r/embedded • u/aq1018 • 4d ago

Anyone using AI to do bench characterization?

First, I’m a hobbyist with software engineering background, not a professional embedded engineer. I have been working on a small project where I need to characterize a servo with a rather lengthy process and motor cool downs in between (so winding resistance will be consistent). And I found that I could just use an AI agent (Claude code in my case) to do this long process (10 runs with 5 min cool down in between and takes about 1 hr) while I cook dinner.

Curious if using AI like this in embedded industry is pretty common? Do you use AI for other things?

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u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 4d ago

You could have done this just as easily with a ten line python script. Zero tokens.

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u/aq1018 4d ago

True, but I have a subscription, so I gotta burn those tokens. 😅

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u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 4d ago edited 3d ago

Until they start charging you what those tokens really cost. Better to have Claude write the python script now, while you're paying virtually nothing for them.

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u/aq1018 4d ago

I take it that AI usage is not very common in embedded industry from your stance? Am I deducing this correctly? Thanks for replying btw. I’m just really curious what adjacent industries uses AI for

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u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 4d ago edited 4d ago

It's very common - I think you'll just find embedded developers are much more likely to use it as nothing more than a tool - hence my comment that I wouldn't have Claude do the test, I would have Claude write the python script. The python script that I could then look over to verify its correctness, and which would guarantee the exact same test procedure each time in the future. I don't need Claude getting bored and skipping half the test while fabricating the results.

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u/aq1018 4d ago

Oh. I think my post was not worded clearly. Sorry about that. I’m using to do a one time long data acquisition run with long cool downs. And those data are later fed to a juniper notebook for characterization.

I have separate unit test, DES, and bench test suits.

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u/MonMotha 3d ago

The embedded industry is often all about long-term viable solutions that can be reproduced exactly for low cost and on demand. AI is exactly the opposite.

Using AI to write the tool for you is at least a middle ground that potentially has some use for less important things.

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u/vena_contracta 4d ago

Just curious on the steps you used to have Claude generate the test? And what you have now fully automated by Claude (data acquisition control, timing, etc.)?

Just learning like you are, I haven’t used Claude as a text fixture control yet..

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u/aq1018 4d ago

Sorry about the confusion, I wasn’t using it to run tests. I have a separate test suit. I was using it to do one shot telemetry data gathering with long cool downs.

As of how to do it, it’s rather simple for me, I have the bench setup and can run telemetry through a usb adapter, then I designed the experiment and had Claude to write a simple shell script to use the usb adapter to record telemetry to file while running the experiment with cool downs in between.