458: Fiddling, DIY, and Cursing

Embedded.fm · 31 Aug 2023 · 1h 11m · Episode 458

What this episode covers

Trond Snekvik, Staff Software Engineer at Nordic Semiconductor, explains how he transitioned from the Bluetooth Mesh team to leading the VSCode extensions team to reduce 'fiddling, DIY, and cursing' for developers. He details the architecture of Bluetooth Mesh, noting its suitability for lighting control and its use of advertising packets, while contrasting it with Thread and Zigbee. Snekvik also describes Nordic's strategic shift to the Zephyr-based nRF Connect SDK and the development of VSCode extensions for DeviceTree and Kconfig to improve the embedded developer experience.

Mentioned

Companies
Nordic Semiconductor
Chips
nRF52832, nRF52840, nRF53, nRF91
Tools
VSCode
Also
Bluetooth Mesh, Zephyr, nRF Connect SDK, Thread, Zigbee

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Coredump Sessions · 55m

    #011: Memfault Joins Nordic Semiconductor: What This Means for the Future of Connected Product Development

    François Baldassari and Chris from Memfault, joined by Kjetil Holstad from Nordic Semiconductor, discuss Memfault's acquisition by Nordic and the strategic vision for a 'chip-to-cloud' platform. They trace Nordic’s history from design services to Bluetooth leadership, highlighting the pivotal role of the iPhone 4S in accelerating BLE adoption and the increasing complexity of embedded software. The conversation details the deep technical integration between Memfault and Nordic’s nRF Connect SDK and Zephyr, emphasizing how this partnership lowers barriers for developers building reliable IoT devices.

  • The Spark Gap · 46m

    The Spark Gap - Episode 8

    Jacob Rosenthal, an engineering consultant working with companies like Octoblue, explains the current state of the Internet of Things, noting it is often a rebranding of existing connectivity technologies. He discusses the trade-offs between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy, highlighting issues with power consumption, security, and proprietary firmware stacks on platforms like Spark, Electric Imp, and Pinocchio. The conversation covers the shift of intelligence from embedded firmware to cloud-based JavaScript, raising concerns about privacy, data ownership, and the replacement of embedded engineers by web developers.

  • Moore's Lobby · 44m

    Ep. 9 | Mesh Networking for IoT Smart Homes with ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth

    Ross Sebolsic, Vice President and General Manager of Industrial and Commercial IoT Products at Silicon Labs, discusses the landscape of mesh networking for IoT smart homes, specifically comparing Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth Mesh. He explains how the 'Balkanization' of connectivity protocols creates interoperability challenges and details the technical trade-offs between sub-GHz Z-Wave and 2.4 GHz Zigbee/Bluetooth regarding range, power consumption, and ecosystem maturity. The conversation covers Silicon Labs' strategy of offering a comprehensive portfolio to unify these standards, the importance of secure boot and hardware-level security features like DPA protection, and the benefits of using pre-certified modules to accelerate time-to-market.

  • Coredump Sessions · 1h 08m

    #001: The future of Bluetooth connectivity with Blecon Founder, Simon Ford

    Simon Ford, founder of Blecon, joins Memfault’s Chris Coleman and François Baldassari to discuss the evolution of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) from its Nokia origins to its current role in cloud-connected devices. The group analyzes key technical shifts like LE Audio, PAwR, and coded PHY, while debating the practical trade-offs of BLE for IoT, asset tracking, and audio compared to Wi-Fi, cellular, and UWB. They also cover the challenges of BLE interoperability, debugging connection issues in the wild, and the limited real-world adoption of Bluetooth Mesh.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 03m

    Simulating doors falling off

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a wide range of hardware topics, starting with Chris's preparation for Embedded World using FreeCAD and KeyCAD. They delve into Bluetooth Low Energy history and standards, then analyze the industry shift toward plug-in hybrids, citing Toyota's strategy. The conversation covers new silicon from Espressif, the TinyTapeOut project by Bitlooney, and Pete Bevilacqua's PowerMole Kickstarter, before concluding with a look at BeagleBoard.org's new Raspberry Pi-compatible board and a discussion on popular hobbyist components.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Embedded.fm. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.