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Firmware Update
- October 28, 2010
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in this issue
-- The Sad State of Embedded Software Process
-- VDC's Annual Survey of Embedded Engineers
-- Winter and Spring Boot Camp Dates Announced

Firmware Update is a free newsletter by embedded software expert Michael Barr. It is Copyright 2010 by Netrino, LLC, but may be reprinted for non-commercial purposes. Please forward it to colleagues who may benefit from the information.

The Sad State of Embedded Software Process
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 I'm sad to say it, but it's true: As a group we suck!
  • C is the lingua franca of embedded programming. Yet the average score of firmware engineers on the ten-question multiple choice Embedded C Quiz is a pathetic 61%.
  • There are at least a dozen great static analysis tools on the market. One of them, PC-Lint, costs just $389. Yet 80% of firmware developers don't use any such bug-killing tool.
  • Choosing and following a software development process is not brain surgery. It can be as straightforward as the waterfall model (design before you code, code before you test). But 42% of firmware developers report using "no methodology" or "don't know"!

You can't make this stuff up. What is wrong with us!?

Please tell me it's not true...


VDC's Annual Survey of Embedded Engineers
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 Please help independent research firm VDC conduct its annual survey of engineers working in the embedded systems design field. The survey asks questions about your use of design tools and development processes like those mentioned above.

The first 400 survey respondents can choose to receive a $10 gift certificate for Amazon.com gift or elect to make a $10 donation to FIRST. And everyone who completes the survey receives:

  • Entry into the grand prize drawing for an iPad
  • Immediate access to their survey results from last year.
I participated this morning and it only took about 10 minutes to complete the survey.

Please give a few minutes for research...


Winter and Spring Boot Camp Dates Announced
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 Last week I was in Maryland teaching Netrino's Embedded Software Boot Camp to a group of 17 engineers from a wide range of backgrounds and industries. Several members of the audience traveled great distances--from Mexico, Canada, Ireland, and Australia--to attend. As usual, the feedback was very positive.

The dates and locations for Winter and Spring 2011 workshops have now been set. These will be:

  • March 14-18, 2011 near San Francisco, California (register)
  • May 16-20, 2011 near Baltimore, Maryland (register)
These will be the 9th and 10th times, respectively, that the Embedded Software Boot Camp has been offered to the public since the first was held in 2008.

Please make plans now to join us! As our Australian attendee said: It's "well worth traveling half-way around the world for!"

Please plan now to attend in 2011...


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