Experience has shown that the portability, speed of development and built-in run-time support (the C Standard Library) of C far outweigh the relatively small cost of using it. As it turns out, much ...

After introducing interrupts and the foreground/background architecture, I am finally ready to tackle the concept of a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). In this first lesson on RTOS (commonly ...

Modern CPUs can run in two modes: kernel mode and user mode. When a CPU runs in kernel mode, an extended set of instructions is allowed, as is free access to anywhere in memory and device registers.

What if you could strip away the layers of abstraction that operating systems impose and interact directly with your computer’s hardware? Imagine crafting a program where every instruction is executed ...

Traditional semiconductor testing typically involves tests executed by automatic test equipment (ATE). But engineers are beginning to favor an additional late-test pass that tests systems-on-chip ...

System-level testing is becoming essential for testing complex and increasingly heterogeneous chips, driven by rising demand for reliable parts in safety- and mission-critical applications. More and ...