Introduction to Closed-Loop Control and PID
Most control systems utilize feedback in some manner. Here's a look at several fundamental feedback mechanisms, culminating in a description of a basic PID controller.
How-to articles about designing safe, reliable, and secure embedded systems.
MISRA-C Guidelines for Safety Critical Software
In 1998, the UK's Motor Industry Software Reliability Association established a set of 127 guidelines for the use of C in safety-critical systems. Here's a look at the rules, what they mean, and how they can work for you.
KVM: A Small Java Virtual Machine for J2ME
Sun's K Virtual Machine gives embedded developers a virtual kick in the pants. KVM makes it possible to, for the first time, run Java programs on any 16-bit processor with 128KB of available memory.
How to Use Lint for Static Code Analysis
Language specifications, including those for C and C++, are often loosely written. A static analysis tool called lint can help you find dangerous and non-portable constructs in your code before your compiler turns them into run-time bugs.
Introduction to Priority Inversion
When tasks share resources, as they often do/must, strange things can and will happen. Priority inversions can be particularly difficult to anticipate. A basic understanding of the problem is key.
How to Detect Memory Leaks
Memory leaks can be particularly risky for long-running embedded systems. Here are some tools to identify, track, and analyze memory leaks in embedded C and C++ programs.
How Endianness Works: Big-Endian vs. Little Endian
Some human languages are read and written from left to right; others from right to left. A similar issue arises in the field of computers, involving the representation of numbers.
Introduction to Watchdog Timers
For those embedded systems that can't be constantly watched by a human, watchdog timers may be the solution.
Most embedded systems need to be self-reliant. It's not usually possible to wait for someone to reboot them if the software hangs. Some embedded designs, such as space probes, are simply not accessible to human operators. If their software ever hangs, such systems are permanently disabled. In other cases, the speed with which a human operator might reset the system would be too slow to meet the uptime requirements of the product.
Introduction to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a powerful technique for controlling analog circuits with a processor's digital outputs. PWM is employed in a wide variety of applications, ranging from measurement and communications to power control and conversion.
How to Use C's volatile Keyword
The proper use of C's volatile keyword is poorly understood by many programmers. This article will teach you the proper way to do it.