I have lost count of the number of people who say, ?I never pay for apps.? Typically, these are people who actually make heavy use of their smartphone or tablet. They get upset when the performance of their device is compromised, and their mobile data usage is higher than they would expect. This is because free apps need to be paid for somehow and that is typically through advertising. The adverts are annoying and the download of information to display them is what hits the mobile data. The ?free apps? folks are so surprised when I pay, say $1.99 for an app. I commonly think, generally I know, that I am getting a bargain.

In this week?s edition of the Embedded Insiders, Brandon and Rich discuss all of the new programming languages that have entered the embedded universe. This is in large part due to the convergence that IoT has created between IT and embedded developers. Are we getting to the point where we won?t use C language anymore? Or is it here to stay for good?

C has been a stable of embedded systems programming for more than a generation. But today, a new breed of developer is being trained in high schools and universities around the world, and they?re not using C. They?re using Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and Rust. So where does that leave the embedded language landscape?

To connect their smart meters, utility companies are moving away from what they?ve traditionally used, mesh technology such as Wi-SUN? with distributed access points, toward 3GPP standardized 4G and 5G cellular. This is because the price of 4G LTE modules and chipsets have dropped significantly now that LTE networks are universally available and volume pricing has come into play. While Wi-SUN technology may have been the best option for connecting utility meters in the past, today the advantages of cellular have upended this paradigm.

AI is probably the most talked about subject in the embedded space these days. Hardly a meeting goes by without AI being brought up, either as the main subject of conversation or something peripherally related. That was certainly the case with the virtual press conference I attended last week for Blaize, a fairly new entrant to the space.

One of the most common misconceptions we hear today, even amongst the largest companies in the world, is that they don?t really know why they need 5G. Some think 5G is still too far off to plan for it today; others think their current WiFi or Zigbee capabilities are good enough; and others simply don?t understand its value.

The labyrinthine nature of modern factories, with ever-increasing numbers of sensors, actuators, motors, solenoids, and valves, has driven the requirement for industrial controllers with ever-more channels to handle huge volumes of data, make decisions, and then output a response.

With increasing signal processing requirements in various types of embedded systems, some companies designed chips that combine both a digital signal processor (DSP) and a general purpose processor to address the processing demands.

The only system that?s safe from cyberthreats is one that?s never powered on. While this is an overstatement meant to highlight the seriousness of security threats that surround things like our computers and phones, it?s something to be considered as threats to embedded systems evolve.