When using an Eclipse based IDE to debug an embedded system, undoubtedly the reader has come across the reset and restart buttons in the debug perspective. From a high-level view, these two options may seem the same but there are important differences on when a developer should use restart over reset. Let’s look at how … Continue reading Embedded Basics – The Difference between Restart and Reset
Bootloaders are included in nearly every embedded system and provide a great way to update application code in the field without having to access a programming port. As important as bootloaders are, developers often get tripped up trying to jump from the bootloader into their application code. The jump needs to be clean but there … Continue reading Tips and Tricks – Jumping from the Bootloader to the Application Code Cleanly
Finally! I have a J-Trace in hand and I am ready to wreak havoc on those pesky software bugs that always toy with me! A little more than a year ago I decided that I couldn’t stand using low-cost, one-off debuggers any longer and needed to invest in a real debugging tool that I could … Continue reading Tools – A First Encounter with the SEGGER J-Trace
Developers who want to reuse software have several challenges to overcome in order to be successful. These challenges include but are not limited to: Endianness Processor architecture Bus width Ambiguous standards Development time and budget Modularity Code coupling Getting started can be overwhelming and lead to more stress and confusion than simply writing very functional … Continue reading Getting Started Writing Portable Firmware
Callback functions are an essential and often critical concept that developers need to create drivers or custom libraries. A callback function is a reference to executable code that is passed as an argument to other code that allows a lower-level software layer to call a function defined in a higher-level layer(10). A callback allows a … Continue reading Embedded Basics – Callback Functions