Developing competitive hardware products requires a strategic choice of programming languages to balance cost, speed, and efficiency. While C and C++ remain the industry standards for firmware, utilizing low-level Assembler or machine language provides a significant market edge by reducing chip memory requirements and lowering production costs. A notable example includes a veteran developer whose son dominated robotics competitions because his Assembler-coded machines were more agile than those using higher-level languages. Conversely, Python is popular for educational purposes and rapid prototyping on platforms like Raspberry Pi but lacks the performance needed for high-volume production. Current educational trends and government goals prioritize web development and AI, leading to a shortage of C-trained developers. Consequently, software engineers transitioning to hardware must bridge a significant skill gap, as lucrative bootcamps focus on high-level languages like JavaScript rather than the rigorous low-level coding essential for hardware optimization.
Sign in to continue reading, translating and more.
Open full episode in Podwise