Circuit Cellar

How to Trace MCU Code in (Almost) Real Time How do you trace code execution in an MCU? This month, Stuart looks at the problem and offers real-time solutions. Many years ago, I went to work for a company that had recently been acquired. They had a new product in development and the acquisition had delayed things. They were scrambling to meet deadlines. This was back when the 8088/8086 were state-of-the-art microprocessors and emulators were the size of a shoebox.

Epson Timing has introduced a new, low-power, oven-controlled crystal oscillator engineered to deliver the ultra-stable timing performance required for AI, edge, and next-generation communication infrastructures, while reducing power consumption and design footprint. The new OG7050CAN is verified to consume 56% less power than earlier Epson OCXOs and is 85% smaller by cubic volume, helping to enable equipment designers to improve efficiency without compromising timing precision.

Tektronix® unveiled two additions to its power measurement portfolio: the wideband shunt for IsoVu™ isolated current probes and the THDP0400 high voltage differential probe. The launches address a growing challenge in power electronics design.

Valvoline TM Global Operations, The Original Motor Oil 1 and worldwide leader in automotive and industrial solutions, announced Beyond by Valvoline - a new generation fluid platform engineered to meet the rigorous demands of today's most advanced technologies. These technologies include high-performance computing environments and utility-scale battery storage, as well as emerging innovations currently taking shape.

Sometimes, too much can be just enough. In this article, Jacob shows why learning an RTOS that's more than you need can be just what you need for your growing skillset. Most developers start their careers with a bare-metal loop or the smallest RTOS they can find. It works fine for blinking LEDs and reading sensors. But as soon as you need portability, observability, or the ability to scale across dozens of boards, the cracks begin to show. This is where Zephyr RTOS enters the picture.

Axonis, the AI solutions developer that governs high-stakes decisions across distributed data, introduced Multiplayer Decision Intelligence, a new capability of Axonis Decision Intelligence built for an era of fragmented visibility, where the most consequential patterns span beyond organizational boundaries. Axonis Multiplayer enables enterprises, smart cities, government agencies, healthcare, and financial institutions to act on intelligence across organizations without any data being exposed.

Ceva, Inc., the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge, announced RealSpace™ Elevate for Windows, a Microsoft-certified, licensable Windows Audio Processing Object (APO) that enables gaming headset and PC OEMs to deliver fully customizable spatial audio experiences for gaming and entertainment content. RealSpace Elevate expands Ceva's Sense portfolio of audio and sensing technologies, enabling OEMs to deliver richer user experiences across consumer devices.

Beyond the Classroom and into Edge Computing Raspberry Pi is not just a toy for children, hobbyists, and for prototyping by developers. It's now a staple of operational technology in logistics and automation. Ignacio explains why the latest Raspberry Pi is the ideal candidate for edge analytics, vision-based quality inspection, and local HMI replacements.

In this article, Maxwell and Noah, two Cornell University undergrads, describe the design and implementation of a retro-inspired, side-scroller game, modeled after Super Mario Bros. It is built on a Raspberry Pi Pico with VGA output and custom controller inputs. The project recreates the first level's physics, enemy behaviors, tile graphics, and scoring, with smooth scrolling, sprite animations, and responsive controls engineered subject to the Pico's resource constraints.

It seems like I've been talking about AI in its various forms ever since I got here. Truth be told, I was writing about Large Language Model (LLM) AI before life brought me back into the Circuit Cellar fold but it's a topic that just keeps inserting itself into more and more conversations.