34: Really Big Cabbage

Embedded.fm · 9 Jan 2014

What this episode covers

Elecia White discusses firmware update mechanisms, explaining the risks of bricking devices and the trade-offs between different bootloader architectures. She details strategies for constrained systems, including using external RAM, ping-pong buffers, and security measures like encryption and crypto chips. The conversation covers the 'goat, cabbage, and wolf' puzzle as an analogy for managing update sequences safely. Key technical decisions involve choosing between simple serial updates, complex networked OTA, and secure key management for consumable-based systems.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
O'Reilly, Honeywell
Products
Making Embedded Systems, Nest
Chips
STM32F152, Piccolo C2000

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