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ESP32 – How to Use CMake with ESP-IDF
In the previous tutorial, we looked at getting started with ESP-IDF and created our first blinking LED project for the ESP32. The next step to effectively using ESP-IDF is to understand a little about CMake, which is the build system generator commonly used for low-level languages, like C/C++, for operating system and embedded system development.…
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Build Your IoT Portfolio in 90 Days: A Hands-On Plan for Students and Engineers
If you’re a student exploring embedded systems or a professional developer looking to transition into the embedded side of IoT, building a personal project is one of the most effective ways to grow your skills. Courses and certifications are valuable, but real-world experience (and well-documented, open-source GitHub repositories showcasing your projects) can set you apart…
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ESP32 – Getting Started with ESP-IDF
This tutorial will walk you through the process of setting up ESP-IDF using a Docker container and build a basic blinking LED example from this repository: https://github.com/ShawnHymel/course-iot-with-esp-idf/. Here is a video version of the guide: Why ESP-IDF? The Espressif IoT Development Framework (ESP-IDF) is the official software development kit for the ESP32 family of microcontrollers.…
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ByteGrader: An Open Source, Modular Autograder for Embedded Systems (and Beyond)
Autograders are systems that automatically evaluate and score student programming assignments by running their code against predefined tests, providing instant feedback without human intervention. My latest project, ByteGrader, is a modular, lightweight, open source autograding engine that provides powerful automated grading capabilities through a simple API, allowing educational institutions to integrate autograding into any existing…
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Highlights and Hot Takes from Open Sauce 2025
I’m standing outside, waiting for the shuttle to take a few of us to Adam Savage’s cave (yes, the cave from Tested), when a tall, friendly gentleman with a British accent offers four of us a ride in his rental car. He’s clearly a creator, so we all pile in. As we drive, we introduce…
