There are many techniques and processes that developers can follow in order to minimize the defects (bugs) that find their way into embedded software. No matter how carefully one develops their software, there is always going to be a few that sneak through and require us to troubleshoot (debug) the software. In this post, we … Continue reading Evaluating and Mastering Real-Time Debugging Techniques
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Embedded Online 2018 – Video and Presentation Links
On May 22nd, 2018, we ran an all day webinar series consisting of six different presentations which we ran for a total of nine sessions that covered the globe. There were quite a few different topics that were covered with a quick session overview listed below: Session 1 – Jump Starting Code Development to Minimize Software … Continue reading Embedded Online 2018 – Video and Presentation Links
Getting the most performance from printf
The oldest, tried and true debugging technique is to sprinkle printf statements throughout embedded software in the hope that an insight to the system behavior will be gleaned. Using printf is not always advisable and can unforeseen real-time implications for the system. Let’s examine the fundamental issues with printf and then a few techniques that … Continue reading Getting the most performance from printf
5 Debugging Techniques for the ARM Cortex-M MCU
Debugging embedded software is my least favorite activity but unfortunately a necessary evil. Thankfully recent advances in technology and tool chain innovation has resulted in a plethora of techniques to drastically speed up the debugging process. Let’s examine a few techniques starting from our traditional debugging by break-point through the more advanced instrument trace techniques. … Continue reading 5 Debugging Techniques for the ARM Cortex-M MCU
How well do you know your debugger?
The debugger is arguably one of the most important tools available to embedded software engineers. The debugger is capable of not only loading firmware on a microcontroller but can peer into the depths of memory and registers, revealing its inner workings. Despite the debuggers importance, many developers overlook some of the most useful features of … Continue reading How well do you know your debugger?
Amazon FreeRTOS: Behind the Scenes
I recently wrote an article for embedded.com entitled “A Peek Inside Amazon FreeRTOS” where I started to analyze the high-level behavior that the Amazon FreeRTOS application exhibits while running on an STM32F475 IoT Discovery Node. In this post, I will continue the analysis by demonstrating how a developer can follow the communication flow and examine … Continue reading Amazon FreeRTOS: Behind the Scenes
7 Tips for Securing an Embedded System
Security, just like quality and many other embedded system attributes must be considered at the start of the development cycle. Developers can’t build their system and then add security at the end. With more and more systems starting to connect to the internet, there are more than a dozen best practices that developers should follow … Continue reading 7 Tips for Securing an Embedded System
Unboxing the arm ULINKplus Programmer
I’m a big believer that having the right tools for the job not only can speed up the job, but can also improve the quality of the end product. That is why every month I look at a different tool that can aid developers. This month, I’ve decided to take a look at my newly … Continue reading Unboxing the arm ULINKplus Programmer
CEC – Building Your Own Internet Connected PLC
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s) are the foundation for manufacturing and the industrial IoT. Developers are probably used to purchasing off-the-shelf PLC controllers, but it is possible to build a simple low-cost PLC controller using microcontroller components. In this course, we will explore PLC fundamentals and how we can create our own internet connected PLC controller … Continue reading CEC – Building Your Own Internet Connected PLC
Know thy compiler toolchain
An embedded systems engineer is only as good as their knowledge of the tools they use. Using the right tool for the job can drastically speed up development but doesn’t necessarily ensure success. The developer needs to understand the intricacies of the tool in order to be successful. Take for example an apparently simple task … Continue reading Know thy compiler toolchain