Over Thanksgiving, I was talking with my nephew, who works in an ICU. I asked whether those long 12-hour shifts lead to more mistakes. He said something I didn’t expect: “Exhaustion matters, but the real danger is the handoff.”That stuck with me, because modern product development feels the same. The hardest problems show up between people, where context shifts and assumptions drift. I’ve seen this across many industries. Once complexity rises, the issues all start to rhyme.The Hard Truth About Building Products TodayTake something as ordinary as a coffee machine. A “simple” cup of coffee now…
When it comes to processor architectures, you're probably familiar with x86 and ARM, but have you ever heard of RISC-V? If not, you owe it to yourself to learn something about this up and coming technology that I expect will become more widely used in the future.I'll explain RISC-V — but first, let's talk ISAs. An Instruction Set Architecture or ISA is an abstract model of a computer architecture, defining such things as the register model and machine code instructions. A realization of an ISA, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), is called an implementation. Widely used ISAs include…
The device isn’t dead, but it’s no longer the center of the story. The ecosystem is.For the past decade or so, most product development teams have been building smart, embedded devices. A touchscreen here, a custom board there, some tightly packed firmware, maybe a cloud hook or two.But what I’ve seen lately is a fundamental shift in how products are developed.We’re no longer just building “devices.” We’re building systems. Fleets. Ecosystems. And the companies that realize this shift early are the ones who will thrive in the next generation of connected, AI-enabled, cyber-secure products.…
If your embedded systems, medical devices or industrial control applications are still running Windows 10, it’s time to act. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. That’s not just mainstream support. All support, including critical security updates and patches, has ceased. For developers and product owners responsible for long-lived, field-deployed devices, this is not a drill. Staying on Windows 10 past the support cutoff exposes your customers — and your business — to unacceptable risk. Now that Windows 10 support has ended, Microsoft no longer provides:…
When I talk to product owners about developing complex software-driven products, I often use a simple metaphor: building a house.Sure, you could try to DIY your dream house with a few hand tools, YouTube videos and maybe a contractor or two you found on Craigslist. But think about what that really means. One day you need an electrician, the next day a plumber, later a master carpenter, and at some point, someone who actually knows how to tie it all together into a structure that won’t collapse under its own weight. Even if you could assemble that cast of characters, would they know how…
Rethinking inter-process communication with a lightweight, backup-friendly MQTT clientFor the past seven years, I’ve been using D-Bus as the primary form of communication between processes in a very complex project. It was clear to all of us on the team that D-Bus wasn’t the right choice for transporting large volumes of data quickly. But, as often happens in projects like this, we couldn’t replace it. Not yet, at least. So we tried to fill the gaps when time allowed it. It wasn’t optimal, but it did its job.In all my projects, I feel like I’ve never had the perfect way to transport data…
You want to integrate the latest large language model (LLM) into your application, but you face a dilemma: your code base is in C++ while machine learning (ML) frameworks predominantly use Python. We faced such a challenge recently and here is what we learned.First, a little background. Our application, CarChat, is a ML-powered voice assistant to help drivers interact with their vehicle. There are three ways to begin a conversation:The driver initiates a conversation to get answers to vehicle related questions like “How much further can I drive?” or “Where can I get some food?”The voice…
Thursday, November 21, 2024 - 12:21
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By Lisandro Pérez Meyer, Stephanie Van Ness
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embedded systems
When it comes to choosing the right board or System on Module (SoM) for your software project, the sheer number of options available can feel overwhelming. Whether you're building a simple embedded application or a complex, resource-intensive system, the underlying hardware you select plays a crucial role in the performance and functionality of your final product—often in ways that aren't immediately visible.In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the key concepts behind why there are so many choices and how these decisions can subtly influence your software’s behavior. We'll take a bottom-…
The global microcontroller market size is projected to hit $51.13 billion by 2028, predicts Fortune Business Insights. Already, these small yet mighty computing units are now embedded in an astounding 98% of all devices, playing a pivotal role in the evolution of modern technology. As companies strive for innovation, mastering the art of leveraging microcontrollers has become essential for success.Understanding MicrocontrollersMicrocontrollers are compact integrated circuits designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system. They typically include a processor, memory, and input/…
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 - 13:54
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By Stephanie Van Ness
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embedded systems, Software Development, automotive IVI
ICS made a splash at October’s embedded world North America conference and exhibition – the global platform for the embedded industry – with a brand-new 20 x 30 booth packed with interactive demos showcasing everything from software-defined vehicles and industrial IoT to AI on the edge and microcontroller (MCU) development.“Our booth was packed with demos – some really intriguing stuff,” said ICS Vice President of Engineering Jay Noble. “We showcased applications for AI and machine vision, presented an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system in both Flutter and Qt, as well as had a section on…
Friday, October 11, 2024 - 10:36
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By Jeff LeBlanc, Stephanie Van Ness
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Innovation, embedded systems
If you’ve been following tech news lately, it’s hard to ignore the wave of discussion surrounding advances in artificial intelligence (AI). It's striking how techniques that were once deemed theoretical or overly complex back in the ‘90s are now integral to everyday AI applications. The journey of AI has certainly been a rollercoaster – one marked by initial enthusiasm followed by periods of stagnation and then renewed investment. This resurgence, which began around 2012, makes it clear that this current AI boom is not just a trend; it’s fundamentally reshaping the way we develop software and…
Your project will use or is already using Linux. You “just” need the operating system to work. So, what do you do? From where I sit, the smartest answer is to engage an OS engineer, pronto!You knew I would say that, right?? So, to back up this statement I’ll explain why it makes sense to get an OS engineer involved early on certain types of development projects. But first, I want to take a step back and outline what exactly it is that OS engineers do.The Role of the OS EngineerOS engineers design and develop operating systems and their components, such as kernels, file systems, memory…
Embedded software development is undergoing significant transformation – and trending toward greater complexity – driven in large part by the transition from conventional embedded systems to Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The move toward IIoT has broad implications, including cybersecurity mandates, edge computing, greatly expanded connectivity and opportunities to leverage machine learning (ML). Most Impactful Embedded Development TrendsFrom where I sit, six trends are most impactful – certain to quickly reshape product development in the near term and beyond. They are…
Borrowed from the natural realm, the term ecosystem has become a popular – some say overused – buzzword in the tech world, though there’s no consensus about its precise meaning. Some think of an ecosystem as a group of appliances and devices designed to work harmoniously together, creating a cohesive user experience. Others want the term to describe “a group of interested actors working together informally, and in doing so, creating more value than any one of them could individually.” My take is this: at its core, a digital ecosystem encompasses the complex web of relationships…
Human perception is predominantly visual, with 97% of external information received through sight, while other senses like hearing and touch contribute only 3%. Recognizing the profound impact of visual information, major tech players like Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft have invested heavily to advance computer vision technologies. And these investments have paid off. For instance, Facebook’s money and computational resources have elevated its deep-learning AI facial recognition software DeepFace, which has achieved unprecedented 97.3% accuracy – nearly hitting human-…
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 - 11:57
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By Lisandro Pérez Meyer, Stephanie Van Ness
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Linux, embedded systems
Your customer asked you to build a Linux-based device. You’re a skilled developer but not experienced with embedded Linux. Here’s a quick overview of the key elements of Linux-based development you’ll need to master in order to successfully move from working prototype to Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Basics of Developing a Linux-Based Device
Let’s start with the very basics: what is Embedded Linux? With embedded Linux, an embedded system is built with an operating system that uses the Linux kernel. The distribution is smaller and includes fewer features and less processing power than a…
As developers know, design patterns are crucial to the success of code. If you are a new Flutter developer, you may have encountered patterns such as MVVM. BLoC – or Business Logic Components – is a reactive pattern that separates an application's business logic from its UI logic. The purpose is to make the code easier to maintain and test.
BLoC works based on a library. The BLoC pattern at its core handles asynchronous events and creates a continuous flow with a reactive programming approach. Reactive programming refers to a design paradigm that relies on asynchronous programming…
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 08:05
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By Stephanie Van Ness, Jay Noble
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Testing, Software Development
The key to effective software testing is striking the right balance between automation and manual testing methods. Automation testing, in which the test case is executed by a tool rather than by a human, represents 80% of the software testing market according to Absolute Reports, in large part because it is highly accurate.
Still, there are many situations that call for manual testing. Though it may not always be as accurate as automation, the inclusion of human decision-making in the process provides greater flexibility. For certain types of tests, like usability testing, human testers can…
It happened many moons ago when a professor of programming said on the first day of class, “last year I taught three programming languages during this course. This year I decided to drop one. We will not study Cobol as it is a dying language and I’m sure you’ll never hear about it after your graduation.”
“We will learn Fortran,” he continued. “There are many packages written on Fortran so you may have to support it.”
He paused and looked at the class. “The most important language you’ll learn here is Pascal,” he said. “It is the language of your future."
Of course, time has shown he…
Contact-less processes that enhance the user experience are essential in light of COVID-19. Join us August 13 for a live webinar exploring technology that allows you to deliver peace of mind for your customers.
Despite strides made in terms of access to PPE, availability of virus-killing cleaning products and widespread acceptance of hand-washing protocols, COVID-19 continues to make people uncomfortable when using public touchscreen devices, such as ATMs. The fear of infection has compelled many consumers to change their behavior or go out of their way to avoid interacting with public…
This ongoing series provides a close-up look at our work helping two non-profit organizations, RespiraWorks and Project RED, create low-cost ventilators to fight COVID-19 in countries with developing economies. Progress reports will be posted regularly.
June 4, 2020
No one likes surprises on projects, and I have written many times about how to prepare for and budget for the unexpected. But those are negative surprises. Positive surprises, on the other hand, are welcome.
A few days ago, I got just such a surprise.
Thanks to all the blogging and the publicity we’ve…
We live in a touchscreen society. From ATMs and grocery store checkouts to airport ticket kiosks and fast-food self-serve ordering stations, there are public touchscreen kiosks and point-of-service (POS) touchpads everywhere. They’re popular because they offer exceptional convenience, allowing people to quickly get the information or item they want without having to wait for human assistance.
But, in our current climate, where the mere mention of coronavirus germs cause heightened anxiety, are touchscreen kiosks safe to use?
The short answer is yes...if.
If they are cleaned frequently and…
You just shipped your impressive new product, built on the latest System on a Chip (SOC) from XYZ Microsystems. You chose this SOC because it decreased your parts count and reduced your manufacturing bill of materials. And with its fast CPU, this SOC powers your product to process four times as many samples as your earlier devices.
Your C-suite is ecstatic. Your sales team is over the moon, convinced it’s going to wipe out the competition.
Fast forward six months. Senior management is thrilled by your progress as manufacturing hums along at top efficiency. But you’re so laser-focused that…
Successful touch devices appear deceptively simple to the user. In reality, they are highly complex and challenging to build because they require so many different skills. Each device requires custom hardware, touchscreen, operating system and web connectivity, as well as custom software. Getting it right is the difference between winning or losing before you ever get to market.
ICS has devised a smarter way to build embedded devices. In fact, it’s a sophisticated solution to a complex problem.
Built on the popular Qt framework, our rapid development toolkit eliminates…
Regular Expressions are tools for finding patterns in data. They are an extremely powerful tools, but are also full of arcane rules and cryptic combinations of symbols. Good user interface (UI) design can use Regular Expressions, but shouldn’t require the end-user to enter the Regular Expressions themselves. A well-designed interface can allow the end-user to quickly and easily use Regular Expressions when searching, sorting and filtering data.
Here’s an example, a short application that demonstrates one use for Regular Expressions. (It is a Qt project, which can be compiled and…
Despite advances in the tools, languages and hardware available to developers, software projects still run into trouble — they miss deadlines, hit intractable technical obstacles and run over budget. In our recent webinar Winning Applications: Lessons Learned from 500+ Successful Projects, Integrated Computer Solutions CEO Peter Winston offered a number of ways to avoid most of the roadblocks that can impede your efforts.
In this blog, Winston shares big picture guidance and tackles a few in-the-weeds questions that were submitted by webinar participants but not addressed during the…
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 07:39
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By Stephanie Van Ness, ICS Development Team
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gamification, Voice Recognition, alexa
There’s a common theme running through technology: new things come onto the market and everyone says “That’s the next best thing!” But then it isn’t. Well, at least not right away. It takes time for people to understand the new technology, and as that happens the tech starts to get used in unexpected ways.
That’s the case with games, including that Family Night staple, the board game. We’re beginning to see the integration of voice control, smart screens and gesture tech into not only digital games but traditional ones as well. And Thinkables — games you can control with your mind — are…
People love to play games, which explains why clients keep asking us (the folks at Integrated Computer Solutions) to develop games for them to use at trade shows and conferences. We’ve built a wide variety of game types, including target games, races, puzzles, 3D immersion and competitive games. For this year’s Computer Electronics Show (CES) we whipped up a captivating package-delivery game for Indiegogo showcasing the products and services of its client Ingram Micro, which offers technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Here’s how we did it.
About the Game
This…