The Most Annoying Sound
Independent consultants often face requests and requirements that go beyond the technicalities of software and hardware. Designing user interfaces is a common example, and even though most of us are not UI experts, we still have to get it right, otherwise the users may get annoyed, and the product will fail. However, what happens when we're asked explicitly to annoy users? Here's a true story about such a case.
Scorchers, Part 4: Burned by the Happy Path (Simon Says)
Designs that only work along the happy path break in real use, causing frustration and sometimes safety risks. Jason M. Sachs uses everyday examples from microwaves to car Auto Park logic to show how mutable software and physical state create brittle behavior. He outlines practical firmware fixes such as clear state machines, sensor or user-driven resynchronization, soft-start delays, and a ‘‘Drunken Happy Path’’ fuzzing approach to find real-world failure modes.
Graphical medicine
Although an appealing user interface is a good option for any device, in medical applications it can be a life saver.
Blinkenlights 2.0
Nothing spells old movie computers like a panel of randomly blinking lights, but in fact, these so-called "blinkenlights" can be valuable indicators - especially in embedded systems where the user interface must be minimal, small and cheap. Control of these lights can be achieved using a very simple, real-time interpreted script, and this kind of solution may be extended to other and more complex embedded tasks.
More than just a pretty face - a good UI is essential
A user interface can make or break a device - determining its success in the marketplace. With careful design, the UI can make the product compelling and result in a high level of satisfaction from new and experienced users.
A Wish for Things That Work
Jason Sachs revisits his long-running gripe with poor user interfaces, cataloguing annoyances from his Toyota Prius dashboard to desktop apps and browsers. He mixes sharp, real-world examples with a short, practical wishlist for 2018 aimed at making embedded displays, update behavior, security cues, and developer tools noticeably less frustrating for engineers and end users alike.
Android for Embedded Devices - 5 Reasons why Android is used in Embedded Devices
Android may seem like a phone OS, but it now solves real embedded product problems. This post outlines five practical reasons engineers pick Android for devices with displays, from built-in touch and GUI frameworks to simplified camera and wireless APIs. It also covers vendor BSP and driver support, a large developer pool, and how Android speeds prototyping by reusing phones or tablets as HMIs or processors.
Embedded Toolbox: Windows GUI Prototyping Toolkit
You can prototype and debug complex embedded device user interfaces on Windows using the tiny, free QWin toolkit. It runs the same C code you compile for the target by implementing a Windows BSP, letting you develop UI code quickly with MinGW or Visual C++ and a visual resource editor. The result is far faster compile-run-debug cycles and a simpler path around flaky prototype hardware.
LCD Control with an MCU
Dr Cagri Tanriover set out to add a cheap 2x16 JHD162A LCD to an MCU project and ran into surprisingly opaque datasheets and quirky behavior. This post walks through the wiring, a reliable initialization sequence, contrast troubleshooting, and practical scrolling and CGRAM tips that saved debugging time. Read it for hands-on fixes and gotchas that datasheets often omit.
Complexity in Consumer Electronics Considered Harmful
Jason Sachs watched his grandmother struggle with a Vizio TV remote, and it highlights a recurring usability failure in consumer electronics. He argues that small type, unclear icons, and modal controls make everyday tasks needlessly hard. The takeaway for embedded engineers is to prioritize common actions, separate advanced features, and design for low-vision and limited-memory users to avoid frustration and returns.
Embedded Toolbox: Windows GUI Prototyping Toolkit
You can prototype and debug complex embedded device user interfaces on Windows using the tiny, free QWin toolkit. It runs the same C code you compile for the target by implementing a Windows BSP, letting you develop UI code quickly with MinGW or Visual C++ and a visual resource editor. The result is far faster compile-run-debug cycles and a simpler path around flaky prototype hardware.
Complexity in Consumer Electronics Considered Harmful
Jason Sachs watched his grandmother struggle with a Vizio TV remote, and it highlights a recurring usability failure in consumer electronics. He argues that small type, unclear icons, and modal controls make everyday tasks needlessly hard. The takeaway for embedded engineers is to prioritize common actions, separate advanced features, and design for low-vision and limited-memory users to avoid frustration and returns.
More than just a pretty face - a good UI is essential
A user interface can make or break a device - determining its success in the marketplace. With careful design, the UI can make the product compelling and result in a high level of satisfaction from new and experienced users.
LCD Control with an MCU
Dr Cagri Tanriover set out to add a cheap 2x16 JHD162A LCD to an MCU project and ran into surprisingly opaque datasheets and quirky behavior. This post walks through the wiring, a reliable initialization sequence, contrast troubleshooting, and practical scrolling and CGRAM tips that saved debugging time. Read it for hands-on fixes and gotchas that datasheets often omit.
Scorchers, Part 4: Burned by the Happy Path (Simon Says)
Designs that only work along the happy path break in real use, causing frustration and sometimes safety risks. Jason M. Sachs uses everyday examples from microwaves to car Auto Park logic to show how mutable software and physical state create brittle behavior. He outlines practical firmware fixes such as clear state machines, sensor or user-driven resynchronization, soft-start delays, and a ‘‘Drunken Happy Path’’ fuzzing approach to find real-world failure modes.
Android for Embedded Devices - 5 Reasons why Android is used in Embedded Devices
Android may seem like a phone OS, but it now solves real embedded product problems. This post outlines five practical reasons engineers pick Android for devices with displays, from built-in touch and GUI frameworks to simplified camera and wireless APIs. It also covers vendor BSP and driver support, a large developer pool, and how Android speeds prototyping by reusing phones or tablets as HMIs or processors.
The Most Annoying Sound
Independent consultants often face requests and requirements that go beyond the technicalities of software and hardware. Designing user interfaces is a common example, and even though most of us are not UI experts, we still have to get it right, otherwise the users may get annoyed, and the product will fail. However, what happens when we're asked explicitly to annoy users? Here's a true story about such a case.
Blinkenlights 2.0
Nothing spells old movie computers like a panel of randomly blinking lights, but in fact, these so-called "blinkenlights" can be valuable indicators - especially in embedded systems where the user interface must be minimal, small and cheap. Control of these lights can be achieved using a very simple, real-time interpreted script, and this kind of solution may be extended to other and more complex embedded tasks.
A Wish for Things That Work
Jason Sachs revisits his long-running gripe with poor user interfaces, cataloguing annoyances from his Toyota Prius dashboard to desktop apps and browsers. He mixes sharp, real-world examples with a short, practical wishlist for 2018 aimed at making embedded displays, update behavior, security cues, and developer tools noticeably less frustrating for engineers and end users alike.
Graphical medicine
Although an appealing user interface is a good option for any device, in medical applications it can be a life saver.
Android for Embedded Devices - 5 Reasons why Android is used in Embedded Devices
Android may seem like a phone OS, but it now solves real embedded product problems. This post outlines five practical reasons engineers pick Android for devices with displays, from built-in touch and GUI frameworks to simplified camera and wireless APIs. It also covers vendor BSP and driver support, a large developer pool, and how Android speeds prototyping by reusing phones or tablets as HMIs or processors.
Complexity in Consumer Electronics Considered Harmful
Jason Sachs watched his grandmother struggle with a Vizio TV remote, and it highlights a recurring usability failure in consumer electronics. He argues that small type, unclear icons, and modal controls make everyday tasks needlessly hard. The takeaway for embedded engineers is to prioritize common actions, separate advanced features, and design for low-vision and limited-memory users to avoid frustration and returns.
Embedded Toolbox: Windows GUI Prototyping Toolkit
You can prototype and debug complex embedded device user interfaces on Windows using the tiny, free QWin toolkit. It runs the same C code you compile for the target by implementing a Windows BSP, letting you develop UI code quickly with MinGW or Visual C++ and a visual resource editor. The result is far faster compile-run-debug cycles and a simpler path around flaky prototype hardware.
A Wish for Things That Work
Jason Sachs revisits his long-running gripe with poor user interfaces, cataloguing annoyances from his Toyota Prius dashboard to desktop apps and browsers. He mixes sharp, real-world examples with a short, practical wishlist for 2018 aimed at making embedded displays, update behavior, security cues, and developer tools noticeably less frustrating for engineers and end users alike.
LCD Control with an MCU
Dr Cagri Tanriover set out to add a cheap 2x16 JHD162A LCD to an MCU project and ran into surprisingly opaque datasheets and quirky behavior. This post walks through the wiring, a reliable initialization sequence, contrast troubleshooting, and practical scrolling and CGRAM tips that saved debugging time. Read it for hands-on fixes and gotchas that datasheets often omit.
More than just a pretty face - a good UI is essential
A user interface can make or break a device - determining its success in the marketplace. With careful design, the UI can make the product compelling and result in a high level of satisfaction from new and experienced users.
Blinkenlights 2.0
Nothing spells old movie computers like a panel of randomly blinking lights, but in fact, these so-called "blinkenlights" can be valuable indicators - especially in embedded systems where the user interface must be minimal, small and cheap. Control of these lights can be achieved using a very simple, real-time interpreted script, and this kind of solution may be extended to other and more complex embedded tasks.
Graphical medicine
Although an appealing user interface is a good option for any device, in medical applications it can be a life saver.
Scorchers, Part 4: Burned by the Happy Path (Simon Says)
Designs that only work along the happy path break in real use, causing frustration and sometimes safety risks. Jason M. Sachs uses everyday examples from microwaves to car Auto Park logic to show how mutable software and physical state create brittle behavior. He outlines practical firmware fixes such as clear state machines, sensor or user-driven resynchronization, soft-start delays, and a ‘‘Drunken Happy Path’’ fuzzing approach to find real-world failure modes.
The Most Annoying Sound
Independent consultants often face requests and requirements that go beyond the technicalities of software and hardware. Designing user interfaces is a common example, and even though most of us are not UI experts, we still have to get it right, otherwise the users may get annoyed, and the product will fail. However, what happens when we're asked explicitly to annoy users? Here's a true story about such a case.
