CODEWITHSUNDEEP
embedded
sat.learner
sat.learner

Reputation: 3

Skills needed in 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit

Are there any specific skillsets required with 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit processing for embedded developers?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 63

Answers (2)

Clifford
Clifford

Reputation: 93446

In general processors and microcontrollers using 32 bit architecture tend to be more complex and used in more complex applications. As such, someone with only 8 bit device experience may not process the skills or experience necessary for more complex projects.

So it is not specifically the bit-width that is the issue, but it is used simply as a shorthand or proxy for complexity of systems. It is a very crude measure in any event since architectures differ widely even withing the bit-width classification; AVR, PIC and x51 for example are very different, as are 68K, ARM and x86. Even within the ARM family a Cortex-M device is very different from an A-class device.

Beware of any job spec that uses such broad skill classifications - something for you to challenge perhaps in the interview.

Upvotes: 1

Russ Schultz
Russ Schultz

Reputation: 2689

Yes, there are specific skills expected and differences between 8bit and 32bit processors. (Ignoring 16 bit, since there's so few of them available)

8 bit processors and tools are vastly different than the 32bit variants (even excluding Linux based systems).

  • Processor architecture
  • Memory availability
  • Peripheral complexity

An 8051 is a strange beast and plopping your average CS in front of one and asking them to make a product is asking for something that only mostly works. It's multiple memory spaces, lack of stack, constrained register file, and constrained memory really make "modern" computer science difficult.

Even an AVR, which is less of a strange beast, still has constraints that a 32 bit processor just doesn't have, particularly memory

And all of these are very different than writing code on an embedded linux platform.

Upvotes: 1

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