[detaro]

Always the problem with absolutes. It highly depends on the project and what you look at. I wouldn't sign "hardware can never be remote", but I also think "hardware always can be done remotely" is very wrong. And that leaves out the massive space of hybrid models.

I.e. I do know of embedded projects where the hardware designer works out of his living room and the software developers are spread across Europe. Does that count? Or doesn't it because the PCB fab and assembly service obviously works out of a factory? It certainly is remote as far as the developers are concerned - and it wouldn't work as well if the device in question didn't easily fit on a desk (although you can do a lot with only remote access to hardware too in later stages).

Somehow embedded developers often tend to (understandably) bemoan that the overall "software community" doesn't understand their work, while at the same time falling into the same trap regarding the breadth of what embedded development is today vs their individual experience.