Leveraging Open Source Software in Embedded Software Development
Open source software has become an entrenched component of embedded systems within the last decade. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and the key investor in LinkedIn, recently announced that “software is eating the world.” There are more instances of embedded software in the world today than any other type of software combined. It is at [...]
Model-Based Design Reduces ASIC Development Time
Semtech, a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, reduced their ASIC development time by adopting Model-Based Design (with MathWorks MATLAB and Simulink). Using system models for simulation and automatic HDL generation, Semtech engineers created FPGA prototypes 50% faster, reduced verification time from weeks to days, and shortened development time by 33% compared to their [...]
Contributed Article: Best Practices – Memory Management in C and C++
C and C++ programmers very often allocate and de-allocate memory on the heap without the proper understanding on how these low-level facilities work and what happens underneath. But these memory related problems becomes a great concern in the systems with shortage of almost all the resources including memory, like embedded real-time systems. This dynamic behavior [...]
The Importance of Integration in Product Design
Integration is important in the product development world. Nearly every manmade object we come into contact with was likely the result of a team effort. As products continue to grow more complex and more integral to our lives, so do the required interactions and values amongst the development team involved. Companies now are under ever [...]
Power Architecture Enabled Differentiated Solution for LTE
By Fawzi Behmann This article is intended to provide status on LTE as a key technology enabler that will have impact on the entire telecom supply chain. LTE impact affects semiconductor SoC, communications networking infrastructure, mobile devices, applications and quality services transforming means of communications to a new level – higher speed, multimedia content and [...]
Speeding FPGA Prototype Debug Process with Active Debug and Full Visibility
By Joe Gianelli and Tom Huang Introduction System integration continues to drive the semiconductor design market. This is most obvious when looking at the increased system integration associated with System on Chip (SoC) design over the last few years. Integrating complex hardware features with complex software applications onto one silicon device makes the validation process [...]
Selecting the Right Computer on Module Vendor
By Maheshwari Introduction Engineers have always been faced with the question of whether or not a Computer-on-Module (COM) company is the right vendor to partner with. To help with the decision, I have written an article to help engineers select the ideal COM partner. Target Usage First, it is important to identify the applications for [...]
35 Test Cases for User Interface Testing
When testing user interfaces, it is easy to overlook test cases that would be helpful for a more thoroughly tested solution. The following list identifies twenty test cases that should be considered when testing user interfaces.
20 Useful Test Cases for Testing User Interfaces
- Required Fields
If the screen requires data entry on a specific field, designers should identify the required fields with a red asterisk and generate a friendly warning if the data is left blank. - Data Type Errors
If the screen contains dates, numeric, currency or other specific data types, ensure that only valid data can be entered. - Field Widths
If the screen contains text boxes that allow data entry, ensure that the width of data entered does not exceed the width of the table field (e.g. a title that is limited to 100 characters in the database should not allow more than 100 characters to be entered from the user interface). - Onscreen Instructions
Any screen that is not self-explanatory to the casual user should contain onscreen instructions that aid the user. - Keep Onscreen Instructions Brief
While onscreen instructions are great, keep the wording informative, in layman’s terms, but concise.
Intel ATOM Processor Technology for Embedded Designs
Shrinking product development cycles coupled with demanding product requirements and increasingly complex design implementations can overwhelm a design team. The technical risk of employing new, complex, high-speed processor technology can often deter engineers from incorporating new technology in product designs. Intel Corporation’s ATOM processor and low power chipset solution is a technology choice which cannot [...]
Direct Digital Synthesis Components
Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) is a method for generating arbitrary frequency sine waves with high accuracy and spectral purity. The ability to generate spectrally pure sine waves at programmable arbitrary frequencies is useful for instrumentation, communications products, and other applications. Today’s Direct Digital Synthesis components (DDS) provide highly accurate, spectrally pure sine wave generation with [...]
If you are familiar with RSS feeds, you can also sign up for our free blog feed. Our RSS feed is updated in real-time while our newsletter is updated daily.