Firmware, system software (also called embedded software), middleware and application software work collaboratively and perform specific functions in embedded systems. Firmware, system software, and middleware are generally preloaded in an MCU. Applications software may be preloaded but is often added after the system has been built. This FAQ reviews the functions and interactions between firmware, […]
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What do MCUs have that FPGAs don’t?
Microcontroller units (MCUs) have a computer processor unit (CPU) core, various types of memory, input/output (I/O) functions, and a range of integrated peripherals. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) don’t have any of these features and consist of many configurable (or programmable) logic blocks, with a programmable interconnect overlay surrounded by numerous general purpose I/Os (GPIOs). […]
Factors to consider when selecting an MCU
Selecting the MCU is an important activity when starting a new project. Underspecify the MCU, and performance suffers; over-specify it, and the budget suffers. In either case, suffering is unwanted and unnecessary. It’s prevented by taking a thoughtful and thorough approach to MCU selection. This FAQ begins with a review of the baseline performance numbers […]
LTE-M: delivering a future-proof IoT
By Dima Feldman, VP of Product Management and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel The CAT-1 LTE modem was initially defined in 2008 as a low-cost, low-power alternative to connect IoT devices that needed to transfer limited amounts of data. However, vendors and network providers at that time focused on higher throughput. The actual device introduction […]
Book review: Dead Simple Python
Dead Simple Python, by Jason C. McDonald Readers may initially see the title of this book and think it entails a “for dummies” type presentation of Python. Not at all. McDonald, a software engineer, has written a +700-page treatise on Python that is aimed at people who already are familiar with some other software language […]
Cool technology at the Siemens IESF Automotive Conference 2022
The Integrate Electrical Solutions Forum came about in 2000 as a conference for the automotive engineering community. The original events were organized by Mentor Graphics and SAE. Since Mentor’s acquisition by Siemens, the event has been run by the Siemens Digital Industry Software group. The current version of IESF includes a mix of technical […]
Securing automotive ICs with formal methods
Best practices for protecting vehicles from hackers now include advanced verification techniques. John Hallman, David Landoll, Siemens EDA It’s no secret that much of the control for modern vehicles takes place via ICs, and any access to them may give an outsider uninvited control of the car. It is a challenge to identify the security […]
Book review: The Art of Clean Code: Best practices to eliminate complexity and simplify your life
The Art of Clean Code: Best practices to eliminate complexity and simplify your life, by Christian Mayer, No Starch Press If you wanted a short primer on how to be an exceptionally productive programmer, you could do a lot worse than Christian Mayer’s 142-page book. Mayer, a computer science PhD and founder of the Finxter.com […]
What? LORAN may be back? Why? How? Part 3
The defunct, obsolete LORAN navigation system is being revived with enhancements to overcome GNSS’s potential performance and availability risks. Congress debated whether to retain and upgrade the LORAN-C infrastructure to become enhanced LORAN (eLORAN), a national backup to GPS. In October 2009, Congress enacted a Department of Homeland Security appropriations measure allowing LORAN-C termination. […]
What? LORAN may be back? Why? How? Part 2
The defunct, obsolete LORAN navigation system is being revived with enhancements to overcome the potential performance and availability risks of GNSS. Before GNSS and GPS, and before INS systems were available, another type of RF-based position-determining system was in wide use: LORAN. Q: What is LORAN? A: LORAN is short for LOng RAnge Navigation. LORAN, […]