Figuring out how to size the stack for an embedded application and the tasks within it can be challenging. In many cases, developers will pick a value that they feel should be enough. These estimates are sometimes a little short, most of the time a gross estimation and rarely spot on. While I always encourage … Continue reading 3 Ways to Perform a Worst-Case Stack Analysis
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
Whether we like it or not, we all make assumptions that form the foundation on how we think about and design embedded systems. In many cases, the assumptions we make are trivial and will have a minor impact on the systems we design or the companies that we work for. Sometimes though, the assumptions that … Continue reading 5 Dangerous Assumptions Embedded Software Engineers Make
Last week, I attended the 2018 Embedded World conference in Nuremberg Germany (February 27 – March 1). As usual, companies from around the world descended on Nuremberg to show off their latest and greatest embedded technologies. While I was there giving several talks, networking with colleagues and walking the conference floor, I started to see … Continue reading 5 Trends from Embedded World 2018
More than a decade ago there was a constant debate and anticipation as to when C++ would finally eclipse C and become the dominant embedded systems programming language. To this day, C still remains the dominant language and doesn’t seem to being anywhere anytime soon. Given the advances in microcontroller hardware and more importantly, the … Continue reading 5 Reasons to start using C++ over C
Having the right tools for the job is critical to success but in the hands of the improperly skilled, the result can be disastrous. Firmware engineers require seven essential skills to succeed in todays rapid paced development environment. Skill #1 – Defect Management (Formerly “Debugging”) According to the UBM Embedded Marketing Studies, debugging an embedded … Continue reading 7 Essential skills for firmware engineers
Engineers and scientists have always relied upon notebooks to document their ideas, inventions, progress and even their missteps. Some of the most notable engineers and scientists who used notebooks include Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, mankind would know very little of da Vinci’s discoveries had he not written them down … Continue reading Transitioning to a Modern Day Engineering Notebook
Last week I attended Arm TechCon and a major theme through-out was embedded security. During the conference, Arm released their Security Manifesto which provides developers with Arm’s vision for how the IoT will be protected. Let’s briefly discuss a few highlights. First, I found the Arm Security Manifesto to be an interesting read. The document … Continue reading Embedded Basics – The Arm Security Manifesto
Designing an IoT device requires more than expertise in embedded system design. Developers also need to understand the IoT architecture and how their device fits into the grander scheme. IoT devices are not stand-alone but links in a chain that can affect the entire internet. Developers need to understand how to secure their device, provision … Continue reading EETimes University – Fundamentals of IoT System Design
Developing firmware that can be reused is an important and critical skill. The majority of engineers and teams that I interact with are stuck constantly reinventing the wheel on every project that they work on. In order to help developers understand how they can create not just reusable application code but reusable firmware, down to … Continue reading Developing Reusable Firmware – A Practical Guide to API’s, HAL’s and Drivers
