原创 Embedding Android in your design

In some ways, mobile phones and computing devices are to embedded systems what suburban utility vehicles (SUVs) are to trucks and other dedicated, specialized vehicles. SUVs were originally built with truck components, in truck factories and according to truck design rules, presenting enormous opportunities for automotive engineers and companies in a new market.

And as the SUV market has evolved and matured, features added to satisfy particular needs in that market have inspired auto companies and engineers to turn around and incorporate those features into trucks and other dedicated vehicles.

The same dynamic is at work between the embedded and mobile device markets, especially as it relates to the open source Android platform. Mobile devices originally drew on development tools, operating systems, building blocks and embedded programming expertise used in similarly resource constrained embedded designs. Now those have been complemented or superseded by mobile-optimised methods which developers are now looking at to enhance their embedded designs.

Some online resources for Android developers include the Google+ Android Community and Android Developers; the LinkedIn Android Developer Group and Google Android; and the Facebook Android Developers group. Two helpful Web communities are: Android Open Source Project and AOpenSource.com.