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My Business Card Runs Linux

thirtythreeforty.net

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Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#131

Post by linuxlizard »

nickreese wrote: post #118
XzAeRosho wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mainly work in web-dev, but working in embedded systems is kind of my hobby. It's kind of refreshing working on bare-metal, optimizing up-to single bytes of data, when I'm usually working on layers and layers of abstraction everyday.

Where does a web-dev turn to to get started in this as a hobby?

Start with an Arduino and the Adafruit tutorials. Very gentle learning curve. https://learn.adafruit.com/category/learn-arduino

From there, can decide where your interests might be. To continue with Arduino hardware but without the IDE, I'd recommend _AVR Programming_ https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/make-avr-programming/97...

For other low level programming, Atmel's AVR Studio and their dev boards are incredibley newcomer friendly. Their source level debugger (with the debug coprocessor) is a miracle.

If you'd like to get into "big iron", Embedded Linux is amazing. Raspberry Pi is a great start (lots of GPIOS programmable from userspace). To get into embedded linux kernel programming, start with a loadable module on the Ras-Pi. Also, build/load your own Ras-Pi kernel.

Other folks suggested the ESP8266 which is also great fun to use.

Edit: Learn C. Lots and lots of C. Embedded dev is almost all C. A teeny bit of ASM, sometimes C++. But almost all of it will be in C.

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#132

Post by [deleted] »

pkolaczk wrote: post #62
jaclaz wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it is appropriate as a business card for an embedded systems engineers, not so much for a system security one! More seriously, I never managed to understand the "obsession" with ROHS (this here is just an example): >I made sure to have a lead-free process—the boards, parts, and solder paste are all RoHS—so that I wouldn't feel bad about giving them to people. I mean, you are creating something that (besides bei…

I don't get this lead-free hatred on internet forums. People say they can't solder with lead-free, and that it is terrible, and that joints look dull. So much hatred that I actually tried it out. And I found the process is basically just the same and there is nothing to be afraid of. Just set the solder iron temperature a bit higher and that's it. Works like a charm.

[deleted]

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#133

Post by blotter_paper »

jacquesm wrote: post #54
jlg23 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OTOH, a security conscious engineer could exploit this to have the business card call home and automatically block communications from the company so one does not waste time with them ;)

I'd say that's a business opportunity lost.

It would be funny to have the business card list known exploits on their system -- whether this would taken lightly by the hiring manager is another question.

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#134

Post by jasoneckert »

I love this! And while it's well suited to the person (embedded engineer), it could be realigned to someone else by changing the tagline. For example, "This card runs vim!" for developers, or "This card runs Linux containers!" for devops, etc.

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#135

Post by Shorel »

Abishek_Muthian wrote: post #70

This is cool as it showcases his embedded engineering prowess. Years of startup meets[1] have left a bad taste in mouth for the business cards. I've seen people exchange business cards ceremoniously, only to give a missed call to each other immediately. Business cards are a waste of money, paper and I don't want to get started on the plastics. I honestly thought that proliferation of NFC in smartphones would help to…

What I don't know is why all phones don't have a QR/barcode reader application preinstalled.

A QR code is the best of both worlds.

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#136

Post by pantalaimon »

interfixus wrote: post #69

Tech- and designwise, very neat. And then there's the occasional sourfaced old party pooper like myself. Two seconds in, and I no longer see the sweet wizardry or the polished black surface; I only see @gmail , internally translating to " someone who doesn't really care ".

You can't take care of everything - there are only so many hours in a day.

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#139

Post by IgorPartola »

I really appreciate this write up. I didn’t know about JCL and their assembly prices seem very reasonable. I also usually order my parts from Newark but their shipping is kind of silly on small orders ($8 for anything under 2lb).

Yesterday I started a small electronics project (Bluetooth connected tachometer for my motorcycle), and want to use ESP32 chips for it. I am the kind of masochist who in the past soldered SMD components by hand, but with these new services at my disposal could do so much better with that. Time to build a reflow oven?

Re: My Business Card Runs Linux

#140

Post by leggomylibro »

glaberficken wrote: post #32

Loved the article, but loved even more to learn about MicroPython. As an amateur programmer that has never actually physically handled hobby micro-controller type boards, but has read a lot about them, it was amazing to be able to try out the emulator at https://micropython.org/unicorn/ Make the leds blink, see how servo control works etc, all in the browser without having to actually buy any hardware! I had never se…

MicroPython is fantastic for education and rapid prototyping with hardware - definitely try it out! It can be difficult to make complex long-running applications because of post-GC memory fragmentation and frequent dynamic allocations by the VM, but the Python syntax makes it all worthwhile. It also has a supportive and friendly community where it's easy to get support, and the official 'PyBoards' are great.

MakeCode is also similar to what you describe - check out Adafruit's Blockly/JS simulator:

https://makecode.adafruit.com/

Note that CircuitPython is Adafruit's fork which focuses more on education than industrial prototyping. So even within the embedded Python ecosystem, you have options.

Embedded development is so easy these days, it is just fantastic. The barrier to entry, in both cost and complexity, is so low now that just about anyone can apply physical automation to the problems that they see in their life and community. I'm excited to see what emerges in the next couple of decades.

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