at all. The small computer inside it does not have to be fast. It has to be on time, and every time. What does "real time" mean for a machine?
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In the morning, you watch Miva's cat go out. Its nose enters the tunnel, and a moment later its head pushes the flap. In between, the chip must wake, read and open the latch.
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If the latch opened a moment later, the cat would bump its nose and walk away. The flap would have made the right choice, too late.
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