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Sponsored by partners who share our mission to advance embedded excellence.
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Welcome back to the Embedded Bytes newsletter!
I just added a new guide to my site based on the concepts from my book, Embedded Software Design. If you have been looking for a structured way to think about firmware architecture, this is a good place to start. Details below.
Zephyr devicetrees are one of the most consistent sources of confusion for developers I talk to. To help, I put together a pack of self-validating AI skills that make devicetree work faster and safer. Free for Embedded Bytes subscribers – grab the bundle at beningo.com/zephyr-ai-skills.
I am also running the Embedded Systems Summit in Silicon Valley January 26-28, 2027. Save the dates. If you want to speak, the call for talks is open through August 8. If you have a topic suggestion or want to be involved in another way, hit reply and let me know.
Also in this issue:
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P.S. Quick reminder – the summer sale on my workshops ends July 31. Use code BENINGO200 at checkout for 33% off any workshop. Browse workshops at beningo.com/courses.
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Looking for an RTOS that’s fast, safety certified, and easy to use? Discover why
PX5 RTOS is redefining real-time embedded systems.
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I added a new guide to the site that walks through the concepts from my book, Embedded Software Design. If you have wanted a structured way to think about firmware architecture, RTOS-based application design, and the process discipline that separates real embedded work from hobby code, this is the entry point.
What the guide covers:
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Software architecture and design principles for firmware
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RTOS-based application architecture
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Design patterns and reusable building blocks
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Modern development processes: TDD, CI/CD, modeling, and simulation
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Microcontroller selection frameworks
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Writing configurable code and coding strategies that scale
The guide is free and structured so you can read it end to end or jump to a specific design decision when you hit one.
The full book, Embedded Software Design, is available on Amazon.
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How to Write a Zephyr Devicetree with AI
Writing a Zephyr devicetree from scratch is one of those tasks that eats hours. You are flipping between the vendor’s reference manual, existing board files, and the Zephyr docs, trying to reconcile pin numbers, node paths, and property bindings. AI can accelerate the process significantly if you know how to guide it.
In this article I walk through a concrete workflow for using AI to draft a devicetree fragment, validate it, and iterate until it compiles cleanly. The trick is to feed the AI the right context up front (the peripheral, the binding, the target board) and to know what to check before you trust the output.
This is not about handing the job to AI. It is about turning a two-hour research task into a twenty-minute review session, with you still in the driver’s seat.
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If the article above got you thinking about how to actually operationalize AI in your Zephyr workflow, this is what I built to make that easy.
Zephyr AI Skills is a bundle of five structured AI prompts and workflows that turn the article’s approach into a repeatable process. The skills cover:
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Device Tree Authoring – with binding-cited edits so the AI cannot invent nodes
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Kconfig Tuning – grounded in your target’s actual config space
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Build Diagnostics – a five-category failure classifier that isolates the real problem
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BSP Scaffolding – from empty directory to a working board in minutes
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Firmware Simulation Validation – using Renode so you can test without hardware
The skills are AI-agnostic. Use them with Claude, Cursor, Aider, or whatever tool is already in your workflow. Built-in self-validation reduces the hallucination risk that makes AI-assisted embedded work dangerous.
Free for Embedded Bytes subscribers.
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Industry News and Insights
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AI for Embedded Code Review: What It Catches and Misses
(DesignNews.com)
AI code review tools are excellent at surface-level issues: naming, style, obvious logic errors, and common patterns. Where they fall down is hardware context. An AI reviewing your ISR does not know your interrupt priorities, your memory-mapped register layout, or your real-time deadlines. This article breaks down exactly what AI code review catches, what it misses, and how to use it as a complement to human review rather than a replacement.
Continue Reading . . .
Microchip MPLAB XC Pro Compilers Now Free
(Microchip.com)
Microchip has made their MPLAB XC Pro Compilers and MPLAB Machine Learning Development Suite free for all developers. That includes their functional safety compilers, which are TÜV SÜD certified for safety-critical work. If you have been running the standard XC compiler and hitting code size or optimization limits, or if you have been thinking about ML on Microchip parts, this materially changes the cost calculation.
Continue Reading . . .
Texas Instruments MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex Edge AI MCUs
(TI.com)
TI has launched two new MCU families with their TinyEngine NPU on-chip: the MSPM0G5187 (Cortex-M0+, general purpose, under $1 in volume) and the AM13Ex (Cortex-M33, targeting real-time motor control). TI claims up to 90x lower latency and 120x lower energy per inference versus similar MCUs without an accelerator. AM13Ex supports FreeRTOS, Zephyr, and bare metal via TI’s SDK. Worth a look if you are evaluating edge AI silicon for a new design.
Continue Reading . . .
memkit: Embedded-Friendly Containers for C and C++
(GitHub)
Embedded-friendly containers for C and C++ with a single shared implementation per container family. C++ templates are the primary API; the C API is a thin, type-erased layer over the same cores.
Continue Reading . . .
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We are running a 3-day, in-person Embedded Systems Summit in Silicon Valley on January 26-28, 2027. Mark your calendar.
Call for Talks is open until August 8, 2026.
If you have a hands-on workshop, technical deep-dive, or a real-world case study that the embedded community would benefit from, submit a proposal. Speakers get complimentary registration and the platform to reach thousands of engineers.
If you would rather suggest a topic, a speaker, or share what you want to see at the Summit, hit reply on this email and let me know. Your input shapes the program.
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A lot is going on in the industry over the next couple of months. Here are some of the upcoming events, both free and paid:
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| Date |
Event |
Location |
Link |
| August 10-13, 2026 |
Microchip MASTERs Conference |
Phoenix, AZ |
Register |
| September 22-24, 2026 |
Embedded World North America |
Anaheim, CA |
Learn More |
| January 26-28, 2027 |
Embedded Systems Summit |
Silicon Valley, CA |
Save the Date |
| April 26-30, 2027 |
Embedded Online Conference |
Online |
Save the Date |
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Electrical Engineer II – Embedded Firmware (Aerotech, Pittsburgh, PA)
Engineer a better future with Aerotech, a global leader in precision motion and automation. We provide an extensive total rewards compensation system, including bi-annual bonuses and an Employee Stock Ownership Trust (ESOT).
We are seeking an intermediate-level engineer (3-5 years of experience) for our dedicated R&D firmware sub-team. You will focus on the design, implementation, and testing of embedded code where C++ and VHDL are tightly coupled to meet strict hard real-time requirements.
Core Technical Stack:
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Firmware: Object-oriented C++ for deterministic real-time systems, Texas Instruments C66x DSPs, and TI-RTOS
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Logic: VHDL targeting AMD/Xilinx Artix-7 devices within Vivado
Primarily on-site in Pittsburgh with potential hybrid flexibility. No visa sponsorship available.
Are you hiring embedded engineers? Let me know! Please keep it to 150 words or fewer. I reserve the right to edit it to fit the newsletter’s format and intent. No recruiters, please! Contact me at [email protected]
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Upgrade Your Skills, Processes, and Architecture
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Struggling to keep your development skills up to date or facing outdated processes that slow down your team, raise costs, and impact product quality?
Here are 4 ways I can help you:
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Faster. Smarter. Firmware: A 2-Day seminar on modern practices for better embedded systems. Doing software the right way means fewer bugs and earlier deliveries. This seminar gives your team the tools and techniques to develop software with fewer bugs in less time by leveraging modern techniques to develop faster and smarter. To learn more, email me at [email protected]
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Embedded Software Academy: Enhance your skills, streamline your processes, and elevate your architecture. Join my academy for on-demand, hands-on workshops and cutting-edge development resources designed to transform your career and keep you ahead of the curve.
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Consulting Services: Get personalized, expert guidance to streamline your development processes, boost efficiency, and achieve your project goals faster. Partner with us to unlock your team’s full potential and drive innovation, ensuring your project’s success.
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Team Training and Development: Empower your team with the latest best practices in embedded software. Our expert-led training sessions will equip your team with the skills and knowledge to excel, innovate, and drive your projects to success.
Take action today to upgrade your skills, optimize your team, and achieve success.
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Want to learn more? Visit our website to find out more about Beningo Embedded or check out our blog to discover our entire article archive – read past articles, search by category, and much more!
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