Best of Embedded Systems — July 2024

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   Article

   Hacker News·2y

   TOTP tokens on my wrist with the smartest dumb watch.

   The Casio F-91W can be upgraded using a new ARM Cortex M0+ powered logic board from Sensor Watch, which replaces its original quartz movement while maintaining the classic LCD display and other components. This board is programmable and supports custom watchfaces and utilities, including TOTP (Time-based One-time Password) generation for 2FA codes. The process involves replacing the board, configuring 2FA secrets, and writing new watchfaces. The upgraded watch offers features like a world clock, moon phase indicator, sunrise/sunset calculator, temperature sensor readout, and more, with months-long battery life and no Bluetooth connectivity.

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   Article

   Hacker News·2y

   Making a Linux-managed network switch

   This post discusses the creation of a Linux-managed network switch by leveraging the DSA and switchdev subsystems. It details the process of designing and integrating a Realtek RTL8367S switch chip with a custom-built board, including power configurations and communication interfaces. The post also covers configuring the switch in Linux, required kernel options, and device tree modifications to enable functionality. Challenges and limitations are also addressed.

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3. 3
   Article

   Hacker News·2y

   Using SIMD for Parallel Processing in Rust

   SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) is a technique for parallel processing within a single CPU core, accelerating data-intensive operations. This post explores how Rust developers can leverage SIMD using stable features, the experimental std::simd for portable SIMD, and platform-specific intrinsics through std::arch. Key techniques include understanding SIMD operations, harnessing compiler auto-vectorization, and implementing performance-critical code. Real-world applications span high-performance computing, multimedia processing, systems programming, embedded systems, and cryptography.

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