Monday, February 24, 2020

Podcast.__init__: Reducing The Friction Of Embedded Software Development With PlatformIO

Embedded software development is a challenging endeavor due to a fragmented ecosystem of tools. Ivan Kravets experienced the pain of programming for different hardware platforms when embroiled in a home automation project. As a result he built the PlatformIO ecosystem to reduce the friction encountered by engineers working with multiple microcontroller architectures. In this episode he describes the complexities associated with targeting multiple platforms, the tools that PlatformIO offers to simplify the workflow, and how it fits into the development process. If you are feeling the pain of working with different editing environments and build toolchains for various microcontroller vendors then give this interview a listen and then try it out for yourself.

Summary

Embedded software development is a challenging endeavor due to a fragmented ecosystem of tools. Ivan Kravets experienced the pain of programming for different hardware platforms when embroiled in a home automation project. As a result he built the PlatformIO ecosystem to reduce the friction encountered by engineers working with multiple microcontroller architectures. In this episode he describes the complexities associated with targeting multiple platforms, the tools that PlatformIO offers to simplify the workflow, and how it fits into the development process. If you are feeling the pain of working with different editing environments and build toolchains for various microcontroller vendors then give this interview a listen and then try it out for yourself.

Announcements

  • Hello and welcome to Podcast.__init__, the podcast about Python and the people who make it great.
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  • You listen to this show to learn and stay up to date with the ways that Python is being used, including the latest in machine learning and data analysis. For even more opportunities to meet, listen, and learn from your peers you don’t want to miss out on this year’s conference season. We have partnered with organizations such as O’Reilly Media, Corinium Global Intelligence, ODSC, and Data Council. Upcoming events include the Strata Data in San Jose, and PyCon US in Pittsburgh. Go to pythonpodcast.com/conferences to learn more about these and other events, and take advantage of our partner discounts to save money when you register today.
  • Your host as usual is Tobias Macey and today I’m interviewing Ivan Kravets about PlatformIO, an open source ecosystem for IoT development including a cross-platform IDE, unified debugger, remote unit testing, and firmware updates.

Interview

  • Introductions
  • How did you get introduced to Python?
  • Can you start by describing what PlatformIO is?
    • What was your motivation for creating it?
    • What are the aspects of embedded development that keep you interested and engaged in this space?
  • What are some of the types of projects that someone might use PlatformIO to build?
  • What are some of the common challenges that a developer might encounter when working on embedded systems?
    • What are the additional complexities that get introduced as more hardware targets get added to a project?
  • What is the workflow for someone using PlatformIO for embedded systems development?
  • What are the different elements of PlatformIO and how do they simplify the work of building embedded systems projects?
  • How is PlatformIO implemented and how has the system design evolved since you first began working on it?
    • What was your reason for selecting Python as the implementation language?
    • If you were to start over today what would you do differently?
  • How has the embedded hardware and software landscape changed since you first started work on PlatformIO?
    • How has that impacted your product direction?
  • How do developers handle testing and validation of their applications?
  • How does PlatformIO help with updating deployed devices with new firmware?
  • What have been some of the most interesting/unexpected/innovative projects that you have seen built with PlatformIO?
  • What have been some of the most interesting/unexpected/challenging aspects of building and maintaining PlatformIO?
  • How are you approaching sustainability of the project and business?
  • What do you have planned for the future of PlatformIO?

Keep In Touch

Picks

Closing Announcements

  • Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to check out our other show, the Data Engineering Podcast for the latest on modern data management.
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Links

The intro and outro music is from Requiem for a Fish The Freak Fandango Orchestra / CC BY-SA



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