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Jeff Shepard

What happens when an MCU powers up?

May 27, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

MCU start up is a highly structured process designed to ensure proper operation. Numerous elements are involved including initial power/voltage sequencing and regulation, oscillator startup, the use of a vector table, boot loaders (including possible secure boot) and application initialization. This FAQ walks step-by-step through the various elements involved during the start-up of a MCU. […]

Filed Under: Embedded, FAQ, Featured, Software Tagged With: FAQ

MCU Bits and Bytes: sizes, types, and uses

May 26, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Bits are the 1s and 0s that form the basis of digital information. A group of 8 bits is a byte and forms the basis of digital computing. Bits and bytes are used for storing and processing information as well as other functions in a digital IC. This FAQ begins with a brief review of […]

Filed Under: 16-bit, 32-bit, 8-bit, FAQ, Featured, microcontroller, Products Tagged With: FAQ

How to extend, boost and repeat Wi-Fi signals

February 4, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Since the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limits Wi-Fi transmitter power, it’s often necessary to increase the range of Wi-Fi signals using some signal boosting/extending technology. But transmit power is only half of the equation. Wi-Fi connections are always bidirectional and symmetrical. When working to extend Wi-Fi signals, the bidirectional nature of the connection is […]

Filed Under: Applications, FAQ, Featured, microcontroller, Wifi, Wireless Tagged With: FAQ

The basics of Wi-Fi security and encryption

February 3, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Wi-Fi security has significantly improved over the years from initially being more aspirational than real until today, where Wi-Fi 6 security is considered to be on a par with the security of 5G telephony. This FAQ will answer several questions related to Wi-Fi security and encryption: What’s the difference between WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3? […]

Filed Under: 5G, Applications, FAQ, Featured, Security, Wifi, Wireless Tagged With: FAQ

What to consider when selecting a Wi-Fi antenna

February 1, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Antennas are a critical part of the link budget in all wireless communications applications, including Wi-Fi. In addition to the numerous antenna performance and link budget issues in wireless communications, there are general architectural challenges. The architectural options are the focus of this FAQ, including; long-distance versus local Wi-Fi and the use of directional vs. […]

Filed Under: Applications, FAQ, Featured, Wifi, Wireless Tagged With: FAQ

Wi-Fi by the numbers

January 31, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

This FAQ briefly reviews the generations of Wi-Fi and backward compatibilities, looks at the different frequency bands used by the latest Wi-Fi specifications, and reviews the bandwidths offered by various Wi-Fi implementations. The first five generations of Wi-Fi focused on evolutionary and incremental advancements and backward compatibility. Wi-Fi 6 changed that trajectory and is a […]

Filed Under: Applications, FAQ, Featured, Wifi, Wireless Tagged With: FAQ

Quantifying embedded MCU energy consumption

January 6, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

There are several methods and benchmarks for quantifying the energy consumption of embedded microcontroller units (MCUs) and related energy consumption benchmarks for common peripheral functions such as Bluetooth low energy and Wi-Fi. Over time, MCU designs have changed to support the demand for higher energy efficiency. In addition, there is another world of energy consumption […]

Filed Under: Embedded, FAQ, Featured, microcontroller Tagged With: FAQ

Specifying MCUs for satellites and spacecraft

January 5, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

There is not a single group of standards but a continuum of qualification criteria for the components and systems used in satellites and spacecraft (Figure 1). With the growth of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites where the environment is less demanding and where some satellites are expected to be replaced regularly with upgraded designs, the […]

Filed Under: Aerospace and Defense, Applications, FAQ, Featured, microcontroller Tagged With: FAQ

How does embedded software work?

January 4, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Embedded software is specialized programming on a chip, such as a microcontroller (MCU), or in firmware in an embedded MCU, to control its functions. Unlike general computer applications, designed to be installed on various computer systems or modified to provide varying levels of functionality, embedded software is generally purpose-built for a single hardware environment and […]

Filed Under: Embedded, FAQ, Featured, microcontroller, RTOS Tagged With: FAQ

What’s special about embedded microcontrollers?

January 3, 2022 By Jeff Shepard

Embedded MCUs are purpose-built for use in various specific applications and rely on embedded peripherals, various communications protocols, conventional operating systems (OS) or specialized real-time operating systems (RTOS), middleware, application software, and development environments. While MCU stands for microcontroller unit, it could also be interpreted as mission controller unit since these devices are optimized for […]

Filed Under: Applications, Embedded, FAQ, Featured, Hardware, microcontroller Tagged With: FAQ

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