# Building Firmware and Hardware for Trade Shows with Mike Szczys

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2023-03-06
- Length: 1h 12m
- Episode: 622
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/622-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys/

## Summary

Mike Szczys, formerly of Hackaday and now at Golioth, discusses building firmware and hardware for trade shows like Embedded World with his coworker Chris Gammell. They detail the challenges of integrating E-Ink displays using Zephyr RTOS and MicroPython on an RP2040-based faceplate, highlighting the steep learning curve of Zephyr's device tree and manifest system. The conversation covers the benefits of Zephyr's centralized ecosystem compared to FreeRTOS, the use of built-in debugging shells, and the technical hurdles of I2C peripheral programming on the Raspberry Pi Pico.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=0) Introduction and Embedded World Context
- [20:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=1201) Zephyr RTOS Ecosystem and Device Tree
- [23:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=1434) Zephyr vs FreeRTOS and Sensor Drivers
- [39:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=2348) Debugging Tools and Interactive Shells
- [53:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=3186) E-Ink Display Challenges and MicroPython
- [1:01:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=3682) I2C Peripheral Programming on RP2040
- [1:08:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-06-building-firmware-and-hardware-for-trade-shows-with-mike-szczys#t=4123) Low Power Design and Golioth Recruitment

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Golioth (company)
- Zephyr (tool)
- Hackaday (company)
- Adafruit MagTag (product)
- RP2040 (chip)
- MicroPython (tool)
- FreeRTOS (tool)
- ESP IDF (tool)
- BME280 (chip)
- nRF9160 (chip)
- Pimoroni Badger (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [475: Stuffed Animal or Colleague](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-04-19-475-stuffed-animal-or-colleague) (Embedded.fm)
- [Challenges in Hardware Development | HARDWARIO s.r.o.'s Pavel Hübner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-06-21-challenges-in-hardware-development-hardwario-s-r-o-s-pavel-hubner) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [447: All Sorts of Weird Problems](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-04-13-447-all-sorts-of-weird-problems) (Embedded.fm)
- [405: Bacta Tank for Your Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-03-11-405-bacta-tank-for-your-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [481: The Girl from Evel Knievel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-07-25-481-the-girl-from-evel-knievel) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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