Important Programming Concepts (Even on Embedded Systems) Part III: Volatility
1vol·a·tile adjective \ˈvä-lə-təl, especially British -ˌtī(-ə)l\ : likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way : having or showing extreme or sudden changes of emotion : likely to become dangerous or out of control
— Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Other articles in this series:
You Will Make Mistakes
</scorpion>: FAILAnyone out there see the TV pilot of Scorpion? Genius hacker squad meets Homeland Security in a fast-paced thriller to save hundreds of airplanes from crashing after LAX air traffic control software upgrade fails and they didn’t save a backup of the old version (ZOMG!!!) so thousands of people are going to die because the planes… well, they just can’t land! They just can’t. Even if the weather is sunny and calm and there could quite possibly...
Introduction to Microcontrollers - Ada - 7 Segments and Catching Errors
7 Segments the Ada Way
Here is the Ada version (I should say AN Ada version) of the 7 segment multiplexing code presented in the last installment. The hardware now is the STM32F407 Discover board, which is a Cortex M4F board. There are lots of differences in GPIO and timer setup, but if you understoold the previous code in C you should not have much trouble understanding this code in Ada.
As interesting as the Ada approach to the task is the Ada ability to detect...
Important Programming Concepts (Even on Embedded Systems) Part II: Immutability
Other articles in this series:
- Part I: Idempotence
- Part III: Volatility
- Part IV: Singletons
- Part V: State Machines
- Part VI: Abstraction
This article will discuss immutability, and some of its variations in the topic of functional programming.
There are a whole series of benefits to using program variables that… well, that aren’t actually variable, but instead are immutable. The impact of...
Important Programming Concepts (Even on Embedded Systems) Part I: Idempotence
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of subtle concepts that contribute to high quality software design. Many of them are well-known, and can be found in books or the Internet. I’m going to highlight a few of the ones I think are important and often overlooked.
But first let’s start with a short diversion. I’m going to make a bold statement: unless you’re a novice, there’s at least one thing in computer programming about which you’ve picked up...
Project Directory Organization
A recent question on Reddit’s C Programming sub asked what sort of directory structure people use for their projects. Perhaps not unsurprisingly this didn’t elicit a flood of answers - maybe there are no organizational schemes that people are happy with or perhaps few people consider it a glamorous topic (not that the C Programming subreddit is filled with glamorous people -no offense I love you all). Personally I find it to be a very interesting topic. Organization and process are...
OOKLONE: a cheap RF 433.92MHz OOK frame cloner
Introduction
A few weeks ago, I bought a set of cheap wireless outlets and reimplemented the protocol for further inclusion in a domotics platform. I wrote a post about it here:
//www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/620.php
Following that, I had access to another outlet from a different vendor:
http://www.castorama.fr/store/Prise-telecommandee-BLYSS---Interieur-prod4470027.html
The device documentation mentions that it operates on the same frequency as the previous...
Reverse engineering wireless wall outlets
IntroductionI am improving the domotics framework that I described in a previous article://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/605.php
I want to support wireless wall outlets, allowing me to switch devices power from a remote location over HTTP.
To do so, I could design my own wireless wall outlets and use a hardware similar to the previous one, based on the NRF905 chipset. The problem is that such a product would not be certified, and that would be an issue regarding the home insurance,...
Short Circuit Execution vs. Unit Testing
The key to effective communication is to say what you mean and avoid ambiguity. Words and phrases with multiple meanings can confuse your audience and hinder communication. That’s why so many programmers prefer writing code to writing specifications: written human language introduces ambiguity and subsequently, confusion. Code only has one interpretation, period. This doesn’t, however, ensure that the right message is getting through. Code can, indeed, only do one thing,...
A wireless door monitor based on the BANO framework
IntroductionI have been thinking for a while about a system to monitor the states of my flat and my garage doors from a remote place. Functionnaly, I wanted to monitor the state of my doors from a remote place. A typical situation is when I leave for holidays, but it can also be useful from the work office. To do so, I would centralize the information on a server connected on the Internet that I could query using a web browser. The server itself would be located in the appartement, where...
Continuous Integration for Embedded Systems
It is no secret that anyone who wants to streamline project management, reduce risk and improve the quality needs some form of "automation" in SW development processes. What is commonly used in most companies as a tool for such automation is called Continuous Integration (CI). It is a good practice for embedded systems as well even though it is much harder to use CI for embedded systems compared to pure software development because embedded systems mostly depend on...
A wireless door monitor based on the BANO framework
IntroductionI have been thinking for a while about a system to monitor the states of my flat and my garage doors from a remote place. Functionnaly, I wanted to monitor the state of my doors from a remote place. A typical situation is when I leave for holidays, but it can also be useful from the work office. To do so, I would centralize the information on a server connected on the Internet that I could query using a web browser. The server itself would be located in the appartement, where...
The three laws of safe embedded systems
This short article is part of an ongoing series in which I aim to explore some techniques that may be useful for developers and organisations that are beginning their first safety-related embedded project.
Bringing up Baby - product development thoughts
Things have just started to get exciting. After months of defining, specifying and designing my latest product, I finally have semi-functional prototypes. After a few side steps during the building and bring-up process, power is applied and most of the low level functions have been verified. Soon, software will meet hardware and debugging can begin in earnest.
Before jumping in and really enjoying the fun (besides I'm now waiting for some new parts to arrive), I thought it would be nice to...
Get your microcontroller and PC to talk
(and get it done free ‘n’ easy!)
The Need
Specifications can dynamically change during the product development cycle. Bosses/clients suddenly approach us with additional requirements, which, however simple, can put us in a fix. One such requirement could be to have a PC based design interface for a standalone microcontroller project.
On many occasions, the required PC software has to just behave like a slave...
Short Circuit Execution vs. Unit Testing
The key to effective communication is to say what you mean and avoid ambiguity. Words and phrases with multiple meanings can confuse your audience and hinder communication. That’s why so many programmers prefer writing code to writing specifications: written human language introduces ambiguity and subsequently, confusion. Code only has one interpretation, period. This doesn’t, however, ensure that the right message is getting through. Code can, indeed, only do one thing,...
Favorite Tools: C++11 User-defined literals
In many software domains units of measurement are frequently critical to the software's data processing requirements. Those same units, or rather the use of the wrong units, are often the source of bugs and disastrous mistakes. Although useful for other purposes, user-defined literals are an excellent addition to the C++11 standard and handy when working with units of measurement.
Suppose a device measures velocity. To help prevent errors, the software specification requires...
Tenderfoot: Introduction to Magic (Numbers that is...)
Once upon a time, while participating in a source code review, I stumbled across the following C code in a header file:
struct Foo { //various structure fields char string_buffer[45+3]; //buffer requires about 45 bytes };My right eyebrow raised, I took a note, and continued with the code review, only to later stumble into this line of code in the body of a C function:
char * temp_string_buffer = (char*) malloc(45+3);Again, I took a note on this function, and continued...
Video-Based STEM Embedded Systems Curriculum, Part 2
Contents:
- Introduction
- Lesson Plan 1: Introducing Arduino
- Lesson Plan 2: Circuit Drawings With Fritzing
- Lesson Plan 3: Basic Electronics
- Coming Soon
This post continues from part 1. It contains the first three lesson plans.
Lesson Plan 1: Introducing ArduinoThis lesson is first because Arduino is the simplest programming environment, yet allows lots of interaction with hardware. In...
Review: Modern Software Engineering
This is actually a review of 3 books by Dave Farley, because they really form a set:
- Modern Software Engineering: Doing What Works to Build Better Software Faster (just released for 2022, 224 pages)
- Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation (co-authored with Jez Humble, 2011, 463 pages)
- Continuous Delivery Pipelines: How To Build Better Software Faster (2021,...
Introduction to PIC Timers
The fourth in a series of five posts looks at 8-bit PIC hardware timers. After a review of basic timer functionality, the Timer0 module operation and configuration is reviewed and a basic application implemented using Timer0 to blink external LEDs at a frequency of 0.5Hz.
3 Tips for Developing Embedded Systems with AI
Explore how to leverage AI in developing embedded systems with three practical tips, learn why documenting your workflows, supercharging testing and debugging, and adopting AI-assisted code generation can save time, reduce errors, and boost performance in your projects, and discover actionable insights to streamline development in resource-constrained environments, this blog explains how to prepare for AI integration while keeping the expertise of experienced engineers intact, offering real-world examples that show how even incremental AI adoption can revolutionize your development process, whether you’re new to AI or seeking to enhance existing practices, these strategies provide a clear roadmap to build smarter, more efficient embedded systems using AI.
Favorite Tools: C++11 User-defined literals
In many software domains units of measurement are frequently critical to the software's data processing requirements. Those same units, or rather the use of the wrong units, are often the source of bugs and disastrous mistakes. Although useful for other purposes, user-defined literals are an excellent addition to the C++11 standard and handy when working with units of measurement.
Suppose a device measures velocity. To help prevent errors, the software specification requires...
Understanding Microchip 8-bit PIC Configuration
The second post of a five part series picks up getting started developing with Microchip 8-bit PIC Microcontroller by examining the how and why of processor configuration. Topics discussed include selecting the oscillator to use during processor startup and refining the configuration once the application starts. A walk through of the code generated by the Microchip IDE provides a concrete example of the specific Configuration Word and SFR values needed to configure the project specific clock configuration.
Introducing The VolksEEG Project
IntroductionThe VolksEEG project is an open-source project with the goal of creating an electroenchephalogram (EEG) machine, fully cleared by the FDA for standard clinical use. All designs will be freely available for others to manufacture.
The project was founded by Alan Cohen, a medical device systems engineer with an electrical engineering/software (EE/SW) background in Boston, USA, and Dr. Bryan Glezerson
In TCL FPGA Wizards Trust
In TCL FPGA wizards trust. The best way to learn TCL is exposure therapy which we will be doing here using two examples: One for creation of a project with synthesis and implementation steps and another for simulation.
The Missing Agile Conversation
In this article, we learn about Agile practices and how they use stories as units of development. Stories consist of a brief description, one to a few sentences. They don’t contain details sufficient to allow a developer to implement them. The Agile practice is to defer details as long as possible because conditions may change. When a developer takes on a story to implement, that’s the time for them to perform the work that has been deferred. They do this by having a conversation, a series of specific discussions working closely with the various SME’s (Subject Matter Experts) who have information relevant to the story.
Embedded Developers, Ditch Your IDEs – Here’s Why!
Ditching your Integrated Development Environment (IDE) temporarily can be a transformative learning experience in embedded development. This post invites you to explore the underpinnings of IDEs by delving into alternative tools and processes like Makefile, CMake, Vim, GDB, and OpenOCD. Understanding these tools can demystify the background operations of IDEs, revealing the intricacies of compiling, linking, and debugging. This journey into the “under the hood” aspects of development is not just about learning new tools, but also about gaining a deeper appreciation for the convenience and efficiency that IDEs provide. By stepping out of your comfort zone and experimenting with these alternatives, you can sharpen your skills, enhance your knowledge, and possibly discover a more tailored and streamlined development experience. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned developer, this exploration promises insights and revelations that can elevate your embedded development journey.
Core competencies
Creating software from scratch is attractive, as the developer has total control. However, this is rarely economic or even possible with complex systems and tight deadlines.
Getting Started with the Microchip PIC® Microcontroller
This first post of a five part series looks at the available hardware options for getting started with Microchip 8-bit PIC® Microcontroller, explores the MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment and walks through setting up a project to expose the configured clock to an external pin and implement a single output GPIO to light an LED.
