A lot of teams developing embedded software struggle to deliver on time, on budget, and at a quality level that meets customer expectations. Successful embedded software development is often elusive and there are all kinds of excuses software teams have for their failure. However, there are many teams in the industry that are repeatedly successful … Continue reading 3 Elements to Successful Embedded Software Development
Category: Software
Introduction to Docker for Embedded Software Developers
Over the last several years, Docker has taken the software industry by storm. Docker provides developers an “open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications[1]”. The major advantage that docker provides developers is that it can separate the applications from the infrastructure that it is running on by building the environment in a container. The … Continue reading Introduction to Docker for Embedded Software Developers
Programming the STM32 Option Bytes using SEGGER J-Flash
Nearly every microcontroller contains option bytes, fuses, or some method to control general settings on the processor. These settings often control features such as whether debugging is enabled or disabled, flash can be written or read, and even how the processor will boot. In this post, we will explore how to program the STM32 option … Continue reading Programming the STM32 Option Bytes using SEGGER J-Flash
3 More Tips for Speeding Up Framework Interrupt Handlers
Last month, in 3 Tips for Speeding Up Framework Interrupt Handlers, we looked at several methods that could be used to speed up interrupts. In today’s post, we will explore three more tips on how to speed-up interrupt handlers. Let’s get to it! Tip #1 – Move Interrupt Handlers from Flash to RAM Depending on … Continue reading 3 More Tips for Speeding Up Framework Interrupt Handlers
3 Tips for Writing External Device Drivers
A major advantage to using a microcontroller today is that embedded software developers typically don’t have to write their own drivers anymore. It’s very common for the microcontroller vendor to provide software frameworks that abstract the hardware and allow developers to make simple function calls to initialize, read and write to peripherals such as SPI, … Continue reading 3 Tips for Writing External Device Drivers
5 Tips for Developing an RTOS Application Software Architecture
Real-time operating systems (RTOS) are finding their way into nearly every IoT device. An RTOSes ability to manage low-level resources and complex timing requirements make them well suited for these applications. It is not uncommon though to struggle with how to design a software architecture that includes an RTOS. In today’s post, we will examine … Continue reading 5 Tips for Developing an RTOS Application Software Architecture
5 Tips for Building a Modern Telemetry GUI
Nearly every embedded system I have ever built has required a graphical user interface (GUI) to monitor and display telemetry. Monitoring telemetry during development can help developers to visualize what the system is doing and play a critical role in verifying and debugging the system. Telemetry in this context is any health and wellness information … Continue reading 5 Tips for Building a Modern Telemetry GUI
Code Quality over Quantity
A short time ago, I was under pressure to repaint the house while simultaneously delivering several high-priority work projects. It was impossible to do both the right way in a timely manner so I began a search to find a company that could cover the paint job for me and came across one named “Quality … Continue reading Code Quality over Quantity
5 Reasons to Develop a Software Architecture
Developing software is complicated! With every passing year, software complexity seems to only be on the rise. More features are expected from stakeholders. Hardware advances, creating ever more complex devices to work with. Even simple applications can have several dozen software modules, an operating system and in today’s environment, internet connectivity. Unfortunately, a lot of … Continue reading 5 Reasons to Develop a Software Architecture
5 Best Practices for Utilizing Open Source Software
Open source software is everywhere and has the potential to help businesses accelerate development and improve their software quality. Achieving these results though can be challenging if care is not taken. Here are five best practices for utilizing open source software that will help leverage open source software successfully. Best Practice #1 – Use an … Continue reading 5 Best Practices for Utilizing Open Source Software