In 1989 Tyler Sperry, then editor of the print publication Embedded Systems Programming, asked me to write a monthly column for the magazine. That morphed into Embedded Systems Design which in turn ...

In the two decades or so that I've been writing this column, we've covered a lot of topics, ranging from the best implementation of abs(x) to CRC algorithms to logic theory, Karnaugh maps, and ...

My dad was surprised to find that it was illegal to shovel sand from Jones Beach into the back of his station wagon. Was he going to jail? It was 1958. Two successful and surprising Sputnik launches ...

In my seminars I often talk about the importance of understanding at least a little electromagnetics theory, even for purely firmware people. But the subject is hard to understand and sometimes harder ...

When a diamond is irradiated with x-rays it luminesces (or fluoresces, I never know the difference). This property is used to separate diamonds from gravel in the mining industry. Once the rock is ...

My biggest source of non-spam email comes from people asking how they, too, can become an embedded systems developer. So many, in fact, that I wrote an article about ...

For the embedded systems developer, stereotypes abound. The image of young, specialized high-tech workers toiling in a computer-filled lab, sipping Jolt cola late into the night is popular with the ...

A degree doesn't make you an embedded systems engineer. Here are some tips to get you started; if you're already there, they'll help you improve. I'm writing this from my sailboat, at anchor in ...

Sixty years ago Tektronix introduced their first product, the model 511 oscilloscope. Not just a knock-off of some standard scope design like the ones complacent Dumont were marketing, the 511 was the ...

Bugs are more manageable than you think. Tracking their patterns will help you get them under control. It seemed a simple project, really. The 32KB ROM constraint set a reasonable limit on firmware ...

This series delves into all aspects of real time operating systems (RTOS) and is intended for any developer who is curious about how to use an RTOS and how they work.