The Amp Hour · 4 Mar 2019 · 1h 02m · Episode 432
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the challenges of designing hardware without rigid specifications, highlighting how Dave's personal project 'Micro Supplies' faces silicon bugs in ST microcontrollers and GCC compiler issues. They explore the technical difficulties of measuring current over a large dynamic range, comparing tools like the JewelScope and Koitek OTI, and examine the emerging landscape of connected products, including Nordic's nRF91 module, AWS IoT, and FreeRTOS support for RISC-V.
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Hosts Alicia White and Christopher White discuss listener questions regarding USB implementation challenges, IoT security thesis advice, and prototyping strategies. They analyze the differences between ARM microcontroller vendors, code reuse in embedded systems, and the utility of tools like audiomovers.com for remote audio collaboration. The episode also touches on personal coping mechanisms for stress and motivation during the pandemic.
Christopher White discusses his viral moment involving a Chevy dealership's ChatGPT-powered chatbot, his struggles with contractor burnout, and the frustrating state of embedded development tools. He details specific technical failures with STM32CubeIDE, CMSIS drivers, and J-Link debuggers, highlighting the lack of standardization in the industry. The episode also covers personal updates, including his music with Flavigula, the Pass the Bricks charity, and Nelson Asinowski's donation of 8051 microcontrollers.
Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the hidden complexities of embedded software engineering in preparation for Elecia's upcoming IEEE presentation on 'The Tricky Parts' of embedded systems. They cover specific technical challenges including the difficulty of debugging with limited visibility, the counterintuitive nature of power optimization (such as balancing sleep states against wake-up costs), and the pain of managing unstable SDKs and sample code from vendors like Nordic and NXP. The conversation also touches on the necessity of understanding map files for memory management and the importance of using test equipment like oscilloscopes for accurate timing analysis.
Elecia White and Christopher White discuss Elecia's recent burnout while teaching her Making Embedded Systems course on Classpert, and Christopher's debugging of a subtle SPI + FreeRTOS bug on a Cypress PSoC chip. They also cover Elecia's recommendations for the book 'Thanks for the Feedback', the Wokwi simulator for Raspberry Pi Pico, and listener projects like Serial Wombat and Cyanobyte.
Chris Gammell, founder of Contextual Electronics and host of The Amp Hour, discusses his journey learning embedded firmware as a hardware consultant. He details his personal project using an STM32F030 and an EFM8 microcontroller, the challenges of debugging with GDB and Vim, and the value of hiring tutors and using books like 'Making Embedded Systems' to build confidence and technical depth.
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