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Digital Literacy Computer Basics Computer Languages Software

Posted by Alex Cevallos
Alex Cevallos
16,551 Points

Why is Energia not system software?

Wouldn't the energia program be considered system software because it is controlling a system?

Thanks

Christoefel Champ
Christoefel Champ
1,008 Points
Christoefel Champ
Christoefel Champ
1,008 Points

I got the same wrong answer dude.

6 Answers

Juan de Elena O'Shea
Juan de Elena O'Shea
4,757 Points

Hola Alex,

Energia and its frame work if it has one, is simply the application where you can write code. At that point in time, it is not controlling anything in your system, outside from it. I guess that if you programmed something with Energia, compiled it (or if it is an interpreted language, have the interpreter doing its thing along side) and the final use of that program was to, say, enhance the 3D rendering of your graphic card (if ever that can be done on Energia), then the program you wrote would be a controlling system, but not the Energia language, IDE, frame work, etc.

Un saludo!

Alex Cevallos
Alex Cevallos
16,551 Points

Gracias! Your response definitely cleared my mind up. Energia isn't the Operating System

Eduardo Rubio
Eduardo Rubio
6,719 Points
Eduardo Rubio
Eduardo Rubio
6,719 Points

Energia doesn't control any system related software on the computer nor it helps maintain the computer.... It is not an antivirus, spyware or anything that the computer needs in order to operate. Therefore is is not a system software. It is an application software just like Word, because you can run the computer with out it.

hope this helps!

shaunboleh
shaunboleh
14,970 Points
shaunboleh
shaunboleh
14,970 Points

I had a similar thought, why is it application software. I think the key question is "in reference to what?" If the object is the circuit, Energia does seem to be crucial for the operation of the circuit (turning the light on or off) However, it is merely an application on the computer. Seeing as we are not learning about electrical engineering I guess the most correct answer is that it is application software (with regards to the computer)

Charlotte Sanders
Charlotte Sanders
370 Points
Charlotte Sanders
Charlotte Sanders
370 Points

This question tricked me, too.

'In reference to what?' is a very useful way of interpreting this, at first... but I think that even in reference to the operation of the circuit, Energia is still the application we use to write the code (switching 'bits' on and off) or 'software' that tells the computer to tell the circuit what to do. Energia cannot be plugged directly into the circuit - it requires a processor to interpret the code we have written to tell the circuit that 'high' means 'on' (or 1) and 'low' means 'off' (or 0). Energia is therefore an application in which we can potentially write system software (turning a system light on or off), but which itself is a just a tool or application for allowing us to create that software.

So when you say 'in reference to what?' I think we can change that slightly to 'in relation to what?' and see that it is us to whom the software is in relation which makes the difference between system software and application software.

I continue to cogitate upon this. Comments appreciated.

ROBINSON FERNANDO REYES TORRES
ROBINSON FERNANDO REYES TORRES
509 Points
ROBINSON FERNANDO REYES TORRES
ROBINSON FERNANDO REYES TORRES
509 Points

Incluido en la categoría software de aplicacion, encontramos el software de programación que es utilizado para procesar codigo. Precisamente allí podemos ubicar a Energía, en el cual debemos programar adecuadamente para el manejo de microcontroladores en circuitos electricos. Energia en sí, no es un driver para un dispositivo en especial y necesita de un sistema operativo para poder correrlo.

Allison Walker
Allison Walker
17,137 Points
Allison Walker
Allison Walker
17,137 Points

Because the program you write with Energia is written in an IDE and gets sent to the microcontroller, a tiny computer, which interprets your program and turns on the LED. So, you aren't rewriting the program that controls how the microcontroller interprets programs, you are writing a program that will run on the microcontroller's tiny platform. It just happens that the microcontroller platform is very basic and can only run one program at a time.

Carlos José
PLUS
Carlos José
Courses Plus Student 12,431 Points
Carlos José
Carlos José
Courses Plus Student 12,431 Points

A short way of explaining this is that System software lets you use the elements of the hardware while Application software Has an application for the computer like Web Design or Programming software. In the past System software was done assembly.

Maybe you would enjoy reading this :

"The earliest system software was written in assembly language primarily because there was no alternative, but also for reasons including efficiency of object code, compilation time, and ease of debugging. Application languages such as FORTRAN were used for system programming, although they usually still required some routines to be written in assembly language."