🔧 Embedded Linux Pro: Elevate Your Embedded Systems Mastery – Series 1

### 1. Coding Challenge: Implementing a Ring Buffer for UART Communication (25 mins)

Objective: Design a lock-free ring buffer in C/C++ for UART data transmission and reception.
Key Concepts:

• Interrupt-driven programming
• Circular buffer management
• Memory safety and performance optimization

Discussion Points:

• Avoiding data corruption in ISRs
• Buffer overflow/underflow handling
• Lock-free vs mutex-based buffer access

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### 2. Face-to-Face Debugging Simulation: Memory Corruption in Embedded Systems (25 mins)

Scenario: A memory corruption issue crashes a sensor driver after several hours of uptime.
Tasks:

• Analyze code to find stack overflows or buffer overruns
• Use tools like Valgrind or GDB to reproduce and debug

Key Concepts:

• Stack vs heap memory in embedded systems
• GDB backtracing, watchpoints, and memory inspection
• Defensive coding practices

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### 3. System Design Session: Real-Time Data Logger on Embedded Linux (35 mins)

Objective: Design a real-time logging system that collects sensor data and writes to SD card or flash reliably.
Discussion Points:

• File I/O and flash memory wear-leveling
• Real-time constraints and thread prioritization
• Data integrity and journaling mechanisms

Key Concepts:

• `pthread`, `mmap`, direct I/O
• Real-time scheduling (SCHED_FIFO)
• Handling power failures and ensuring data safety

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### 4. Real-World Product Issue: Recovering from Kernel Panic or Watchdog Timeout (25 mins)

Scenario: A field-deployed embedded device reboots frequently due to unknown kernel panics.
Tasks:

• Enable kernel crash dumps and analyze logs
• Implement watchdog-based recovery mechanism

Key Concepts:

• Kernel panic handling and `kexec`
• Watchdog timers (hardware/software)
• System reliability and boot-time diagnostics

***

### 5. Q&A and Embedded Roundtable (30 mins)

Open forum:

• Bring your toughest bugs and real-world embedded Linux challenges
• Discuss build systems (Yocto, Buildroot), device trees, or bootloaders (U-Boot)
• Interview insights for firmware and embedded software roles

Join Zoom Meeting

[https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81413174996?pwd=B3H4aIvSlQdS4sZ91dTkbtzMVWv7Ok.1](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81413174996?pwd%3DB3H4aIvSlQdS4sZ91dTkbtzMVWv7Ok.1&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3zJXNYh4snqMkmPe9fzZ-y)

Meeting ID: 814 1317 4996
Passcode: 265949