The ESP32 from Espressif has been around for quite a few years now. For many of those years the ESP32 seemed to have the reputation that it was a low-cost maker module for hobbyist and developers interested in one-off projects. Over the past year I’ve seen the ESP32 not only designed into several production systems … Continue reading 5 Reasons the ESP32 is an Intriguing Solution for the IoT
Category: Platforms
The 3 Transformative Technologies in Food Services Automation
From the Blackberry’s release in 1998, to the iPhone in 2007, to the vast array of connected and powerful home and personal devices we have today, the past two decades have seen an incredible leap in our ability to communicate, control, and interact with our world as consumers. Indeed, it is these transformative technologies of … Continue reading The 3 Transformative Technologies in Food Services Automation
Tools – Connecting to the IoT with the Electric Imp
Developing embedded software for the internet can be a nightmare. Ethernet chips and peripheral are very complex and require an extraordinary amount of effort and time to configure and setup properly. Driver and example code is usually provided by chip manufacturers but how secure and trustworthy is their code? Simple customizations to the stack can … Continue reading Tools – Connecting to the IoT with the Electric Imp
Tips and Tricks – 10 Steps for Selecting a Microcontroller (2017)
The way developers select a microcontroller for their embedded systems is dramatically changing. Traditionally developers have focused on the hardware first and thought about the software second. Selecting a microcontroller in this manner, will result in failure today. There are several new steps that developers need to follow if they are going to be successful … Continue reading Tips and Tricks – 10 Steps for Selecting a Microcontroller (2017)
EETimes University – Fundamentals of IoT System Design
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
7 Reasons to Avoid Open Source Software
Blasphemy! Open source software is the greatest thing that has ever happened to the industry! It’s free! Why on Earth would we ever want to avoid open source software? This may surprise some readers but despite our love for “open source” and “free software”, there are several reasons that developers should consider that justify avoiding … Continue reading 7 Reasons to Avoid Open Source Software
It’s the end of C as we know it!
The C programming language has been with embedded software developers since its creation in 1972. Ever since then C has been a blazing constant, surviving even the big push in the late 90’s and early 21st century to move to C++ or other object oriented languages. Undoubtedly, C will continue to be a foundational language … Continue reading It’s the end of C as we know it!
Tools – The April Board
The April board is a break-out for the Imp Developer module. The April module provides the ability to power the Imp module using a standard USB-Mini cable, an optional battery connector, or through a standard .100 header. The April board also has an on-board 3.3V regulator that can with stand an input up to 17 … Continue reading Tools – The April Board
Embedded Basics – Understanding the Microcontroller Boot Process
One of the most overlooked processes in embedded software development is the microcontroller boot process. The reason for this is that silicon toolchains have become very good at providing and abstracting out the boot process so that developers generally don’t think about it. Unfortunately this can lead to a lack of understanding how the microcontroller … Continue reading Embedded Basics – Understanding the Microcontroller Boot Process