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The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast

A show about the craft of building embedded products, from architecture, testing and requirements to team process and AI tools, with an eye on safety-critical fields such as medical devices.

106 episodes · 79 hours · since 2021

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The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast is filed under embedded, engineering and product development. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 12 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 4.9 out of 5.

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Where to begin with The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast: full episodes about building physical products, award winners first.

  • · 50m

    Renode with Michael Gielda

    Michael Gielda, co-founder and VP of Business Development at Antmicro, discusses Renode, an open-source simulator for embedded systems that allows developers to run production binaries on a computer. He explains how Renode’s determinism and multi-node capabilities enable repeatable continuous integration testing, serving as a drop-in replacement for physical hardware rigs in many scenarios. Gielda details the tool's support for various architectures like ARM Cortex-M and RISC-V, its integration with the Zephyr OS via device trees, and the company's strategy of building commercial simulation models for clients while maintaining an open-source core.

    Embedded firmwareEDA & CAD tools
    10 chapters

  • · 45m

    Testing Embedded Systems in the Cloud and On-Prem with Marie Meyer and Joel Schulz-Andres

    Marie Meyer and Joel Schulz-Andres, founders of OnMCU, discuss their cloud-based and on-prem hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing platform designed to bridge the gap between host unit tests and physical integration. They explain the concept of 'on-target unit tests' using remote dev boards to catch peripheral errata early, and detail the significant hardware challenges they faced, including unreliable USB hubs and non-existent cable chains, when building their infrastructure. The conversation covers the trade-offs between cloud scalability and on-prem security, as well as their strategy to offer a generalized interposer box to help small-to-medium companies avoid building expensive custom test rigs from scratch.

    Test & measurementDebugging & failure analysis
    10 chapters

  • · 53m

    François Baldassari from Memfault on IoT Observability

    François Baldassari, founder and CEO of Memfault, discusses the evolution of embedded software and the critical need for IoT observability tools. He recounts his experience at Pebble, where a lack of field data led to a severe firmware update bug affecting Android users, which inspired the creation of Memfault's crash reporting and OTA solutions. Baldassari argues that modern embedded teams must adopt agile practices, such as decoupling software from hardware via emulators and implementing 'day 0 updates,' to iterate effectively. He highlights persistent industry challenges, including C language memory management issues, code space constraints, and the emerging crisis of embedded security and privacy.

    Connected products & IoTEmbedded firmware
    8 chapters

Hear it in a few minutes

Single discussions from recent episodes, playing the show's own audio from where each begins.

Latest episodes

  • · 45m

    TDD: The Hard Parts - Getting Started with Test-Driven Development

    Jeff Gable and Luca Ingianni discuss the practical challenges of adopting Test-Driven Development (TDD) in embedded software, specifically addressing the difficulty of starting with a blank screen. They outline a process that begins with decomposing systems into modules, sketching test ideas as bullet points, and writing test outlines in plain English before implementing code. The hosts highlight how LLMs can help overcome the fear of the empty screen but create new traps by generating overwhelming or nonsensical test suites, requiring developers to review test code more thoroughly than production code to ensure it accurately reflects the desired module interface and behavior.

    Embedded firmwareAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • · 16m

    The Big Rename: From Agile to Pragmatic

    Hosts Jeff Gable and Luca Ingianni announce the renaming of their show from The Agile Embedded Podcast to The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast, explaining that the term 'agile' has become outdated and restrictive for their current scope. They discuss the reality of AI adoption in embedded development, noting that while hype is high, actual integration into core workflows remains limited among most developers. The hosts emphasize that software engineering fundamentals remain critical, with AI serving as a tool that shifts developers toward lead-level responsibilities for code quality and architecture rather than replacing them.

    Embedded firmwareAI & machine learning
    5 chapters

  • · 59m

    100 Episodes! Break Out the Champagne! A Retrospective

    Joe Schneider and Jacob Beningo interview founders Luca Ingianni and Jeff Gable of the Agile Embedded Podcast, discussing their origin story as solo consultants who started the show in 2021 without prior connection. The hosts share war stories about difficult debugging challenges, including a one-line interrupt fix that took five days and a temperature-dependent DDR RAM failure that required two months to resolve. They also analyze the current state of the industry, debating whether AI is following the Gartner hype cycle like Agile did and predicting a future focus on requirements engineering and AI integration in embedded development.

    Embedded firmwareAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • · 43m

    From Vision to Reality: Product Roadmaps in Embedded Development

    Hosts Jeff Gable and Luca Ingianni discuss the hierarchy of planning artifacts, moving from product vision to roadmaps and backlogs, emphasizing that roadmaps are alignment and discovery tools rather than static commitments. They identify common mistakes such as the 'progress by PowerPoint' trap, where teams list milestones like 'specification complete' instead of value delivery, and the danger of over-committing to dates before understanding the problem space, particularly in VC-funded startups. The conversation covers tailoring roadmaps for different audiences, the importance of prioritization, and the 'iceberg principle' of granularity, concluding with a discussion on the iron triangle of project management and why varying resources is often the least effective lever when a project is late.

    Validation & product-market fitStarting a product company
    10 chapters

  • · 50m

    Factory Firmware Flashing with Pete Staples

    Pete Staples, founder of Blue Clover Devices, explains the disconnect between engineering and manufacturing, noting that factory firmware flashing is often a dusty, manual afterthought rather than a sophisticated process. He details how Blue Clover’s Production Line Tool (PLT) and Test Agent standardize hardware and software to bridge the gap between engineer desks and factory floors, addressing security, provisioning, and calibration. Staples argues that engineers must define the test plan and 'good enough' criteria early to avoid costly emergency travel and production delays.

    Embedded firmwareManufacturing partners & offshoring
    9 chapters

  • · 50m

    Requirements Engineering, part 2: A Practical Process for Safety-Critical Development

    Jeff Gable and Luca engineer discuss a rigorous process for requirements engineering in safety-critical development, particularly for medical devices. They distinguish between prototyping (technical feasibility) and MVPs (market viability), emphasizing that design-controlled requirements must be minimal yet comprehensive, including extensive error handling. The hosts advocate for writing test cases alongside requirements, tracking requirements completion for honest project status, and using 'tracer bullets' to reduce uncertainty early in implementation.

    Validation & product-market fitEmbedded firmware
    7 chapters

  • · 48m

    Fuzzing and Dynamic Analysis for High-Integrity Software with Paul Butcher

    Paul Butcher, Unit Director of Dynamic Analysis at AdaCore, explains how dynamic analysis techniques like fuzzing find corner-case bugs that traditional unit testing misses in high-integrity software. He details the mechanics of fuzzing, including mutation engines and anomaly detection, and discusses challenges with timing and concurrency in embedded systems, citing success with the NH90 avionics MIL bus. Butcher also describes combining static analysis with targeted fuzzing to automatically triage false positives and generate reproducers, while touching on formal verification using SPARK for the London Underground's Victoria line and the cautious role of LLMs in verification workflows.

    Debugging & failure analysisEmbedded firmware
    8 chapters

  • · 46m

    Linux Profiling with Mohammed Billoo

    Mohammed Billoo, founder of Mab Labs Embedded Solutions and author of the Embedded Linux Essentials Handbook, explains how to profile embedded Linux systems by distinguishing between VM size and VM RSS to identify memory leaks in scientific instruments. He details how to use tools like HTOP, perf, and LTTNG to prove that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, often pointing to crypto engines, DMA, or file system I/O as the real constraints. Billoo advocates for baking kernel configurations like kallsyms and function tracers into builds from day one to enable rapid debugging without premature optimization. The conversation also covers using LLMs to interpret complex tool outputs like Valgrind and perf, while emphasizing that physical measurements remain the ultimate arbiter of system performance.

    Embedded firmwareDebugging & failure analysis
    11 chapters

  • · 47m

    E94 Requirements Engineering, part 1: Fundamentals

    Jeff Gable, a medical device consultant, and Luca, with automotive and aerospace experience, discuss the fundamentals of requirements engineering for safety-critical products. They explain the hierarchy from user needs to system requirements, emphasizing the EARS format and the critical distinction between verifiable requirements and design choices. The hosts argue against using Word or Excel for complex traceability, advocating instead for dedicated requirements management tools to ensure regulatory compliance and engineering rigor.

    Industrial & consumer product designMechanical engineering
    8 chapters

Every episode

106 episodes with a summary and chapters, by year.

202616 episodes
  1. 13 OctTesting Embedded Systems in the Cloud and On-Prem with Marie Meyer and Joel Schulz-Andres45m
  2. 30 SeptTDD: The Hard Parts - Getting Started with Test-Driven Development45m
  3. 23 SeptThe Big Rename: From Agile to Pragmatic16m
  4. 24 Aug100 Episodes! Break Out the Champagne! A Retrospective59m
  5. 4 AugFrom Vision to Reality: Product Roadmaps in Embedded Development43m
  6. 9 JunFactory Firmware Flashing with Pete Staples50m
  7. 27 MayRequirements Engineering, part 2: A Practical Process for Safety-Critical Development50m
  8. 13 MayFuzzing and Dynamic Analysis for High-Integrity Software with Paul Butcher48m
  9. 30 AprLinux Profiling with Mohammed Billoo46m
  10. 15 AprE94 Requirements Engineering, part 1: Fundamentals47m
  11. 1 AprHardware-Software Co-Development with Tobias Kästner52m
  12. 18 MarTest-Driven Development in the Age of AI42m
  13. 4 MarEngineering Organizations Part 2: Product Companies and Market-Driven Focus43m
  14. 18 FebEngineering Organizations Pt 1: Service Firms - When You Are the Product43m
  15. 19 JanRust with Milica Kostic35m
  16. 5 JanMicroPython with Matt Trentini57m
202516 episodes
  1. 16 DecTerrible Habits of the Solo Developer53m
  2. 3 DecAgile Hardware Development with Gregor Gross50m
  3. 18 NovCrossover with Embedded AI Podcast55m
  4. 12 NovAI-enhanced Embedded Development (May 2025 Edition)28m
  5. 9 NovZephyr with Luka Mustafa45m
  6. 21 OctCrossover with Mob Mentailty Part 246m
  7. 16 OctCrossover with Mob Mentality part 148m
  8. 8 JulViolet Su on hardware manufacturing43m
  9. 25 JunAI-augmented software development45m
  10. 24 AprBONUS: Listener Question on Repository Organization15m
  11. 23 AprMinimumCD47m
  12. 9 AprOffensive Cybersecurity with Ryan Torvik48m
  13. 26 MarBDD with Steve Branam55m
  14. 5 MarJohn Taylor on the Embedded Systems Cookbook44m
  15. 19 FebTrunk-based development50m
  16. 15 JanQP framework with Mitch English44m
202417 episodes
  1. 29 Dec2024 christmas special43m
  2. 11 DecSAFe42m
  3. 27 NovCeedling47m
  4. 13 NovBuzzword Bingo (or: which modern technologies make sense for embedded?)49m
  5. 30 OctExploring Rust for Embedded Systems with Philip Markgraf50m
  6. 16 OctMagic is Bad41m
  7. 2 OctBailey Steinfadt on teaching git to non-developers39m
  8. 18 SeptAccelerate the Book45m
  9. 4 SeptWeronika Michaluk on Medical Devices development48m
  10. 21 AugLuca's interviews and trip report from Embedded World 202438m
  11. 7 AugA word from the hosts: we've changed our podcast process for the better1m
  12. 7 AugPaul Barbu Gheorge on Geographically Distributed Tems49m
  13. 26 JulCode Reviews42m
  14. 22 MarTeam Topologies42m
  15. 5 MarClosing the gap between Regulatory and Development with Milton Yarberry51m
  16. 30 JanLiving Documentation with Philip Markgraf58m
  17. 11 JanRapid Prototyping for Medical Devices with Ross Dehmoobed37m
202313 episodes
  1. 5 DecScaling Agile46m
  2. 21 NovModel-Based Development with Max Kolesnikov52m
  3. 26 SeptRenode with Michael Gielda50m
  4. 12 SeptTyranny of the Urgent41m
  5. 23 JunTDD for UI42m
  6. 6 JunGit for Hardware Engineers with Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont50m
  7. 18 MayModern C++ for Embedded with Niall Cooling58m
  8. 19 AprRapid Hardware Iteration with Luka Mustafa47m
  9. 30 MarAgile vs. V Model45m
  10. 7 MarContinuous Delivery with Jonathan Hall1h 03m
  11. 15 FebFrançois Baldassari from Memfault on IoT Observability53m
  12. 3 FebVersion Control Techniques51m
  13. 20 JanCrossover with Elecia White and Christopher White of Embedded1h 23m
202221 episodes
  1. 21 DecInternal Developer Platforms with Joe Schneider55m
  2. 29 NovInterview with Phillip Johnston Part 242m
  3. 15 NovInterview with Phillip Johnston Part 143m
  4. 2 NovThe Agile Approach to Risk Management37m
  5. 19 OctSystems Architecture with Maik Pfingsten43m
  6. 29 SeptWe're Not Paying You to Have Fun47m
  7. 6 SeptThe Three Ways of DevOps1h 02m
  8. 24 AugJames Grenning on TDD1h 01m
  9. 9 AugThe Matthew Test with Matthew Eshleman - Part 232m
  10. 27 JulThe Matthew Test with Matthew Eshleman - Part 138m
  11. 13 JulProject Management Dysfunctions - Part 244m
  12. 21 JunProject Management Dysfunctions - Part 143m
  13. 2 JunUnit Testing vs HIL Testing37m
  14. 11 MayJon Odo on Roadmaps56m
  15. 19 AprAgile at Growing Hardware Startups with Matt Cole50m
  16. 23 MarAgile Manifesto Part 241m
  17. 8 MarAgile Manifesto Pt. 137m
  18. 16 FebBuild Pipelines Revisited43m
  19. 2 FebEmbedded Cybersecurity Basics with Jacob Beningo36m
  20. 18 JanModern Embedded Systems Programming with Miro Samek56m
  21. 4 JanPatterns in the Machine with John and Wayne Taylor52m
202123 episodes
  1. 22 DecChristmas Special39m
  2. 16 NovWriting Firmware without Hardware (featuring Matt Chernosky)36m
  3. 26 OctAgile in Small Teams39m
  4. 12 OctBehavior Driven Development46m
  5. 21 SeptHardware-in-the-Loop Testing34m
  6. 7 SeptTesting on the Host vs Target30m
  7. 17 AugManaging Product Variants and Versions28m
  8. 27 JulHow to Speed Up Safety Critical Processes33m
  9. 15 JulLiving Documentation and Test Automation with Paul Massey52m
  10. 28 JunLean and Agile at a Product Development Consultancy33m
  11. 8 JunTechnical Debt in Embedded Systems Development33m
  12. 27 MayHow to Speak Agile to Hardware Folks, with Mojtaba Hosseini49m
  13. 11 MayWhy Testing Sucks37m
  14. 27 AprIntroducing Agile at John Deere with Joe Schneider58m
  15. 14 AprHow to Convince Management to Adopt Agile39m
  16. 30 MarAgile is Old-Fashioned Engineering27m
  17. 16 MarReplicable Build Environments for the Win41m
  18. 1 MarContinuous Integration for Embedded Systems39m
  19. 16 FebDevelopment is Better when it's Test-Driven36m
  20. 2 FebHow to Get Started36m
  21. 19 JanWhy Cross-Functional Product Teams Rule33m
  22. 6 JanDoes DevOps Make Sense for Embedded Systems?40m
  23. 6 JanRemote Embedded Development33m

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