One topic that can be tricky for embedded systems engineers is how to version their embedded system. Every embedded system has two primary systems that need to be versioned, the hardware and the software. While versioning the system sounds simple, it can be confusing on the best way to version the system. In this post, … Continue reading 5 Tips for Versioning Embedded Systems
Category: Prototyping
5 Tips for using Open Source Software Successfully
In today’s product development environment, developers are looking to open source software to help them solve their design challenges more than ever before. Open source software has the potential to dramatically accelerate development and save costs, but as I often see in industry and with my clients, it can also become a thorn in a … Continue reading 5 Tips for using Open Source Software Successfully
An Ingenious Arduino to Breadboard Adapter
When I work on a development project, I’ve become a big fan of using development boards that have the Arduino headers on them. The vast number of shields that easily connect to these headers is phenomenal. The one problem that I’ve always had though was that there is always a need to use a breadboard … Continue reading An Ingenious Arduino to Breadboard Adapter
Tools – SWD Adapters every Developer should have
Even though SWD and JTAG have well defined standards, there are still several different size connectors and footprints that developers need to be able to support. It often feels like every programmer and every development board is using a different and incompatible connector and cable. In this post, I’m going to share with you the … Continue reading Tools – SWD Adapters every Developer should have
Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 3)
My adapter boards have arrived! As we discussed in the first two parts, the on-board debugger that comes with most development boards is functional but often offers far less than a professional debugger. We’ve been exploring how we can create an adapter board for the ST Microelectronic development boards that will allow us to use … Continue reading Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 3)
PCB Shops for Rapid Prototyping
I recently complete my series on “Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards” which you can find links to below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 While the prototype turned out great, I could have decreased my prototyping costs if I had spent the time to do a little more research on board houses. … Continue reading PCB Shops for Rapid Prototyping
Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 2)
In the last post, we started to look at how we could design a simple programming adapter for STM32 development boards. We walked through the process necessary to get the schematics completed. In this post, we will examine the the PCB layout along with the BOM and costs necessary to prototype this simple board. With … Continue reading Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 2)
Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 1)
Nearly every development board comes with a built-in programing tool. Depending on the vendor, it may be PE Micro, SEGGER J-Link OB or even the vendor’s own tool such as an ST-Link. In most cases, the on-board programmer is rather limited in its capabilities and it makes a lot of sense to use an external … Continue reading Creating an SWD Adapter for STM32 Development Boards (Part 1)
Where oh Where are My Test Points!
For the umpteenth time in my career, I am debugging a prototype board that has exactly zero test points. I didn’t design this board, but have inherited it from a frantic colleague who is behind schedule and is having trouble communicating with an onboard SPI device. The first step in this troubleshooting endeavor is to … Continue reading Where oh Where are My Test Points!
The first ARMv8-M MCU with TrustZone Support
We’ve been hearing for several years now that Arm Cortex-M processors would soon be getting a security upgrade by supporting TrustZone in the M23/M33 microcontrollers. The wait is finally over! Microchip has publicly released the first TrustZone compatible microcontrollers based on the low-power M23 core, the SAM L11. In this post, we will walk through … Continue reading The first ARMv8-M MCU with TrustZone Support