Embedded Software
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SEP 2.0
When I first heard the term “Smart Energy”, I confess that I had no idea what it meant. For a while, a precise definition seemed to elude me, as people would talk about smart meters and the Smart Grid, but not actually say what smart energy was. It is now a little clearer. Smart Energy [...]
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Genetic art
Last week, I was writing about genetic fingerprinting. I hinted that there was another gene-related technology that had caught my attention. In the past week, I have read up some more on this topic and I am keen to share what I have found. The subject that fascinated me was the idea of using genetics [...]
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Device Firmware Upgrade through USB
One of the great things about software, compared with hardware, is the ease with which it may be changed and updated. The big downside of software is also the ease with which it can be changed. This ease can make software developers lazy, as they know that they can always fix things later. This is [...]
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My genes?
Undoubtedly, one of the great discoveries of the 20th Century was the double-helix and the whole understanding of genes and chromosomes. At the start of the 21st Century we saw – and continue to see – a greater understanding of how genetics works and, increasingly, the function of specific genes. We are also hearing every [...]
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Non-intrusive debug
I recently posted about using printf() for debugging – or, rather, I suggested a few good alternatives, which make more sense to embedded developers. Most debugging/tracing technologies involve adding some code to the target system, which might make some developers uncomfortable. Surely the code being debugged is no longer the same as you plan to [...]
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Two heads are better than one
Sometimes I have an idea, or gain an understanding or insight into something, and I have to share. That is where I am today. I always marvel at the complexity of biological systems – how everything fits together to make elegant, efficient, self-maintaining machines. I sometimes have to catch myself, when I have the thought: [...]
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Using an SMTP client
I always find it satisfying to see simple solutions to apparently complex problems and the world of embedded software certainly lends itself to some creativity. My concept of “simple” is quite broad, but essentially encompasses anything that is easy to understand [for me] and ideally avoids reinvention of any wheels. A while ago, I wrote [...]
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First non-contact
Although I am excited about technology, I do not normally adopt something just because it is available [and new and shiny]. A notable exception was, I guess, the iPad, where I was not sure why I wanted one, but wanted one I did. So, I tend not to be an early adopter and it is [...]
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Book review [part 1]
Last week, I talked about learning about embedded software and suggested various sources of information, including books, promising a review of a new book sometime soon. In the meantime, I have had the chance to take a look at the new book “Software Engineering for Embedded Systems” by Robert Oshana and Mark Kraeling. My first [...]
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Everyday rhetoric
Although I am essentially a monoglot, I am interested in languages, which I have written about before. As I travel to countries where English is not the first choice, I do try to master just a little of the language. My starter is 6 words and one phrase: “Yes”, “No”, “Please”, “Thank you”, “Hello”, “Goodbye” [...]
