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Monitoring Stack and Heap Usage in Zephyr: How to Detect Memory Leaks
Memory management is one of the most critical aspects of embedded systems development. In resource-constrained environments like microcontrollers, running out of memory can cause system crashes, unpredictable behavior, or complete failure. This tutorial will show you how to monitor both heap and stack memory usage in Zephyr RTOS to detect memory leaks before they become…
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Staying Current with Embedded Systems Tools, Languages, and Frameworks Without Getting Overwhelmed
Too Many Tools. Not Enough Time. In the fast-moving world of embedded systems, staying current often feels like trying to drink from a firehose. Every few weeks, there’s a new RTOS, toolchain, board, protocol, or abstraction layer claiming to make development “easier” or “faster.” You’re probably juggling deadlines while also asking yourself: This is the…
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How to Run an ESP32 Zephyr Application on Espressif’s QEMU
When working with embedded systems, especially platforms like Zephyr, it’s not always practical to rely on real hardware. Maybe your dev board is in the mail, or maybe you’re trying to write tests that run in CI without any physical devices attached. That’s where QEMU comes in. QEMU is a powerful open-source emulator that can…
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How to Present Your Upskilling Journey to Land a Senior Embedded Role
In a competitive field like embedded systems, knowing more isn’t enough. You have to prove it. You’ve likely spent the past year or two investing in new skills: working with IoT, experimenting with edge AI, exploring TensorFlow Lite, or mastering Zephyr RTOS. But when it comes to moving into a senior or team lead role,…
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A Brief History of Zephyr RTOS
In the fast-evolving world of embedded systems and IoT, selecting the right operating system is critical. For skilled and intermediate engineers, understanding where a real-time operating system (RTOS) comes from (e.g. history, evolution, and the forces driving its development) can provide valuable context for making informed technical decisions. Zephyr, now one of the most robust…
