# 288: You Got a Screen!

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2019-05-10
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 288
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/288-you-got-a-screen

## Summary

Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the disconnect between academic embedded systems education and industry reality, noting that schools often fail to teach practical tools like version control, debugging, and cross-compilation. They argue that while broad theoretical knowledge is valuable, students need exposure to real-world workflows, such as using STM32 Nucleo boards and J-Tag debuggers, to bridge the gap. The hosts then provide a comprehensive guide to professional documentation, emphasizing that self-documenting code is a myth and detailing specific artifacts like product docs, schematics with block diagrams, software specs, and user manuals. They highlight tools like Balsamiq for UI wireframing and emphasize the importance of clear, future-proof documentation to aid maintenance and collaboration.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=6) Introduction: Embedded Systems Education Gaps
- [2:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=148) Academic vs. Industry: Missing Practical Skills
- [18:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=1094) The Reality of Documentation in Engineering
- [24:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=1479) Product Documentation and the 5 Ws
- [27:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=1655) Schematics, Block Diagrams, and Pin Spreadsheets
- [37:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=2270) Software Specs and State Machine Documentation
- [44:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=2685) UI Design with Balsamiq and Wireframing
- [50:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=3015) Code Comments, Check-ins, and Style Guides
- [56:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen#t=3366) Advice for Students and Closing

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- STM32 (chip)
- Balsamiq (tool)
- yEd (tool)
- Asciiflow (tool)
- Adafruit (company)
- Sparkfun (company)
- Altium (tool)
- Git (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Christmas Special](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-12-22-christmas-special) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Documentation Is A Waste Of Time](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-04-documentation-is-a-waste-of-time) (The Amp Hour)
- [Work on it for 10 years...](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-12-30-work-on-it-for-10-years) (The Amp Hour)
- [Creating Next-Gen Microcontroller Developer Tools and Equipping the People Who Use Them](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2025-04-22-creating-next-gen-microcontroller-developer-tools-and-equipping-the-people-who-u) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Why isn't this working?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-14-why-isnt-this-working) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-05-10-288-you-got-a-screen. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.