Category: Tech

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Workshop: Optimizing Code For Memory and Performance

This workshop I have created goes by a few different names:

How to Squeeze a Processor for Memory and Performance

or the longer name:

Squeezing Blood From A Stone: Getting Back Memory and Performance

Regardless of what name got you here, it will debut in less than a month at Hack A Day’s Super Conference November 14th & 15th. It will happen Sunday the 15th 12:15am. 

We’ll guide you though a series of labs to explain how to measure performance and memory, then the basics of improving them based on your goals.

Since this is a hands on but very short workshop focusing on using the following free tools (Download and install it yourself BEFORE the workshop or you’ll be sad) and cheap hardware:

 

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108: Ne-Ne-Nebarious

I went back to talk with El and Chris about wearables and IoT security (Check the link for even more info) in advance of the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley.  I’ll probably get the slides up soon.

Meanwhile, I am interested in getting back to doing choreography fused with technology. I was really impressed with this years tech program that Ballet Silicon Valley did and missed my own work. I am also interested in learning and sharing with others, so  I am putting out the call for collaborators on either end by emailing at this domain to the info@ account. See more at http://catmachinesdance.com.

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Getting Your Bitmaps Converted for Simple Display in Your Firmware

Perhaps you finally got a snazzy display for your latest project. I highly recommend the AdafruitGFX library as well as GIMP, and for making your own fonts, MikroElcktronika GLCD Font Creator (optional and not covered here).

If you are looking for a project to get you started, AdaFruit has a lovely wearable project.

Setup

  • GIMP
  • Access to your lovely bitmaps

Process

  1. Open the target bitmap into GIMP.
  2. Assume it is trimmed to the size you desire.
  3. Take note of the dimensions of the bitmap
  4. From the GIMP menu, select Colors->Rearrange colormap so it is appears a below (BLACK = 1; WHITE = 0) and click OK.

map2

  1. Select from the menu Image->Mode->Indexed. Choose 1-bit palette and click “” Dithering is optional.

dialog

  1. Save the file by selecting File->Export As. Choose c header file (.h) and name appropriately. Now use this however needed in your required firmware infrastructure. Personally, I make sure everything is “const” and indexable with sizes and offsets.Here is an example(rebelbot_bw.h).
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Conference Talks 2014

It’s that time of year when I come out of my cocoon and give conference talks as a beautiful butterfly. Actually, it’s more like cast off my engineering garb, take a shower, and put on some executive styles.

I kicked it off early with a brief talk at Design Con sponsored Geek Girl Dinner where I introduced the concept of bringing reliable safety to wearables.

Here’s the current schedule:

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EE Live!

As always, I am always recommending El White’s quick intro to the Internet of Things: