The CPUs and other high-end components in embedded systems get most of the attention, but sometimes the story is in the simpler components. One of the simplest is the humble LED, but this versatile element of most systems is moving to a more prominent position in a number of applications.

A story on the website of Technology Review details the advances in LED and OLED technology that are in the process of finally burying the incandescent bulb. Anyone who drives a car has probably notices either the new traffic light bulbs or the stoplights on the back end of newer high-end cars. Before long LEDs will also show up on the front end of those same cars in the form of headlights. The technology will also provide much more efficient lighting in our homes in the form of lighting panels that are as cool as fluorescents but not as harsh in terms of light. In fact, the white panels will include small embedded systems that will account for the uneven wear of the colored components that sum to white light, keeping a consistent color to the light.

This change will not get the press that Intel got this week with their new CPU designs, but it will almost certainly save more energy and impact more people. Sometimes it’s the small changes that make the most difference.

Larry Mittag