Went to the Holiday Bowl

I went to the big sad game and I took only this one crappy photo. ASU lost to Texas 52-34 in San Diego, CA.

Imax to install 100 digital projection screens in AMC Entertainment Theaters

Imax's upcoming digital projection systems will start popping up in 33 major U.S. markets, doubling the company's presence in the commercial theater industry. I personally can't wait to see the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight, on a giant Imax screen. Maybe we'll get one of the new digital Imax theaters in Phoenix before the movie premieres!

[Source: forbes.com]

Facebook to let other sites access platform code

Webware.com is reporting that Facebook making its platform architecture available as a model for other social sites.

Facebook has announced that the architecture for its developer platform will be made available to other social-networking sites, potentially rendering moot the criticism that its strategy is too "closed"--and potentially dealing a huge blow to Google's yet-to-launch OpenSocial initiative.

Get additional information from webware.com

Facebook sorry for Beacon slip-ups, offers full opt-out

from Ars Technica by jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng)

Facebook didn't handle Beacon's launch or criticism very well, CEO Mark Zuckerberg admits. The company has now added controls that block Beacon from reporting their activities, which has some, but not all, satisfied.

Read More...

Some notable changes in MPLAB IDE 8.00

I put together a short list of notable changes in 8.00. Note that there were many more changes than what I've listed here (mostly device- or tool-specific changes). This list shows only the changes that I thought would of interest to most users.

---

Editor

• Improved autocomplete feature to skip the compiler-generated fake name for anonymous structures.
• Improved Find-in-Files to remember previously used settings.
• Improved match (Ctrl+M) to movesbetween conditional compilation directives (e.g. #if, #else, #endif)
• Added a close button to the tabbed editor.
• Improved autocomplete list to scroll the auto selected item to the top of the list rather than the bottom.
  
• Prevent editor from scrolling back to cursor position when changing window focus.
• Fixed refresh of displayed text when scrolling vertically after scrolling right.
• Fixed Hard-tab outdent feature (Shift+tab) to remove only one tab instead of two.

Watch Window

• Fixed 7.62 bug displaying ASM30-defined file-scope variables with the COFF object-file format.
• Added support for viewing ASM30 variables with the ELF/DWARF object-file format
• Improved the SFR-bitfield mouseover tooltip to constrain itself to the visible desktop area.

MPLAB SIM

• Improved the status bar to display specified oscillator frequency.

Microchip Launches QVGA Graphics Solution for Cost-Sensitive Embedded Display Applications

I'm a little late with this one... The press release went out last week, but the free graphics library and Explorer 16 daughter board are so interesting that I couldn't let them go ignored.

The free graphics library and code provided by Microchip enable two- and three-dimensional objects, such as circles, text, rectangles, buttons, meters, windows, progress bars and more, along with images, animation, and touch screen capabilities. These graphics features allow engineers to easily implement and customize graphical user interfaces with faster time to market, low risk development and lower total system cost. In addition, Microchip’s third-party partners, Segger (www.segger.com) and Ramtex (www.ramtex.dk), offer compatible graphics libraries which reduce software development time and provide greater flexibility in graphical user interface development.

Be sure to visit http://www.microchip.com/graphics for more info.

Microchip Hiring Compiler Engineers in Bangalore and Chandler

Does anybody know any experienced compiler engineers? We are looking for new compiler engineers to join our teams in both Bangalore and Chandler.

• Compiler Engineer-India
• Sr. Compiler Engineer-India
• Sr. Compiler Engineer-India
• Pr. Compiler Engineer-Chandler

We're also hiring a Software Test Engineer in the Development Systems group.

• Sr. Software Test Engineer I - India

If you know anybody who might be interested in one of these positions, please send them our way!

MPLAB IDE 8.00 High-Level Debugger does not reset target after a project build

You may have noticed that there was a change introduced in MPLAB IDE 8.00's high-level debugger that affects all debug tools. Your debug tool will not reset the target after building a project or importing a ELF/COFF/COD/HEX file. The green program counter indicator stays put. What gives?

The change was intended to address two issues: 1) The source editor jumped back to the reset vector following a project build or file import and 2) Debug-tool communications errors if the target had not yet been programmed. This was a critical problem when the user had the "Reset to Main" feature enabled because the reset would cause the debug tool to attempt to run an unprogrammed target. It was an even bigger issue if the target device was not connected.

We think this change will help avoid some pretty nasty problems that users could run into under certain conditions. Just remember to hit your debugger reset hotkey or press the reset toolbar button if you are expecting your target to run from the reset vector.

DVD Forum votes to extend format stalemate

The DVD Forum voted to approve a 51-GB triple-layer hybrid HD-DVD spec. The new 51-GB capacity matches Blu Ray's 50-GB capacity and eliminates Blu Ray's main advantage over dual-layer HD-DVDs. I'm just glad that I haven't made the jump to a high-def optical format just yet.

[via engadget]

MPLAB C30 16-bit projects no longer require linker scripts

Well sort of. All MPLAB C30 projects require a device-specific linker script. However, starting with MPLAB IDE 8.00, you no longer need to explicitly add a .gld file to your project. If you don't specify a .gld file in your project, the project manager will use a default name based on your selected device. When the project manager calls the linker, it passes the default linker-script name to the compilation shell via the -T option. The tools will know where to find the default linker script for the device.

This new feature in MPLAB IDE 8.00 makes creating and sharing projects much simpler. It also simplifies changing devices. Go ahead... try it. Remove your .gld file from your project tree and do a Project Build All.

Express Logic Unveils ThreadX(R) RTOS for Microchip Technology's New PIC32 32-bit Microcontroller Family

Read the press release for more information

Express Logic, Inc., the worldwide leader in royalty-free real-time operating systems (RTOS), today announced the availability of its ThreadX(R) RTOS for the new PIC32 microcontroller family from Microchip Technology Inc. MCHP, a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors. In August, Express Logic announced its ThreadX/MCU Edition for Microchip's 16-bit PIC24 and dsPIC33 controllers. With this addition, ThreadX users can easily migrate between Microchip's 16- and 32-bit families using the same RTOS and the same MPLAB(R) Integrated Development Environment (IDE) toolchain from Microchip.

HI-TECH Software Takes on 32-bit MCUs

Read the press release for more information.

HI-TECH Software today announced its entry into the market for 32-bit microcontroller compilers. Its first 32-bit compiler will support the new MIPS-based PIC32 microcontroller family, also announced today, from Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analogue semiconductors.

Green Hills Software and Microchip Technology Announce Software Development Solution for Microchip's New PIC32 MCU Family

Read the press release for more information.

Green Hills Software, Inc., the technology leader in device software optimization (DSO) and real-time operating systems (RTOS), and Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced that Green Hills Software's software development product suite, including the MULTI® integrated development environment, Green Hills compilers, and Green Hills Probe, are now available for Microchip's PIC32 family of microcontrollers (MCUs). The PIC32, based on the MIPS® M4K(TM) core, is Microchip's first 32-bit MCU family.

PIC32 Out of the Bag

EE Times has the scoop on Microchip's new PIC32 microcontroller line.

Boasting better than 60,000 customers, Microchip claims to be the king of the 8-bit microcontroller hill. But it's the 32-bit mountain that Microchip sees in its future. To that end, the company has developed its first 32-bit microcontroller unit, dubbed the PIC32. The device incorporates a MIPS32 M4K processor core, surrounded by all the peripherals you would expect in a PIC-based microcontroller.

Read all of the juicy details at eetimes.com

Source: Microsoft wins Facebook bid battle

After weeks of speculation, Microsoft appears to have won a battle with Google over who would get a stake in Facebook, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Read more at webware.com

Thinking about getting a Mac

So I've been thinking about picking up a new Mac for my personal computer, maybe next year. We've seen a few reports indicating that MPLAB IDE works well under Parallels and if that's the case, I don't see why I shouldn't give it a try. Apple's laptops seem to be really well designed and everybody I know who has tried a Mac swears by it. I can't imagine my life without a gaming-class Windows PC, but I'd like to give a Mac a try. What do you think?



Related Links

• Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: OK, I admit it, Leopard has more “Wow!” than Vista … in theory anyway
• Apple.com: Mac OSX Leopard Guided Tour
  

Meebo releases its new Firefox extension

Webware.com has a good writeup about the new Firefox extension for meebo.com, my favorite web-based IM client.

Meebo released its Firefox extension earlier this morning. It lets you chat with people on six different popular chat clients, or sign in to all at once with your Meebo ID using a sidebar in your browser. The 64k extension is aimed at solving the problem of providing active notifications for friends and conversation activity--one of the most widely requested features from Meebo users, and the hardest to implement without something that has deeper access to your browser. If you've ever used Meebo before and have been annoyed that you can't tell a whole lot about what's going on when it's not your main tab or when minimized, this extension solves that with colored taskbar pop-ups. And as an added bonus for the lazy, there's an option to automatically sign into the service every time you start your browser.

Go to webware.com for the full writeup on Meebo's new extension.

Micro Camera shows Internal Workings of Combustion Engine

doorman77 posted a video on LiveLeak showing the internal workings of a fourstroke combustion engine. The 1000 fps video from the high-pressure, heat-resistant camera shows the simple action of the engine in motion.


[Via Gizmodo.com, hosted on LiveLeak]

Live Search for the Microchip Community

Having trouble searching the Microchip web forum? I created a Google search a while back but this Live Search Macro works much better. You can even add the search provider to Firefox or Internet Explorer.

UC Berkeley to post full lectures on YouTube

"UC Berkeley on YouTube will provide a public window into university life, academics, events and athletics, which will build on our rich tradition of open educational content for the larger community," said Christina Maslach, UC Berkeley's vice provost for undergraduate education in a statement.

Hop over to http://youtube.com/ucberkeley to start watching the over 300 hours of course lectures scheduled to be added.



[Source: webware.com]

Halo 3 themed Tafiti search

Check out the Halo 3 skinned version of ‘Tafiti’, which is an experimental interface built with Silverlight on top of Live Search.
[Source: Major Nelson]

From the Tafiti FAQ:

What is Tafiti?
Tafiti, which means "do research" in Swahili, is an experimental search front-end from Microsoft, designed to help people use the Web for research projects that span multiple search queries and sessions by helping visualize, store, and share research results. Tafiti uses both Microsoft Silverlight and Live Search to explore the intersection of richer experiences on the Web and the increasing specialization of search.

Here's a quick video demo that I found on Youtube.

[video source: http://technomarketer.typepad.com/]

mTouch™ Solution and Design Center for Touch Sensing Applications

I just saw this press release and thought it was interesting. I haven't looked at the app note or source code yet, but I think I will soon.

From the press release:

Touch sensing is fast becoming an alternative to traditional push-button user interfaces, because it requires no mechanical movement, and enables a completely sealed and modern-looking design. Expanding beyond the consumer market, touch sensing is beginning to take hold in medical, industrial and automotive applications for reasons such as aesthetics, maintenance,cost and cleanliness. Microchip enables engineers to add this leading-edge user interface to their designs, without the cost of fee-based licensing and royalty agreements. The Company’s full source-code solution further enables design engineers to integrate touch sensing functionality with their existing application code in a single microcontroller, thus reducing the total system cost associated with current solutions.

Available now, via a free download from Microchip’s Web site at www.microchip.com/mtouch, the Touch Sensing Software Development Kit comes complete with:

• Kit user’s manual with Quick-Start Guide for building a touch sensing application
• Application Notes covering hardware and software design practices, with example implementations for touch sensing solutions, including:

1. Introduction, AN1101
2. Layout & Physical Guidelines, AN1102
3. Software, AN1103
4. Multi-Button Systems, AN1104

• Graphical User Interface software tools for analysis of designs, utilizing Microchip’s PICkit™ Serial Analyzer Development Tool
• Source Code for a variety of sensing routines
• MPLAB® Integrated Development Environment, and the user’s manual
• 30-day license for HI-TECH’s PICC-Lite C compiler, and the user’s manual
• Frequently asked questions
  

Unable to watch ASM30 symbols in MPLAB IDE 7.62

MPLAB IDE Version - v7.62 Interim Release
Tools affected - ASM30 (16-bit assembly code)

We have recently identified a problem with MPLAB IDE 7.62 that can prevent the watch window from showing ASM30 file-scope symbols. These assembly-code symbols will not appear in the watch window's symbol drop-down list, and the watch window will display "Symbol not found" for manually entered symbols.

A user experiencing this problem can download and install a corrected MPProgram.dll by following the instructions below.

1. Close MPLAB IDE.
2. Navigate to your [C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\Core] or the corresponding folder on your system.
3. Rename the existing MPProgram.dll to MPProgram762.dll.
4. Rename the existing MPProgram.sig to MPProgram762.sig.
5. Extract the new MPProgram.dll and MPProgram.sig to your
   [C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\Core] folder.
6. Restart MPLAB IDE.
   

Install this patch if and only if you are experiencing this problem with MPLAB IDE 7.62.

MPLAB822fix.zip

Windows Live SkyDrive (Beta)

The Windows Live SkyDrive (Beta) opened last week. Microsoft's new service gives you 500 MB of storage that you can access anytime from any PC or Mac connected to "the cloud". The service could come in handy if you travel a lot or want to share files with others. Visit their team blog for more details.

[Via Major Nelson]

REAL ICE Skydiving photos from WW MASTERS 07

On the first night of the Worldwide MASTERs Conference in Phoenix, a couple of us from the Development Systems team set up a small photo booth. At the booth, guests could stick their heads in a flimsy piece of cardboard showing a skydiver holding a REAL ICE. Who would have thought that so many people would want to put their face on our REAL ICE firmware developer's body?!?

My ugly mug is up and to the right. I also uploaded the photos to Flickr for those of you who aren't satisfied with the prints that we provided at the conference.


Video: Skydiving with the REAL ICE
Yes, he IS crazy.

Preview of MPLAB IDE's Editor Autocomplete feature

Here's a short video that I played at the Worldwide MASTERs 07 "Ask The Experts" booth during the day (when the booth was closed). It shows the upcoming autocomplete feature in action.

First day of MASTERs in the bag, two more to go!

Well, we just finished our first day of Microchip's annual MASTERs Conference, and it went very well as far as I could tell. I attended a touchscreen LCD GUI class in the morning, worked at the Development Tools store in the afternoon, and acted as a compiler "expert" at the Ask The Experts booth in the evening. I even participate in the entertainment activities at night. It was a long day, but I met a bunch of interesting people and learned a little about what some of the applications engineering groups are doing.

I'm a little nervous about tomorrow morning because it will be my first time presenting a class at MASTERs. Even though I'm only responsible for about 40 minutes of a 4-hour MPLAB C18 class, I still don't want to put everybody to sleep! It's been about a month since we had our dry runs and submitted our slides to the conference organizers, so I need to take some time tonight to review my slides and interactive demo.

If anybody reading this is currently in Phoenix for MASTERs, be sure to stop by the Ask The Experts booth Thursday or Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. You'll be able to talk to members from our MPLAB IDE software team, our compiler team, our hardware/firmware team, and our tool test team. We've already received a good number of suggestions and constructive criticism on our tools, but we'd definitely like to get more. In addition to meeting directly with the Development Systems team, you'll also get some face time with applications developers representing all of Microchip's major product lines including microcontrollers. analog and interface products, and serial EEPROMs. Don't miss this opportunity to get direct contacts on the teams that interest you!

That's all for now. I need to review my class material...

REAL ICE Firmware Engineer in a 12-Way Sit-fly Campfire

Microchip's REAL ICE firmware engineer is an avid skydiver. Recently, he participated in a record-matching sit-fly. Be sure to check out the video at his site.

Don't worry, we always make sure that he commits his code to source control before you goes on one of his many adventures.

Human Brain Cloud shows how we think

Kyle Gabler, founder of the Experimental Gameplay Project and indie game studio 2D Boy, recently posted a few stats from his side project, Human Brain Cloud. The online "game" shows you a word or phrase and all you have to do is type in the first thing that comes to mind. The answers players give are amassed into a huge network of connected blobs viewable from the website. Nearly 800,000 associations have been submitted so far, connecting over 100,000 unique words and phrases.

[via Joystiq]

[Off Topic] Japanese Human Tetris Gameshow

This made me laugh.

Fold ASM code in MPLAB IDE 7.61

Did you know that you can 'fold' ASM code in the editor packaged with MPLAB IDE 7.61? Right click on an ASM file and select Properties to get the editor properties page for ASM file types. Enable the code-folding option.

Once the option is enabled, you can use ;{ and ;} to mark your ASM blocks as shown in the screenshot below.

You can then use the little icon in the upper left corner of the block to collapse the block.

MPLAB SIM MASTERs Classes

Over the past few days, I've attended three MASTERs Simulator-class dry runs. I have to say that the presentations are very well done. The fundamentals class is a good class for people who have never used MPLAB SIM. The debugging techniques and advanced stimulus classes take the material a bit further with stimulus injection, register trace, the logic analyzer, and even the 'Data Monitor and Control Interface' tool. The classes are definitely worth attending if you are looking to take better advantage of the mechanisms that the software simulator provides.

[Off Topic] Battle at Kruger: Lions, Water Buffalos, & Crocs, Oh My!

A battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and 2 crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa's Kruger National Park.

Video Introduction to Docking Windows in MPLAB IDE 7.61

I made short video to introduce users to the new docking-window system in Microchip's MPLAB IDE 7.61. Before playing with docking windows, be sure to create a Window Set with windows undocked so that you can quickly get back to the undocked state.


Video: Intro to Docking Windows in MPLAB IDE 7.61

Martin Bates' Refresher Course in Sensor Design using Microcontrollers

Embedded.com is running a multi-part series by Martin Bates, a lecturer in technology at the Hastings College of Arts and Technology, United Kingdom. In the series, Martin Bates provides details on the design the interface between a sensor and a microcontroller, and how to specify the performance of the linear amplifier used to translate the sensor output into suitable input for an MCU.

Part 1: An introduction to sensors and their characteristics
Part 2: A survey of sensor types
Part 3: Implementing a sensor/MCU interface

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Chat it up at D5

Gizmodo has a seven-part video of Gates vs Jobs going at it in the All Things D conference. The first of seven parts is embedded below.

Watch all seven parts at gizmodo.com.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Apple, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs

Microsoft Introduces Surface Computing

After years of research and numerous tech demos, Microsoft is finally introducing their multi-touch, multi-user, object-recognition, and gestural-interaction interface technology, Surface. Surface uses digital cameras behind a DLP projection screen to recognize touch and objects. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the video at on10.net shows some interesting uses for the technology in retail environments.

Watch the video demonstration at on10.net.

EDIT: Embedded a CNET video below.

AN1095, Emulating Data EEPROM for PIC18 and PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs

Microchip Applications Engineers David Otten and Stephen Cowden recently released a new app note that illustrates Data EEPROM emulation PIC18 and PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs.

Many applications store nonvolatile information in the Flash program memory using table write and read operations. Applications that need to frequently update this data may have greater endurance requirements than the specified Flash endurance for the device. The alternate solution of using an external, serial EEPROM device may not be appropriate for cost-sensitive or pin-constrained applications. This application note presents a third alternative that addresses these issues. This algorithm features an interface similar to an internal data EEPROM, uses available program memory and can improve endurance by a factor as high as 500.

Get more info from Microchip's website.

Why You Shouldn't Follow Directions Too Closely

The plans

The literal result
Source: boredstop.com

Change the world in 18 seconds?

Lawrence Bender claims that you can make a difference in just 18 seconds. Watch the interview on on10.net, visit 18seconds.org, and spread the word.

What kind of difference can one compact fluorescent lamp make? Consider this: If every American swapped just ONE bulb for an ENERGY STAR labeled CFL, it would collectively save more than $8 billion in energy costs, prevent burning 30 billion pounds of coal, and remove 2 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere. Just imagine the difference we could make if we replaced all of the lights we use most!

Backup your MPLAB IDE workspace files now

Just wanted to remind MPLAB IDE users to make a backup copy of each of your workspace (*.mcw) files whenever you upgrade MPLAB IDE versions. The workspace file format is likely to change again in MPLAB IDE 7.61. When you open a workspace in 7.61, it will be automatically upgraded to the new format so once you open a workspace in 7.61, you won't be able to open it again in an older version.

Who DOESNT want a $1564 keyboard?

Every key of the 113-key Optimius Maximus is a 32x32 OLED that will display its current function. Yep, only 200 are being made for the first round, so you better order yours now.

Now, I just need to convince my boss that this keyboard will improve my productivity.

Source: Engadget

We're looking for a Software/Firmware Test Engineer

Know anyone who might be interested in joining our Development Tools group at Microchip in Chandler, Arizona? Send them here.

Brief:
The primary responsibility will be to perform certification testing of new Microchip microcontrollers on hardware Development Tools and create test suites to support detailed testing of these tools. In addition, the engineer will work closely with the development groups to produce hardware products of high quality. Responsibilities will also include test automation using scripting languages and automated testing software.

Minimum Requirements:
The candidate must have excellent communication skills and be able to create clear and effective testing strategies based on technical project requirements. They must be familiar with working in integrated development environments. The candidate must have good troubleshooting and team player skills and be technically astute.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer and Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience is required.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to effectively isolate and identify technical issues.
• Familiarity with microcontrollers or embedded applications is a plus.

Essential Function:

• Plan, develop, and execute certification and stress tests that will effectively verify the quality of Hardware Development tools
• Automate testing of hardware through the use of Automation software
• Support internal and external customers by answering questions and analyzing customer issues.
• Support and maintanence of existing validation test suites.
• Conduct user and peer reviews of test strategy documents.
• Address deficiencies in delivered functionality and effectively communicate issues to development staff.
• Analyze software requirements and develop corresponding testing requirement documents.
• Perform certification testing of new Microchip microcontrollers on Development Tools

EETimes interview with Steve Sanghi

EETimes.com has an interview with Microchip's CEO, Steve Sanghi.

Sanghi: We expect another record year in 2007. 2006 was a record for us. It will be the first year we cross over $1 billion in sales both calendar and fiscal years. The surprise last year was, in fact, that calendar Q4 was down for most companies, which was the start of the current inventory correction. All of the customers and everybody was saying they had no inventory. And all of the sudden, there was inventory.

Read the interview here.

Microsoft shows its Hand Gestures

webware.com captured a video demonstration of hand-gesture recognition technology from Microsoft Research.

One of the coolest uses for this was maneuvering around Microsoft Virtual Earth using your hands. Microsoft showed off two methods, the first using a projector that gleams down on a table top. Using your hands, you can pull the map around, and zoom in and out by pinching in a similar fashion to what Apple has done with the iPhone.

Click here

Stay away from the C18 Class at this year's Worldwide MASTERs Conference

I volunteered to help teach the MPLAB C18 class at this year's MASTERs Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. So, unless you're a glutton for punishment, you'lll definitely want to stay away from the class this year. There are plenty of other classes for you to attend. :-)

I also plan to hang out at the Development Systems table in the Ask the Expert booth. You can come by and chat with me and a few other people from the MPLAB IDE, compiler, and hardware teams. At the other tables, you'll find applications engineers from all of Microchip's divisions.

Get all the info you could ever want at the Microchip website <http://www.microchip.com/masters>.

Microchip Community Search powered by Google

I created a custom Google search to help us find past Microchip forum posts quickly. This custom search also searches Hi-Tech's PICC forum and CCS's Compiler forum.

Using MPLAB SIM's realtime watch with DMCI in MPLAB IDE 7.52

I created a new video showing how to use MPLAB SIM's realtime watch feature. You can combine this simulator feature with the Data Monitor and Control Interface (DMCI). The video also shows a few features that were new to MPLAB IDE 7.52, such as the editor's open include file function and DMCI's Interactive Hot Tracking. Be sure to have the project/workspace that you created with the first video readily available.

---

C30 Source Code:

#include <p33fxxxx.h>
#include <math.h>

#define SCALE 100.0
#define INTERVAL 0.001

volatile int result;
long double __attribute__((persistent)) t;
int __attribute__((persistent)) Amp;
int __attribute__((persistent)) Freq;

int
main (void)
{
 t = 0;
 while (1)
 {
   result = ((long double)Amp)
            * (sinl (((long double)Freq/SCALE) * t));

   t += INTERVAL;
 }
 return 0;
}

---

Knowledge@Wharton's interview with Ray Ozzie, the Man Who Would Change Microsoft

Knowledge@Wharton posted an interview with Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's new Chief Software Architect.

At Microsoft, Ozzie has led the company's "Live" initiative, focused on supplementing Microsoft's traditional desktop applications with web-based software and services. But his mission is much broader: to make sure the company's various product groups coordinate their efforts to take advantage of what he termed -- in a now famous memo sent to Microsoft's executive staff on October 28, 2005 -- the "Internet services disruption."

Accomplishing this feat won't be easy, in part because Microsoft is facing challenges on multiple fronts -- technical, business and cultural. New cross-platform technologies threaten to establish a new layer of abstraction that could reduce the importance of the operating system as a software development platform. Emerging business models -- such as open-source software and "free" advertising-supported applications -- threaten to undermine the economic basis for Microsoft's longstanding success. And while Microsoft's size provides it with enormous resources, some wonder whether this may make it difficult for the company to remain agile enough to break from its past successes and address these new challenges.

Click here to read or listen to the interview.

Beyond3D post Intel presentation on CPU-GPU war

From Beyond3D -- Intel presentation reveals the future of the CPU-GPU war

Back in February we reported that Intel's Douglas Carmean, new Chief Architect of their Visual Computing Group (VCG) in charge of GPU development at Intel, had been touring universities giving a presentation called "Future CPU Architectures -- The Shift from Traditional Models". Since then he's added a few more major university stops, and now the feared B3D ninjas have caught up with him. Our shadow warriors have scored a copy of Carmean's presentation, and we've selected the juicy bits for your enjoyment and edification regarding the showdown that Intel sees as already underway between CPU and GPU makers.

How to create a C30 project in MPLAB IDE 7.52

I put together a very quick video showing new users how to create a simple MPLAB C30 project in MPLAB IDE 7.52. I'm hoping that this video will help new users get up and running. I have to cruise along at a snappy pace due to filesize restrictions, but I hope you can follow along.

Full Size

Photosynth Tech Preview

Have you tried the Photosyth Tech Preview from Microsoft Live Labs yet? It's an interesting technology that I'm sure many web marketing teams will be able to put to good use in a big way.


Video: Take the Photosynth Tour

Hi-Tech Unveils "Omniscient Code Generation" in C compiler for Microchip PIC18

From Embedded.com

According to Clyde Stubbs, CEO and Founder, HI-TECH Software, the new methodology, cakked Omniscient Code Generation (OCG), overcomes many of the pitfalls of conventional compilers that frequently miss inconsistent calling conventions, variable declarations, and redundant code because they compile each module independently and separately.

"OCG optimizes the size of each pointer variable, based on its usage, eliminates the need for many non-standard C qualifiers and compiler options," he said, "and produces more optimal interrupt context switching code, and customizes the functionality of library function."

Quick example of MPLAB C30 3.00's managed-PSV feature

One of the big new features of MPLAB C30 3.00 is the new managed-PSV feature. Previous versions of C30 were limited to just one page of compiler-managed PSV constants. This new release will automatically switch to the correct PSV page when accessing a managed variable.

The screenshot below shows a very simple example of the managed-PSV feature in action just sitting there.



The space attribute places the variable into the program memory space, and the new __prog__ qualifier tells the compiler to manage the PSVPAG for this variable.

You can also see the generated assembly code. You'll notice that the compiler saves and restores the current value of PSVPAG. This is to ensure compatibility with modules built with the older const-in-code model.

Older libraries that don't know how to manage the PSVPAG may assume that PSVPAG is currently set to the .const section. Code generated using the managed-PSV feature must respect this assumption and save/restore the PSVPAG.

I hope this post helps you get up to speed with the new feature (even though all of this information is documented in the updated C30 User's Guide). Have fun flipping pages!

MPLAB C30 3.00 Now Available

Those of you out there who read the Microchip forums regularly already know that C30 3.00 is now available for download from the web [http://www.microchip.com/c30]. I think I'll write a few posts covering the new features over the next few days. A few people might be interested in the new managed-PSV feature.

Registered users can use the Student Edition installer to upgrade to 3.00. Basically the student edition installer is smart enough to know not to overwrite your full license with a student license.

Don't forget to check out the updated documents, which are also available for download from the MPLAB C30 web page.

Created a 'LinkedIn' profile

I just created a 'LinkedIn' profile. LinkedIn is supposed to be a MySpace for professionals and a great tool for managing professional relationships. I don't have anybody in my network yet, so if you create an account or have one already, please add me. I'd like to have other Microchip employees and Microchip forum community members in my network. Send me a connection request at kjason at spamcop d0t net.

Binary-to-decimal expert?

Fancy yourself an expert at converting binary numbers to decimal and back? PROVE IT with Cisco's web game for geeks.

The Machine is Us/ing Us (final)

Professor Michael Wesch from Kansas State University has posted a new version of his now famous Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us YouTube video.

Professor Wesch's Digital Ethnography class even has a big YouTube project underway. I'm looking forward to their new videos.

Dean Kamen's Robotic Arm

Dean Kamen, known for the Segway PT and the FIRST program, has been showing off a new robotic arm.


Gizmodo has some new information on DEKA's attempt to make the world's best prosthetic limb.

Problem with Intermediate Directory when building ASM30 project in MPLAB IDE 7.52

I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a problem with the project manager in MPLAB IDE 7.52 when building ASM30 projects configured to use an Intermediate Directory. The problem happens when you have your project set to build with the C30 preprocessor and you specify an Intermediate Directory in the project's Build Options. Basically, what you see is a link failure due to symbols in the ASM30 file being undefined. This occurs because the project manager passes the intermediate directory incorrectly to the assembler through the C30 compilation shell (pic30-gcc). The intermediate object files are not correctly placed in the specified directory, but the linker tries to find them in that directory. We are working on a fix for the problem, but you can work around the problem by removing the Intermediate Directory from your project's Build Options.

Who is visiting my blog?

Google Analytics was kind enough to provide me with some information about my blog visitors for the month of February.
Makes me happy to see that people from all over the world are visiting my little blog, but where are all the comments? One person commented on my first two posts, but that's it? I'm feeling a little lonely out here. :-(

PS3's New Home

This topic might not be of any interest to my blog's forum.microchip.com visitors, but I couldn't resist.
Video: Playstation 3 Home Trailer
What do you think? Pretty neat, huh?

Speed up the VMware Workstation 6 Beta

Anyone out there who has tried the VMware Workstation 6 Beta knows that it is so slow that it is almost unusable... much slower than 5.5. The performance problem is largely due to the beta being distributed as a debug build.

Luckily the 4sysops blog has uncovered a way to disable debug mode and claim back some performance points. Basically, all you do is "exchange the bin-debug folder with the bin folder in the directory where you installed VMware Workstation." Once I swapped the folders, I immediately noticed a significant performance improvement... about the same performance as the VMware Workstation 5.5 version that I was using previously.

LEGO MMO in the Works - Joystiq

Joystiq is reporting that independent game developer NetDevil is developing an MMOG with The LEGO Group. A representative from LEGO told Gamasutra that the game would merge social interaction with physical play.

NetDevil's Scott Brown added: “Playing with LEGO bricks and developing online worlds are both creative activities. To bring them together is deeply professionally satisfying and we look forward to working with the LEGO team."

The Secret Windows Live Messenger Emoticon

If you use Windows Live Messenger, you may start seeing an odd little icon on your list. Check out the complete details and get in on the good cause.

Chip Hop with MC Plus+

From their site

MC Plus+ is a superhuman with an incredible vision far beyond light years ahead of his time. By combining constructs of hip hop with computer science beats he hopes to bridge the gap between present reality and the inner workings of our imagination while resurrecting hip hop in mathematical form. He is credited with formally proving all but one of the fundamental conjectures, which remains unsolved in hyperbolic space. He has also made important decisions with regard to undecidability only to rediscover the genius of his work. His recent attempts at halting the halting problem look promising. Formalizations of the lyrical functions he has defined remain a mystery to all those who study them.

What? [http://www.mcplusplus.com/downloads/]

ASM30 files passed through C Preprocessor

There is a big change in MPLAB IDE 7.52 that directly affects users programming in ASM30 (assembly code for 16-bit devices). If you have C30 installed and select to build with the C30 Toolsuite rather than the ASM30 toolsuite, the project manager will now pass your assembly source file to the pic30-gcc.exe compilation shell. Files ending in a .S (capitalized S) will be passed through the C preprocessor. This means that you can now use C preprocessor directives, such as #define, in .S files.

The image blow shows a simple example, but I'm sure that there are better uses for this highly requested feature.



Edit: 1 March 2007
I created a short video showing a project using ASM30 files with the C30 preprocessor. The video is low rez, I hope you can see what is going on. Remember 1) Use the Microchip C30 Toolsuite, 2) Add the file to your project with the .S (capitalized) extension.

Video: Preprocessing an ASM30 file with MPLAB IDE 7.52

*Unofficial* list of changes in MPLAB IDE 7.52

I compiled a list of MPLAB IDE 7.52 changes that may be of interest to forum.microchip.com members. Please remember that this list is unofficial and incomplete. Let me know if this is useful to you or not.

*Unofficial* list of changes in MPLAB IDE 7.52

Simulator

• Added Code Coverage feature to most engines.

REAL ICE

• Added "Program After Successful Build"
• Added "Run After Successful Program"
  

MPLAB IDE

• Added folder-history widget to File Open and File Save dialogs

Editor

• Added "Include File Open" from context menu. Right click on an include file to open it in the editor.
  

• Added optional checking and repair of line terminators on File Save.

• Added feature to optionally highlight an entire line for the current Program Counter.
  

• Added "Close" to the context menu.

• Reorganized editor property pages

Project Manager

• Added new multiple-path selection widget
  [http://forum.microchip.com/fb.aspx?m=220387]

• Enhanced Project Wizard to allow reconfiguration of currently active project. Quickly create a new project based on the current project.

• Enhanced Project Wizard to add files in Auto, User, System, or Copy mode.

• Duplicated Debug/Release selection under Project menu for users with the project toolbar disabled. [http://forum.microchip.com/tm.aspx?m=193983 ]

• Improved "The project is out of date, would you like to build now?" dialog to use Make instead of Build All. [http://forum.microchip.com/m.aspx?m=169973]
  

MPLAB C30 Toolsuite

• Enhanced toolsuite to send .s ASM30 to the C preprocessor (only when C30 toolsuite is selected)
• Added C30 "Use 64-bit double" checkbox. [http://forum.microchip.com/fb.aspx?m=217124]

• Enabled C30 "Additional Warnings" by default [http://forum.microchip.com/fb.aspx?m=218293]

• Enabled LINK30 memory-usage report by default [http://forum.microchip.com/fb.aspx?m=87629]
  

MPLAB C18/MPASM Toolsuite

• Enabled MPLINK "Suppress COD file" option by default to help avoid file-path length limitation problems for new users. [http://forum.microchip.com/tm.aspx?m=179374]

• Added C18 --verbose option checkbox.
  

Data Monitor and Control Interface (DMCI)

• Added hot-tracking feature to slider controls. The Slider controls can now be configured to apply run-time position changes in the following automated sequence steps: [Halt, Reset, Write, Run] or [Halt, Write, Run].

• Graphs can now be generated from MPLAB REAL ICE real-time data acquisition.
  

• Added a new resizeable tiled view.
• Added project-scope persistence of last-loaded DMCI profile

Plus... numerous other miscellaneous bug fixes. For Tool-Specific New-Device support, please see the tool's readme file.

How to Disable Outlook's CTRL+ENTER Send Mail Shortcut

I recently switched to Outlook 2003 for my email, contacts, and calendar. Unfortunately, since the switch, several of my co-workers have received empty and unfinished messages from me. Why? Outlook has a CTRL+ENTER shortcut key to send a message. I'm not really sure why, but my fingers seem to like to hit CTRL+ENTER for other reasons...

Luckily Blake Handler has posted instructions on how to disable this shortcut.

You can disable CTRL-ENTER in Outlook by adding the two following registry keys:

Key:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\
         11.0\Outlook\DisabledShortcutKeysCheckBoxes
String Value: CtrlEnter
Value Data: 13,8
Key:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\
         11.0\Word\DisabledShortcutKeysCheckBoxes
String Value: CtrlEnter
Value Data: 13,8

NOTE: I'm using Office 2003 = 11.0 (XP = 10.0, 2000 = 9.0)

Read the full step-by-step instructions on Blake Handler's blog.

Cost of reporting a bug too early?

Most software developers and testers are all too familiar with a chart showing how the cost of fixing a bug increases exponentially over the project cycle. Fixing a problem early (or preventing it in the design phase) is significantly less expensive than polishing it out in the certification test phase. Almost nobody argues against the principle that when it comes to fixing bugs, the earlier the better (for the project and for my health).

To address this principle, the MPLAB® IDE team has taken a highly iterative approach to software development. They send frequent builds "over the wall" to our test group. As new features come online in these test builds, we perform some early exploratory testing to make sure that each new feature or improvement matches our expectations based on approved requirements and design documents. We often then go back to update our test plans so that they better cover the feature's scope.

So what's the problem? Maybe the chart showing the cost of a fixing a bug increasing over the project cycle doesn't show the entire picture. With the highly iterative development processes that are becoming increasingly more popular with development teams these days, is there also a hidden cost of reporting a bug too early?

By sending the test team very frequent test builds, the development team is giving the test team a very early look at a new feature, usually before it is anywhere near being finished. At an early stage, most features are often pretty rough with stubbed functionality and a placeholder GUI. What's a test engineer to do?

At this early stage, how can a test engineer really know if an issue is a limitation in the current build or a real bug? On one hand, I could go ahead and enter a bug report in the tracking system. When the developer sees the report they could just wait for the implementation to be further along and then just mark the issue as fixed. However, there's an associated cost with that approach. Each and every time someone from either the test team or the development team interacts with a bug report, it costs time. Until the issue/limitation gets "fixed" that bug will show up on reports, in project status reviews, and in issue-prioritization meetings, wasting everyone's time as the issue is read and discussed. Often times, these types of issues linger around long after they are actually addressed by the developer through the natural evolution of the feature. Then, later in the project, the developer can't reproduce the issue on their current code base and asks the test engineer to retest the feature. Again, all of this costs time.

Alternatively, I could make a personal note to myself to go back to retest the functionality later and continue testing by working around the limitation. In later builds, I then go back through my personal list of "retest" items to make sure that the developer didn't miss anything. If the issue still exists, I could then re-evaluate my decision to enter a bug report or leave the item on the list for retest on an even later build. With this approach there is both an associated complication of keeping my own personal list of issues to retest in parallel to the actual bug tracking system and also a risk that I may end up delaying the bug report until it becomes more difficult and expensive to fix.

The MPLAB IDE team tries to address these concerns by providing a build status report with each build. Each developer is responsible for providing information on the feature/changes that they have put in the build. These reports are supposed to tell the test team what to test and what is not ready for testing. They also use the reports to make us aware of any limitations in the build. These build reports tend to work out pretty well in practice so long as the developer provides sufficiently detailed information and the test engineer is aware of all of the implications of each limitation.

In the end, I believe that erring on the side of reporting a bug too early is safer than sitting on it and possibly reporting it too late. Good communication between the development team and the test team results in better and more accurate understanding of the state of the software and therefore more effective testing. What do you think?

Inventor of the TV remote dies

The Associated Press is reporting that the co-inventor of the TV remote, Robert Adler, has died.

From The Mercury News

Adler, who won an Emmy Award along with fellow engineer Eugene Polley for the device that made the couch potato possible, died Thursday of heart failure at a Boise nursing home at 93, Zenith Electronics Corp. said Friday.

Multiple Directory Search Paths in MPLAB IDE 7.52

MPLAB IDE 7.52’s project manager introduces a new interface for entering directory search paths used to build the project. The new interface makes entering multiple include file paths easier than ever.

To add a new search path, first select the correct field type on the Directories tab. You can choose one of the usual path types as shown below.

Next, press the New button to get a new entry in the table. From there, you can either type the path into the field or press the […] button to get a browse dialog.

Hopefully this new interface will make entering multiple directories more convenient (no more semicolon separated lists!).

Microchip Ships 500,000th Development Tool

Microchip just announced the shipment of its 500,000th development tool to Australia’s Ness Security Products. Everyone in Development Systems is proud of this large milestone. It's a nice little morale booster.

While the 500,000th development tool shipment was the main point of the press release, one quote from Creed Huddleston, president of Real-Time by Design, caught my eye.

Microchip’s 55,000 customers in more than 65 countries would agree. Creed Huddleston, president of Real-Time by Design, LLC, and author of the new book Intelligent Sensor Design Using the Microchip dsPIC® DSC, utilizes Microchip tools in his daily work as an embedded design consultant. Huddleston observes that, “the primary reason for using Microchip development tools is that they are readily available, inexpensive and there are user forums available to get help when the inevitable questions or problems arise. Microchip does a great job of providing low-cost and highly valued tools.”

People are recognizing that Microchip's user community is becoming a huge resource. Thanks to all of the http://forum.microchip.com contributors!

Hiring in Bangalore

In case you haven't already heard, the Development Systems test group is hiring a senior software test engineer at our Bangalore, India office. Yep, one unfortunate individual will have the opportunity to work directly with me in testing Microchip's C compilers, assemblers, and linkers.

As I was helping my manager write the job description, I got to thinking... what kind of a person makes a good development-tool test engineer, or more specifically, a compiler test engineer? Should we look for someone with software-testing experience? compiler development experience? embedded-systems experience?

Of course most of the hiring resources that I found said to look for someone with the ability to learn, solve problems, and communicate effectively and not just someone with a specific skill set. Good advice. On the other hand, I really do want to find someone with at least a few basic pre-existing skills. I don't want to have to teach someone how to convert a hexadecimal value to binary. OK, so I guess that means I need someone who has at least some embedded-systems knowledge.

Basically, I'm looking for someone who can solve problems and communicate effectively and who also has some embedded-systems knowledge. Sounds easy enough.

In order to identify a candidate who meets those requirements, we put together a short technical screening test that we plan to give to candidates when they come in for their interview. It's pretty easy; any engineering student with a few embedded systems classes under their belt should be able to answer the questions. I'm thinking that we'll give the test to the candidate when they first come in, and then ask them to explain their answers and thinking in the oral part of the interview. What do you think? Will that help me to find a good compiler test engineer?

You can really help me out by posting some suggestions for both technical and more open-ended questions as comments to this post. What qualities would you look for if you were doing the hiring?

As they say on the forum: Thanks in advance!

Crunch time for 7.52

About 8 weeks have raced by since the MPLAB IDE 7.51 interim release. That means another release is rapidly approaching and it's crunch time for the entire Microchip Development Systems group. Not only do we have a new interim version of the IDE on deck, major new versions of MPLAB C18 and MPLAB C30 will follow closely behind.

I can't tell you much about the all of the changes in MPLAB IDE because I haven't had much time to try them out myself. Same goes for C18.

On the other hand, I've been working closely with another test engineer to run C30 through the gauntlet. I can tell you that this C30 release has a few significant new features and it is a big step for the compiler. I shouldn't really detail the new features before the release, but be sure to read the readme file and the migration document when they hit the web.

So, once all of the software tools are approved for release to the web, I'll try to come up with a bullet list of changes that may interest http://forum.microchip.com users like I did for MPLAB IDE 7.51. I didn't get much feedback last time, but I hope it was useful to some users.

MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack available as AN1066

One of Microchip's many applications groups recently released application note 1066 for the MiWi protocol stack. I haven't used it myself, but I attended a presentation on the wireless protocol a few months ago, and it peaked my interest.

The MiWi™ Wireless Networking Protocol is a simple protocol designed for low data rate, short distance, low-cost networks. Fundamentally based on IEEE802.15.4™ for wireless personal area networks(WPANs), the MiWi protocol provides an easy-to-use alternative for wireless communication. In particular, it targets smaller applications that have relatively small network sizes, with few hops between nodes, using Microchip’s MRF24J40 2.4GHz transceiver for IEEE802.15.4 compliant networks.

This application note covers the definition of the MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack and how it works. The example Stack implementation data structures, usage and APIs are covered in this document, as well as resource requirements for this implementation. For completeness, the document also introduces several aspects of wireless networking, as well as key features of IEEE 802.15.4. However, it is assumed that the user is already familiar with the C programming language and IEEE 802.15.4. You are strongly advised to read the specification in detail prior to using the Microchip MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack.

Most importantly, the software works with everybody's my favorite C compilers, MPLAB C18 for PIC18 and MPLAB C30 for PIC24/dsPIC30/dsPIC33. You can read more about MiWi here or get AN1066 here.

Transmeta shuts down CPU business

ExtremeTech is reporting that Transmeta is getting out of the CPU engineering business and instead will focus on IP development and licensing.

Steve Jobs says that DRM doesn't work

Over at apple.com, Steve Jobs' blog gives his Thoughts on Music. The 10-minute read explains the current state of the digital music industry and (surprisingly) respectfully mentions all of the industry's major players. Where does he want the industry to go?

Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.

Read the full post.

Can't Run Home Editions Of Windows Vista On Virtual Machines

Paul McDougall at Information Week is reporting that Microsoft's Vista Home Premium or Basic editions' license agreement prohibits "booting the software 'within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system'".

That means Linux aficionados or users of Apple Macs will not legally be able to use software from vendors such as Parallels or EMC's VMWare to create so-called virtual machines on their desktops to run Vista alongside their favorite OS. Windows users wanting to run Vista in a virtual machine environment for security or productivity purposes also will need either the Business or Ultimate Edition.

Read the full article at Information Week.

Microchip's dsPIC30FXXXX DSCs Chosen as "Finalists" for EDN Innovation Awards

Microchip’s dsPIC30FXXXX DSCs for Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) were chosen by EDN as finalists for its Innovation Awards, in the “Microcontrollers and DSCs” category. Congratulations to the DSC team!

Chat with me on meebo.com

I've been using http://meebo.com for my instant messaging lately. It lets me chat with my friends on AIM and Windows Live Messenger from a web page rather than requiring me to install software on each PC that I use. If I'm online and not busy with work or World of Warcraft, you can try sending me a message with the widget below.

Please edit your nickname to something meaningful before sending me a message. Remember that support issues should go to [http://support.microchip.com] and development-tool discussions should go to [http://www.microchip.com/forums]. This chat is for more personal discussions about my blog.

NOTE: Don't send me a message if I'm offline. There's a good chance that I'll miss it!

Enso Launches the Command Line

Many software geeks prefer to minimize their mouse usage and navigate primarily by using the keyboard. Those people will be happy to hear that a little team named Humanized has a created a nifty command-line utility for Windows XP called Enso Launcher. The utility gives you lightning-fast control of your daily Windows activities by allowing you to type short commands to do things such as open web pages, open files, minimize windows, etc. It even has auto completion.

I just tried it very briefly, and I have to say that I could get dependent on the utility pretty quickly. Mossberg over at the Wall Street Journal seems to agree.

Head on over to Humanized's web site and watch the videos of Enso Launcher and download the 30-day trial.

A quick word about "MPLAB®"

Technically speaking, the term "MPLAB®" is a brand name referring to Microchip's Development Tools. The term itself does not refer to the Integrated Development Environment that we have all come to know and (hopefully) love. As a brand name, the term should be used as an adjective, not a noun. For example: MPLAB IDE, MPLAB C30, MPLAB REAL ICE, etc.

It's learn-to-solder month - arstechnica.com

The Opposable Thumbs blog has pointed out that we are in the middle of learn-to-solder month. Being a software weenie, I really don't know how to solder. Luckily, I have some friends in the manufacturing and hardware groups that can help me out. Do you think I should take the rest of the month to learn to solder? Those of you who would like to learn too, check out the link.

Doing embedded multitasking with small microcontrollers - embedded.com

Embedded.com is running an article by Keith Curtis, a principal applications engineer at Microchip, on building simple MCU state machine constructs.

A simple construct, called a state machine, simplifies the task of generating a sequence by breaking the sequence into a series of steps and then executing them sequentially. While this sounds like an arbitrary definition of a linear piece of code, the difference is that the individual sections, or steps in the sequence, are encoded within a SWITCH/CASE statement.

Read the full article here.