Connected devices require a secure point-to-point channel to ensure that there is no possibility of exposing important data for the integrity of an embedded system. This is especially true when we talk about over-the-air (OTA) software updates, where the new firmware has a long way to go before reaching its destination and being installed by our bootloader. In this publication, we will explore a simple method to encrypt the firmware using the AES algorithm, using open-source libraries in Python.

All hardware devices experience bugs and need debugging. Android devices in specific are exceptionally complex with several hundred gigabytes of source code, dozens of components, and wide range of uses. In this article we will explore the different facilities and tools available to debug Android based devices and produce robust systems that can handle a wide range of applications from smart fridges, to payment terminals, and of course mobile phones.

Sometimes, C/C++ projects have a long development cycle. When working on such a project, it can be easy to take our development environment for granted, and forget about the effort invested in its bring-up. The build environment works like magic, the test framework is neatly integrated, and the CI/CD pipeline relieves us of tedious, repetitive tasks.

I’ve been a firmware engineer at two wearable companies in the past, Pebble and Fitbit, and there was always one class of customer support tickets and user complaints that never went away: issues around battery life. It was a constant game of whack-a-mole with every new firmware version introducing a battery regression.