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I don't know enough to have a full answer, but one differentiation that I think makes sense is for *embedded systems* programming versus more commonplace programming (desktop, web, server, ...).

The reason for that is that embedded systems programming often has very different constraints than what most programmers are used to working with. Very little memory (for both code and data), slow processor speeds, and extremely limited user I/O (a couple of pushbuttons and lights, maybe a few-digits seven-segment LCD display if you're lucky), are all common constraints that the typical web developer does not really need to contend with.

Granted, more and more systems that used to be truly embedded are now running some Linux variant on a single-chip (or even multi-chip) nearly-ordinary computer, just because that's available and easier to work with. But I do believe there's going to be a demand for true embedded systems programming for a long time.

On SE, this was solved by explicitly making bare-metal or RTOS firmware development on topic on Electrical Engineering SE. It's not *off topic* on SO, since it's still about programming, but if you're looking for an embedded systems developer expert answer, your chances have probably been better on EESE than on SO. (Note: My experience on EESE mirrors yours on SO, as mostly a lurker.)

I don't know if the best way to separate these is the way it's historically been done on SE, or if it would be better to separate based on available computing resources; with highly resource-constrained platforms having a specific place for their questions, and others having somewhere else.

It's reasonable to assume that any site that caters specifically to embedded systems programming, or even highly-resource-constrained-systems programming, won't see anywhere near the amount of traffic of a more mainstream programming site. The field just is much smaller. That, however, doesn't mean that the questions don't have legitimacy.