Firmware
5G IoT with ESP32: Connect NB-IoT & LTE-M from Modem to MQTT
A practical ESP32 guide to integrating an NB-IoT/LTE-M modem: choose the network, power it safely, wire UART, use TinyGSM and send first telemetry.
4 min read
Notes
Firmware notes for embedded products
All (52)Hardware (7)Firmware (28)PCB Design (7)Embedded UI (3)Product Design (1)3D Printing (0)Mochi (6)
Firmware
Real-Time Operating System (RTOS): FreeRTOS on ESP32
A beginner-friendly guide to using FreeRTOS on ESP32 for multitasking firmware with tasks, queues, notifications, mutexes, and practical debugging habits.
6 min read
Firmware
Industrial IoT with ESP32: Modbus and Real-Time Control
A practical guide to Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU over RS-485, and PLC communication with ESP32 for reliable industrial IoT prototypes.
7 min read
Firmware
Over-The-Air (OTA) Firmware Updates: Design & Implementation
A practical guide to designing safe OTA firmware updates for ESP32 and STM32, covering partitions, signed images, rollback, rollout control, and delta updates.
8 min read
Firmware
RISC-V Embedded Development: Getting Started with ESP32-P4
A practical ESP32-P4 RISC-V guide: install ESP-IDF, select the esp32p4 target, build a first project, flash over USB, and understand the dual-core architecture.
7 min read
Firmware
STM32 Beginner - P3: UART, I2C, and SPI with HAL
Learn the three common STM32 interfaces: use UART for debugging, I2C for sensors, and SPI for displays or memory with STM32CubeIDE and HAL.
9 min read
Firmware
STM32 Beginner - Part 5: Building a Complete Application
Combine timer, ADC, DMA, PWM, I2C, and UART into a small STM32 bench monitor with a clear firmware architecture, fault handling, and room to grow into a real project.
12 min read
Firmware
STM32 Beginner Guide P2: GPIO, Interrupts, and Timers from the First Example
Learn to configure GPIO, capture a button event with an EXTI interrupt, and create a periodic time base with a timer on STM32CubeIDE using a NUCLEO-G071RB board.
8 min read
Firmware
STM32 Beginner Guide P4: ADC, PWM, and DMA from Analog to Continuous Data
Learn to read analog signals with ADC, control LED brightness with PWM, and transfer multiple samples through DMA on STM32CubeIDE using HAL.
8 min read
Firmware
nRF52840 BLE Wearables: How to Build a Wearable Device
A practical guide to building nRF52840 BLE wearables with open-source references, Zephyr, compact GATT design, sleep/wake states, and real power measurements.
6 min read
Firmware
STM32 Beginner Guide P1: What Is STM32 and Which Board Should You Choose?
Learn what STM32 is, distinguish chips, modules, and development boards, then choose a practical board for learning GPIO, HAL, STM32CubeIDE, and embedded firmware from the beginning.
8 min read
Firmware
Which Wake Word Is Better? microWakeWord vs Google vs Alexa
A practical comparison of microWakeWord, Google Assistant, and Alexa by architecture, control, privacy, hardware fit, and ESP32-S3 integration.
7 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P5: Wi-Fi and Web Server
Connect ESP32 to Wi-Fi, find its IP address, and build a local web server that displays BME280 temperature, humidity, and pressure in a browser.
4 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P6: Bluetooth Low Energy
Learn ESP32 BLE, GATT services, and characteristics by sending BME280 readings to a phone with Read and Notify.
5 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P7: Build a Complete ESP32 Project
Finish the series with a Room Comfort Monitor: ESP32 reads a BME280, controls a warning LED and serves a local Wi-Fi dashboard.
5 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P4: Connecting Sensors
Connect digital, analog, and I2C sensors to ESP32; read temperature, humidity, and pressure from a BME280 and diagnose devices that are not detected.
6 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Memory Management Deep Dive: SRAM, PSRAM, Heap and FreeRTOS Stacks
A practical ESP32 memory guide covering SRAM layout, PSRAM usage, heap fragmentation, RTOS task stacks, and small optimization tricks that are useful in real firmware.
5 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P3: Pinout and GPIO
Read an ESP32 pinout, choose GPIO for input and output, use pull-ups, wire an LED and button, and avoid boot, flash, PSRAM, and unsafe 5 V signals.
7 min read
Firmware
ESP32 IoT Project Roadmap: From LED to Production
An interactive ESP32 project roadmap from LEDs and buttons through connected sensors and edge ML to production OTA and security, with practical guides at each level.
5 min read
Firmware
ESP32 Beginner Guide – P2: Setup and Upload Your First Sketch
Install Arduino IDE and Arduino-ESP32, select the correct board and port, upload your first sketch, and fix Failed to connect errors on ESP32, ESP32-C3, and ESP32-S3.
6 min read
Firmware
18 Common ESP32 Errors – Part 2: Critical Errors
How I read ESP32 backtraces and troubleshoot crashes, watchdogs, heap, stack, FreeRTOS, Wi-Fi, ADC, deep sleep, and OTA with a practical runtime checklist.
12 min read
Firmware
Wake-word detection: always-listening smart devices
A practical look at local wake-word detection on ESP32-S3 devices: audio framing, microWakeWord, threshold tuning, false activations, microphone mute, and privacy.
5 min read
Firmware
Local-first architecture: keeping data off the cloud
A practical local-first architecture using an on-device store, Automerge, optional sync, and backups so an app stays useful without sending its working data to a cloud service.
4 min read
Firmware
Running Linux on ESP32-S31: What the MMU Changes
ESP32-S31 now has an official Linux BSP Developer Preview. Here is a practical look at its MMU, Buildroot, U-Boot, Linux 6.18, build flow, and the limits that still matter.
6 min read
Firmware
TinyML on ESP32: Running AI on the Device
How I run a small person-detection model on ESP32 with TensorFlow Lite Micro and ESP-NN, from memory limits to testing Espressif's example.
5 min read
Firmware
Extending Battery Life in an ESP32 Robot with a Display
Analyze battery life for an ESP32 robot with a display: backlight, Wi-Fi, audio, peripherals, sleep modes, wake sources, and runtime.
9 min read
Firmware
Two-Way I2S Audio on ESP32-S3: I2S Microphone and I2S Speaker
A practical explanation of BCLK, WS, DIN, DOUT, full-duplex audio, sample rate, and buffers when building two-way I2S audio on ESP32-S3.
6 min read
Firmware
First Notes On Firmware For Embedded Products
Early principles for firmware on a small embedded product: scope, module boundaries, logging, and handling errors without guessing.
4 min read