# Interview with Phillip Johnston Part 2

- Show: [The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast)
- Published: 2022-11-29
- Length: 42m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2
- Listen: https://agileembeddedpodcast.com/episodes/interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2-G9YxZDO2

## Summary

Phillip Johnston, founder of Embedded Artistry, discusses the practical implementation of remote monitoring and debugging for embedded devices, focusing on data storage, transmission, and Over-The-Air (OTA) update strategies. He argues that while building these capabilities in-house is possible for large enterprises or consultancies, most companies should use services like Memfault, Golioth, or Mender to avoid the high cost and long development time required to match their maturity. The conversation covers the trade-offs between local storage and connectivity, the necessity of robust fallback mechanisms for OTA updates to prevent bricking, and the critical role of human oversight in interpreting automated data.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=0) Introduction and Recap of Remote Monitoring
- [4:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=283) Device Storage Constraints and Strategies
- [9:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=558) Communication Links and Data Transmission Costs
- [13:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=783) Build vs. Buy: In-House vs. Services like Memfault
- [19:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=1163) OTA Update Architecture and Failure Recovery
- [25:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=1521) Cybersecurity and Patching on Embedded Linux
- [27:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=1648) Development Path: From Basic Check-ins to Cohorts
- [33:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-11-29-interview-with-phillip-johnston-part-2#t=1985) Field Testing and the Human-in-the-Loop

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Embedded Artistry (company)
- Memfault (company)
- Golioth (company)
- Mender (company)
- Zephyr (tool)
- MCU boot (tool)
- Tesla (company)
- BMW (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [390: Irresponsible At the Time](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-10-21-390-irresponsible-at-the-time) (Embedded.fm)
- [Revolutionizing IoT Device Management: Updating the World with Peridio](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-08-01-revolutionizing-iot-device-management-updating-the-world-with-peridio) (Over the Air)
- [528: Goldfish Chunks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-06-25-528-goldfish-chunks) (Embedded.fm)
- [Firmware for Hardware Engineers with Phillip Johnston](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-09-07-firmware-for-hardware-engineers-with-phillip-johnston) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Importance of Device Management in IoT Solutions | Memfault's François Baldassari](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-04-05-the-importance-of-device-management-in-iot-solutions-memfaults-francois-baldassa) (IoT For All Podcast)

## Citing this page

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