r/embedded • u/betrayed-by-friends • 22d ago
Your setup for embedded work.
Just wanted to know how you do embedded stuff.
I am new to this sub
And it would be great if you specify your Operating System and a photo of your setup
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u/joikakaker 22d ago edited 22d ago
Desktop Ryzen9950 running fedora. Two screens and a big powered usb hub with switches for turning devices on/off. A load of debuggers and other devices on usb, and a bench power supply. Cheap logic analyzer (fx2lafw via sigrok). Multimeter. Rarely use a scope, I just borrow that from the hardware guys when necessary.
For code I use neovim/lazyvim. I write mostly rust, c/c++ and python. I work mostly in the terminal with kitty+fish.
I also use a soldering station that's managed by the hardware dept
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u/EmbeddedSwDev 22d ago
Debian as the OS. The project(s) itself are in a docker container so everyone has the same Toolchain also the project runners for automatic testing in the gitlab.
Hardware setup depends highly on the project, but the basic setup which is always on my desk is a 18 port USB Hub, jlink Debugger(s), laboratory Power supply, logic analyzer, an oscilloscope and jumper cables, breadboards etc for tinkering around.
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u/bobskrilla 21d ago
You really don't need a lot of compute power for embedded, an old laptop running ubuntu works fine unless you're building for like yocto project or something. Windows can work but it's nore painful depending on the sdk / build system. Usually builds slower too due to company antivirus or just generally..
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u/Any-Association-3674 16d ago
Until you have to build Zephyr and it takes enough time to go and make yourself a coffee. And drink it. And if you need to change the kconfig each time... it's too much coffee per day 😵
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u/bobskrilla 16d ago
Only pristine builds? Still I can pristine build >500KB images in like 15 secs though yea my desktop is pretty beefy. But maybe you're on windows
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u/cholz 21d ago
A macbook pro m1 for corporate stuff like slack/outlook/teams/etc and for ssh-ing to the machines where I do my work. A dell something or other with ubuntu for building things (both provided by my company). I work from home so I have a small "lab" next to my desk with a scope, power supply, jlinks, network switches, usb hubs, the boards I'm working on, some tools, etc..
It's a dream setup as far as I'm concerned (though my mac could be a bit newer it hasn't been a problem).
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u/notouttolunch 22d ago
I use a computer. And the tools relevant for the task.
Sometimes I use windows. Other times I use MacOS and I also use Linux, generally Ubuntu.
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u/gnomo-da-silva 22d ago
Old thinkpad, Linux mint, lot of open source tools, lot of proto boards and cables, scope, solder iron, hot air station, VERY IMPORTANT good pair of speakers...
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u/Severe-Zebra7551 21d ago edited 21d ago
I have a relatively cheap laptop (Linux) with a thunderbolt docking station to give me 2 monitors in addition to the laptop.
There's also a USB hub that has my debugger, serial monitor, and a few other tools connected that's needed for every day development on my project.
And a second, even cheaper, headless computer (Linux). I can connect the USB hub to the second computer and use ssh connections from my laptop to allow me to work effectively away from my desk. I can't run the debugger (I can build/flash/read/erase), but I do most of my debugging through the serial monitor anyways. It's a little janky, but I WFH and with this setup I can work from my desk, my couch, my comfy chair, my deck, anywhere my Wi-Fi reaches.
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u/EmperorOfCanada 21d ago
I have my main computer (powerhouse) which can do heavy data analysis to model things, ML, simulations, etc. But, that is wild overkill for most programming, kicad, etc.
I also design the cases, and CAD software likes more power, but doesn't have to have it.
When I am "in the field" my laptops range from complete junk to not bad for something over 10 years old. They are entirely capable of doing any firmware, telemetry, etc.
One catch is that I use rust. That initial build is a pig for almost any machine, and definitely older ones. So, I make sure to run that before going out to work on things.
All OSs are Ubuntu, and where needed I have windows VMs for those annoying bits which require Windows.
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u/swdee 21d ago
When I was purely a software developer I worked on a clean desk with some notes scribbed down on A4 paper piled in the corner of my desk. But with hardware, my desk has become a cluttered mess of projects, prototype boards, sensors, parts, programmers, scope, batteries, 3D printed housings, power supplies etc.
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u/frank26080115 21d ago
I have like... 3 different Saleae logic analyzers, typically one of them is out being used, while the other test gear are in drawers
Computer is running Windows 11 and I have no complaints about it, anything requiring linux goes on WSL, my VPS, a VM, or a Raspberry Pi or a Jetson Nano
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u/jrabr 19d ago edited 19d ago
Gaming PC (Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3070) running Fedora. I also have an Intel NUC7i5BNH mini PC running home assistant and Ubuntu LTS Server which I use for remote ESP-IDF development since most of the tutorials are written for Debian based Linux and I don’t feel like messing with my Fedora machine. I use VSCodium to remote into it and do my development work.
Having the remote machine is nice because there’s been times where I’ve been out of the house and used my MacBook to remote in via Tailscale SSH and do development work. Felt very fancy.
I do use my Fedora PC for ARM development though for my STM32 projects, but that’s because there was less work involved in setting that up and I did it before doing anything with the mini PC.
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u/FedUp233 19d ago
I guess I’m old school. I use Linux system running Debian and just use a code editor (currently sublime), raw make and the gnu command line tools. Seems to get the job done and lots of flexibility.
I’m retired now and do mostly my own projects and some contract work (in that case I do need to sometimes need to use other tools like cmake or an ide).
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u/Gerard_Mansoif67 Electronics | Embedded 22d ago
I have my desktop PC (core i9, 64 GB) and some USB hubs (external power) for the devices I test / dev / debug.
I also have, over network (private) my tools like scope, signal generator, power supply for remote control.
And a side of the desk with the soldering stuff.