2007: Top Ten Embedded.com Design Articles

Based on the total number of views received during 2007, here are thetop ten most popular Design Articles on Embedded.com this year (URL links are to the Embedded TechSearchengine containing a full listing for each part in the article serieshighlighted):

#1. Thebasics of embedded programming , by Wayne Wolf. This highlypopularseries covered all aspects of programming on embedded systems, from thebasics of using C on microcontrollers, program design and analysis allthe way to software test and validation.

#2. BuildingBare-Metal ARM Systems with GNU by Miro Samek. In thisintensivelyhow to series of ten articles the author takes you step by through theprocess of developing embedded control designs on the ARM processorusing the GNU open source tool chain, complete with the source code inboth C and C++.

#3. Commonmulticore programming problems by Shameem Akhter and JasonRoberts.This hands-on series of four articles takes embedded developers throughmany of the common programming issues in multicore designs and how tosolve them.

#4. Makingthe transition from sequential to implicit parallel programmingbyRishiyur Nikhil and Arvind. Despite the common view that a parallelprogramming model for programming multiprocessors is 5 to 10 yearsaway, in this eight part series, the authors delve into all thealternative approaches to to addressing the issue.

#5 . Doing C-code unit testing on a shoestring,by Ark Khasin. In this informative three part series the author takesthe programmer through the various ways to use the pre-processor in anystandards-compliant C compiler for unit testing of software programs.

#6. UsingDirect Memory Access effectively in media-based embedded applicationsby David Katz and Rick Gentile. In this four part series, the authorsdelve into the basics of direct memory access and how it can be usedeffectively in many embedded multimedia systems.

#7. Thechallenges of next-gen multicore networks-on-chip systems byLucaBenini and Giovanni De Michelli. This series of seven articles describethe architectural, programming and debug challenges of next-generationheterogeneous multicore networks-on-chip  designs.

#8. Thebasics of embedded multitasking on a PIC by Gamal Ali Labib.Inthis three part series, the author provided details on how to domultitasking on the Microchip PIC18F452 microcontroller includingpre-emptive and re-entrant multitasking and how to pack programs fortasks.

#9. Usingblock diagrams as a system design “language” by Tim Wescott.In atwo-part article this long time Embedded Systems Design contributordescribes how to use block diagrams as a system design language forcontrol systems analysis and design.

#10 .Tricks and techniques for performance tuning your embedded system usingpatterns by Peter Barry and Gerard Harnett. In this threepartseries the authors share some of the tricks and techniques they havepicked up from their experience with real-life embedded systems theyhave designed.

These are the selections you made by voting with your browser. Suchinformation is factored into our decision making about what DesignArticles we will select to run on Embedded.com and in Embedded SystemsDesign next year. But I am open to hearing from you via email atbccole@acm.org with your opinions about what you would like to see -and what you would like to contribute.