Developer interest in Embedded Linux skyrockets

By Rick Lehrbaum
2001-04-10

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According to the results of a subscriber study recently conducted by Embedded Systems Programming magazine, developer interest in using Embedded Linux appears to be growing at an astronomical pace.

Emerging from virtually nil in 1998 and 1999, the percent of developers considering using Embedded Linux for new projects has zoomed to the number two spot (38%) -- second only to market leader Wind River's VxWorks.

This is especially significant in light of the fact that more than 80% of the microprocessors manufactured each year end up in embedded, rather than desktop computing applications. Typical embedded applications include industrial control, telecommunications, military systems, avionics, medical equipment, point-of-purchase systems, and consumer electronic devices.

Which embedded OSes are you considering?

The chart below summarizes the responses to the question "Which 16 or 32-bit vendors would you consider when purchasing RTOSes or kernels for your embedded projects?" The top six choices are shown here, sorted by their 2000 ranking.

Which embedded OSes have you used in the past 12 months?

The results of the survey also indicate that developers aren't just thinking about using Embedded Linux in their projects -- they're using it, too. In answer to the question "Which 16 or 32-bit RTOS or kernel vendors have you used in the last 12 months for your embedded designs?", Embedded Linux jumped from essentially unmentioned in 1998 and 1999, up to 4th place (12%) in 2000. The following chart shows the top six OS choices in response to this question, again sorted by their 2000 ranking.

The Embedded Systems Programming Magazine 2000 Subscriber Study is based on data collected by the Wilson Research Group from a sample of 547 subscribers of Embedded Systems Programming magazine. Further information about either the data or the study can be obtained from the magazine's publisher, Eric Berg, by phone (415-278-5220) or email.

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