Is low-level / embedded systems programming hard f

Question

Given my background as a generalist, I can cover much of the area from analog electronics to writing simple applications that interface to a RDBMS backend.

I currently work in a company that develops hardware to solve industry-specific problems. We have an experienced programmer that have written business apps, video games, and a whole bunch of other stuff for PC's. But when I talk to him about doing low-level programming, he simultaneously express interest and also doubt/uncertainty about joining the project.

Even when talking about PC's, he seems to be more comfortable operating at the language level than the lower-level stuff (instruction sets, ISR's). Still, he's a smart guy, and I think he'd enjoy the work once he is over the initial learning hump. But maybe that's my own enthusiasm for low-level stuff talking... If he was truly interested, maybe he would already have started learning stuff in that direction?

Do you have experience in making that software-to-hardware (or low-level software) transition? Or, better yet, of taking a software only guy, and transitioning him to the low-level stuff?

Edit:

P.S. I'd love to hear from the responders what their own background is -- EE, CS, both?

Answer 1

I would say it is not any harder, it just requires a different knowledge set, different considerations.

Answer 2

I think that it depends on the way that they program in their chosen environment, and the type of embedded work that you're talking about.

Working on an embedded linux platform, say, is a far smaller jump than trying to write code on an 8 bit platform with no operating system at all.

If they are the type of person that has an understanding of what is going on underneath the api and environment that they are used to, then it won't be too much of a stretch to move into embedded development.

However, if their world view stops at the high level api that they've been using, and they have no concept of anything beneath that, they are going to have a really hard time.

As a (very) general statement if they are comfortable working on multithreaded applications they will probably be ok, as that shares some of the same issues of data volatility that you have when working on embedded projects.

With all of that said, I've seen more embedded programmers successfully working in PC development than I have the reverse. (of course I might not have seen a fair cross section)

Answer 3

You are right in that anyone with enough knowledge not to feel completely lost in an area (over the hump?) will enjoy the challenges of learning something new.

I myself would feel quite nervous being moving to the level of instruction sets etc as there is a huge amount of background knowledge needed to feel comfortable in the environment.

It may make a difference if you are able to support the developer in learning how to do this. Having someone there you can ask and talk through issue with is a huge help in that sort of domain change.

It may be worth having the developer assigned to a smaller project with others as a first step and see how that goes. If he expresses enthusiasm to try another project, things should flow on from there.

Answer 4

"Hard" is an extremely relative term. If you're used to thinking in the tight, sometimes convoluted way you need to for small embedded code (for example, you're a driver developer), then certainly it's not "hard".

Not to "bash" (no pun intended) shell scripters, but if you write perl and shell scripts all day, then it might very well be "hard".

Likewise if you're a UI guy for Windows. It's a different kind of thinking.

Answer 5

I am an EE turned Software Engineer. I prefer programming low level. Most software developers classically trained that I know do not want to operate at this level they want apis to call. So for me it is a win win, I create the low level driver and api for them to use. There is a "new" degree, at least new since I went to college, called Computer Engineer. Hmm, it might be an electrical engineering degree not computer science, but it is a nice mix of software and digital hardware basics. The individuals that I have worked with from this field are much more comfortable with low level.

If the individual is not comfortable or willing then place them somewhere where they are comfortable. Let them do documentation or work on the user interface. If all of the work at the company requires low level work then this individual needs to do it or find another job. Dont sugar coat it.

I also think they will enjoy it once they get over the hump, the freedom you have at that level, not hindered by operating systems, etc. Recently I witnessed a few co-workers experience for the first time seeing their software run under simulation. Every net within the processor and other on chip peripherals. No you dont have a table on a gui (debugger) showing the current state of the memory, you have to look at the memory bus, look for the address you are interested in, look for a read or write signal and the data bus. I worry about the day that silicon arrives and they no longer have this level of visibility. Will be like an addict in detox.