Nathan Collins

Effective debugging in embedded Linux requires a full-stack approach and the right tools. This post covers key techniques—from hardware abstraction and static analysis to profiling and logging—to help you build more reliable systems.

Choosing the right programming language for your embedded Linux device is crucial. Learn the nuances of C++, Rust, and Dart to make an informed decision.

Key architectural choices - monolithic vs. microservices - impact scalability and complexity. Planning for multi-user support early prevents costly modifications, while containers enhance consistency and security in deployment. Strong security practices, such as minimizing root access and securing OS vulnerabilities, are essential for resilience. Thoughtful planning ensures a scalable, secure, and maintainable embedded system.

Choosing the ideal software stack for your embedded device is a decision that influences both its performance and long-term value. With so many tools available, the burden of figuring out where to start can feel overwhelming. This blog aims to help you streamline your software selection, focusing primarily on the lowest level of the software […]

Shipping your product to customers is where some real challenges in software development begin. Once it lands in customers’ hands, delivering the expected and necessary software updates can be a complicated task. Here’s a breakdown of some key considerations to keep your product, and your customers, running smoothly, even after your product has shipped. Getting […]

Not all devices require screens. Some rely on web-based user interfaces or smartphone apps for control and interaction. But if your product needs a built-in screen and you need to decide which to get and what to do with it, the rest of this blog is for you. Elaborate or plain? It’s important to choose […]

Choosing the right hardware for an embedded Linux device is so much more important than your software choices. Making the wrong decision can lead to significant costs and disruptions if you have to change hardware mid-development. Read this blog first before you solidify your choice. Custom or commercial? Choosing between a custom or commercially available […]

Developing embedded software is notoriously difficult – how can we simplify the process? Fortunately, there are lots of techniques you can use daily to help streamline your development. Embracing Automation The specialized nature of embedded systems extends the ramp-up time for developers and necessitates a higher level of expertise. Automating hardware-specific tasks, such as deploying […]

In today’s pervasively digital landscape, building software for a single platform is a 1990s approach. Modern applications, even those designed for specific embedded targets, must be adaptable enough to run seamlessly across various platforms without sacrificing efficiency or reliability. This is often easier said than done. Here are some key points to consider when developing […]

The robustness of Linux is widely acknowledged, but it can't quite match the microsecond management of a real-time operating system (RTOS) for time critical situations such as CNC machine instructions, vehicular control, or health sensor collection. If your software must record, manage, or control events within a narrow and precise time window and you’re invested […]

Choosing the right system-on-chip (SoC) is probably your first consideration when designing an embedded product, followed closely by deciding whether to use an off-the-shelf board or design your own. The case for commercial boards in initial designs For the first product in a new line, consider using a commercially available board that features your chosen […]

When designing an embedded product, there’s a lot riding on those crucial first decisions of choosing a hardware vendor and board. Clearly, the hardware you select must be powerful enough to support your product, a challenging determination given that software is usually still in the planning stages at this point in the process. Plus, planning […]

With Apple moving to Apple Silicon for all of their new products, software developers are having to figure out how to support both Intel and Apple Silicon devices. Like some of our customers, you may not be ready to move to Apple Silicon. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily exempt you from dealing with universal binaries, especially […]

Declarative Widgets is a QML plugin that adds Qt Widgets support to QML. This means we can now easily mix the power of QML with the comfort of a Widgets UI on desktop. Background Declarative Widgets was born out of a breakfast discussion about how awesome it would be to use QML to describe QWidget-based […]