Embedded systems programmers often value the assert() macro. This article explores the underlying definition of this handy macro, to show you how to roll your own.
The assert() macro is one of those simple tools that would not seem to merit an entire article, but I have come across an alarming number of engineers who have not heard of it or do not use it.
To keep a watchdog timer from resetting your system, you've got to kick it regularly. But that's not all there is to watchdog science. We will examine the use and testing of a watchdog, as well as the integration of a watchdog into a multitasking environment.
CRCs are among the best checksums available to detect and/or correct errors in communications transmissions. This article shows how to implement an efficient CRC in C or C++.
Many common types of data transmission errors cannot be detected by additive checksums. This article describes a stronger type of checksum known as a CRC.
What if data is lost or corrupted in transit? Communication protocols usually attempt to detect such errors automatically. To do that they use checksums.
