You’re Not Special: The Fallacy of Not Being a Cybertarget
Every few months, I sit across from a customer explaining why their connected product doesn’t need real cybersecurity. “It’s not a target,” they say with confidence, often followed by a knowing shrug, like they’ve just closed the case with common sense. It’s a beautiful moment, really. A perfect blend of wishful thinking, budget fatigue, and […]
Embedded Platform Strategy: Benefit or Burden? Part 1
In embedded systems, most projects are still built as one-offs.Other industries, like automotive, have long moved on: different cars, same platform underneath. A mutualized hardware and software platform can bring huge gains — but only if it’s used at the right time, and organized the right way. Platform-based development is a broad topic with many […]
13 Clues Your Embedded Project Is in Trouble
After decades of helping embedded teams recover and refocus, I’ve learned to spot the signs early. Here are 13 clues your project might be heading for serious trouble—organized by category: process, team, foundations, technology, and timeline. Embedded systems don’t usually fail suddenly. They drift into trouble—slowly, quietly, and sometimes invisibly—through small compromises, unclear decisions, and […]
Are You Riding a Dead Horse?
A well-known adage attributed to the Native American wisdom advises: “When you find yourself riding a dead horse, the best course of action is to dismount.” While the origins of the saying are uncertain, it frequently appears in business and humorous contexts to illustrate the futility of persisting with failed endeavors. In the world of […]
OTA Update Tools: Find The Perfect Fit For Your Application
Updating the firmware of modern devices is an essential part of their lifecycle. This post explores the desirable features of an OTA updater and compares three popular options to help you choose the best tool. Maintaining firmware in embedded systems is an ongoing challenge. Over-the-air (OTA) flash image programmers simplify this by enabling remote updates, […]
A Deeper Dive into Software Buses: D-Bus, MQTT, and Kafka
In a previous post, we introduced the concept of a software bus, a powerful tool for inter-process communication. Today, we’re diving deeper into three popular software buses—D-Bus, MQTT, and Kafka—each of which has unique strengths and is tailored to specific use cases. D-Bus: The Local Communicator D-Bus is a versatile message bus system that was […]
Bus Your Way to Better Embedded Systems
Communication between processes, applications, or even computers is crucial for creating modular and flexible software architectures. But when it comes to implementing this communication, developers are often faced with a multitude of choices—each with its own set of complexities. This article explores how software buses simplify this challenge, making inter-component communication more structured and scalable. […]
Requirements: Writing Specs That Save Time and Money
Writing clear, concise, and testable requirements is critical for ensuring that your project meets its goals efficiently. In this post, we’ll explore best practices for crafting effective requirements and how using the right tools, including AI, can streamline the process. In embedded systems engineering, the functional and non-functional aspects of a new product are often […]
Reviews: The Key to Right-First-Time Designs
Frustrated by endless design iterations, costly reworks, and damaged reputation? Discover the power of professional design reviews. Outside experts can help you identify and address potential issues early on, ensuring a smooth development process and successful product launch. Here is the why and the how. Why Your Hardware Design Needs a Third Eye: A Case […]
Containerizing Yocto the CQFD Way
Have you ever struggled to create a single Yocto project that can accommodate multiple variants, such as different hardware or software configurations? Containerizing Yocto can be a solution, but the complexity can be overwhelming. That’s where CQFD comes in. The Yocto Project is an open-source embedded Linux development framework that provides a flexible and customizable […]