Functional safety is becoming one of the most important features in embedded systems, especially in the automotive and industrial markets, where safety and reliability are critical design attributes. It encompasses the development of a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) according to IEC 61508 functional safety standard for the general industry and an Automotive Safety Integrity Level […]
Four major design considerations in secure boot for IoT applications
Secure boot, the first line of defense against security breaches in embedded systems, verifies the pre-boot authentication of system firmware using a root-of-trust service and thus safeguards code and data to prevent malicious activities. It’s a critical security measure to protect connected devices like the Internet of Things (IoT) endpoints because most security breaches such […]
Three RTOS basics: What, when and how
While real-time operating system (RTOS) software is becoming a key feature in the out-of-box support for embedded systems built around MCUs, the overall concept of RTOS is still muddy for many design engineers. So, here is when and why RTOS solutions are needed in embedded designs. But, before that, what is RTOS anyway, especially when […]
The AI-enabled MCUs: Basic design venues
What has the tiny microcontroller got to do with the mighty artificial intelligence (AI) world and its technology offshoots like machine learning and deep learning? After all, the AI designs have mostly been associated with powerful CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. Right? While this notion is not far from reality, it’s quickly changing with AI’s journey […]
The fundamentals of MCU-based hardware virtualization
Virtualization, a powerful technology concept commonly associated with high-end applications in servers, is coming to the microcontrollers featuring multiple execution domains via multiple CPUs with a lock-step mechanism. The microcontrollers that incorporate hardware-based virtualization-assisted functions mark a new integration milestone in the embedded design world. Moreover, by running multiple software components on a single MCU […]
What matters for MCUs serving OTA functions in automotive designs
The technology features like over-the-air (OTA) software updates and data management are reinventing the hardware of today for the software of tomorrow. And if there is a single most prominent component at this technology crossroads, it’s the microcontroller. Moreover, the growing popularity of OTA functions is most visible in automotive environments where they wirelessly and […]
What you need to know about MCUs for servo control
A servo motor, used for position feedback of angular rotation, applies pulse width modulation (PWM) signals for precise control over motion. Industrial design engineers can change the rotation angle and direction of the motor by varying the width of the PWM signal, and here, the role of MCU, which generates the PWM signal, inevitably becomes […]
How zero-touch provisioning simplifies IoT links to cloud
Zero-touch provisioning eliminates the manual labor needed to connect devices to a network and allows these devices to be provisioned and configured automatically. It’s especially critical for small and mid-size companies in terms of cost and time of managing the provisioning logistics. While it’s a common concept in the networking industry at large, MCU suppliers […]
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