Embedded Systems Weekly – Issue 53
Issue 53 – 20 May 2016
Hardware
The new Type-C USB connector is the latest addition to the USB connector standards. It offers reversible plugs, direction independent cables, USB3.1 speeds, and 3A charging in a connector only a little bigger than the USB 2.0 MicroB connector. In order to add these capabilities the plugs and connectors have additional configuration pins to allow devices to negotiate their state. Supporting the configuration channel may seem like a difficult challenge but it can be achieved fairly simply for the basic use cases.Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
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Most hobbyists and many professionals use Eagle CAD as a daily tool in designing schematics and laying out PCB. Yahya Tawil is going to share the most important tips and tricks for using Eagle CAD, which make his work much easier and faster. See also Part 2Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
Software
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Within the embedded system space, it is very common to find a FPGA at the heart of the system. This is due to the FPGA’s ability to perform several functions in parallel and its deterministic response. Many embedded systems also contain a processor to handle communication, housekeeping, scheduling, and other tasks traditionally performed in software.Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
An interesting issue that comes up when writing code for the x64 architecture is which code model to use. This probably isn’t a very well-known topic, but if one wants to understand the x64 machine code generated by compilers, it’s educational to be familiar with code models. There are also implications for optimization, for those who really care about performance down to the smallest instruction.Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
A Python library for analyzing linear two-port electrical network. Includes useful functionality for aiding in the design of small-signal RF amplifiers (e.g. Smith charts and stability analysis).Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
Misc
A robot hand that can perform extremely dexterous manoeuvres and learn from its own experiences has been developed by University of Washington researchers.Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
In this instructable Apocalyt will explain how to use the TSYS01 Temperature Sensor Board with an Arduino microcontroller for very accurate temperature measurements. Share on Twitter ∙ Share on Facebook
Photo by 3DBeerGoggles