Sessions By Track

Each year, hundreds of ideas and topics are submitted during the ESC call for submission process. This year saw a record breaking number of submissions all geared towards the advancement of the embedded industry. After review with the ESC Advisory Board and Track Chairs, the top session proposals that address the most relevant issues facing engineers and the industry are selected. Here are the tracks you can review to customize your educational experience.”

Click the Track links below *in orange* to view all classes for each track.

Aerospace and Military
Designers in the military and aerospace fields have always been held to a higher standard, and for good reason. You just can't afford to have a failure in the field—lives are at stake. In addition, the applications here really are real-time. The classes in this track will look at the latest issues, trends, and specifications, and also show designers where they need to be looking for the most up-to-date, accurate information and specifications.

Build Your Own Embedded System #1
BeagleBoard workshop! More information coming soon.

Build Your Own Embedded System #2
Build Your Own Embedded System (BYOES) using the Tower System: Offered as a second (unrelated) BYOES track, attendees will receive* modules within the Freescale’s Tower System, a modular, reconfigurable development platform. The Tower System employs a simple 3-step concept— choose an MCU module that’s right for your needs, pick the peripheral modules that are right for your end application, and easily snap them together to form your custom development platform. MCU/MPU modules in the Tower System span 8-, 16-, and 32-bit devices. Peripheral modules include memory, sensors, serial connectivity, Wi-Fi, graphical LCD and more. The classes within the track will help the attendee customize their Tower System and write the code needed to make the modules operate efficiently. The track is organized such that attendees are introduced to a basic Tower System in the first class** and then proceed into subsequent hands-on training classes that feature additional modules in the Tower System. For example, after an initial 101 course, attendees may learn how to port an RTOS; how to interface to external memory; and how to add wired and wireless networking capabilities.

* Space and kits are limited. Hardware will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis, limited to the first 80 attendees. You must be present to receive hardware.

** The hardware featured in the first session will be used through the entirety of the BYOES track. As such, the first 80 attendees to this class will receive a ticket to redeem for the actual hardware at the end of the conference (Thursday, September 23). If you miss the first class in the track, you will not be able to get the basic kit for free. For each subsequent class where hardware will be given away, the first 80 attendees will walk away with free boards, whether or not they attended the first session.

Designing with Open-Source Software, including Linux and Android
Embedded Linux came on the scene quite a few years ago, and has found a home in a high number of designs. Is it right for your application? Maybe. If so, what's the difference between the various offerings, and is it really free? And how do I configure it for my application? In addition, a new OS is upon us, and it's also a "free" offering. That new OS is Android. Originally conceived as an OS for mobile handsets, this Google-designed product is becoming more prevalent than most of us would have thought possible. The classes in this track will answer all the questions related to embedded Linux, and also those that correspond to Android. Finally, if you're not designing your system with open-source software, you could be throwing money out the window. This track will cover what open source is, how it works, whether it's right for your application, and of so, how you implement it.

Developing for Windows Embedded
Microsoft has pledged to be a real player in the embedded space. That alone should make developers stand up and take notice. In this track, you'll learn the ins and outs of Microsoft's latest embedded offering, you'll find out whether it's right for you, and you'll find out how to make it work in your application.

Graphics, Displays and Lighting
The use of LEDs in embedded applications is growing at a rapid rate. If you use those LEDs wisely, you can maximize the brightness and increase the product's life, while reducing the power and cost. In addition, the displays and lighting segments in embedded systems are just beginning to embrace touch screens, and Adobe Flash, and the issue of power reduction never goes away. Finally, signage is changing rapidly through the use of LEDs. Sessions in this track will look at all the opportunities available to designers with respect to these topics.

Industrial, Automation, and Robotics
Industrial control and automation are common applications in the embedded industry, with the robotics aspect often taking center stage. Moving forward, the amount of automation is sure to grow significantly. For example, one class in this track could show how to reduce or eliminate the use of PLCs, while another might teach attendees how to leverage Windows Embedded products to build robust real time distributed and connected solutions: from sensors to servers. Other topics that'll likely be covered in this track include robotics, motion control, industrial sensors, process control, and wireless controlled automation, all as apply to designing embedded systems.

Medical
Medical electronics is one of the fastest growing segments in the embedded space. This is, in large part, due to the massive venture capital investment in medical devices (almost $4B last year) due to the aging baby-boomer population. However, designing a system for the medical space carries with it some very stringent and specific requirements. For example, in many cases, those products must be simple enough to be used by the general public. In other cases, they may have ot be used in the field for varying lengths of time without access to a power recharge. And in all cases, they must pass stringent tests by various governing bodies, including the FDA. Sessions in this track will cover everything all aspects of the hardware and software development specifically as it pertains to the design of medical products.

Multi-core and Virtualization
Make no mistake about it, multi-core and virtualization are here, and they're not going anywhere. In fact, these two synergistic microprocessor technologies are rapidly growing in popularity across a wide variety of embedded designs. This track will help developers become better trained in the potential impacts and benefits of these technologies in their projects. Some of the class topics may include: multicore software development challenges and techniques, including how to effectively debug and achieve improved concurrency; taking advantage of hardware multithreading; and embedded applications of system virtualization/hypervisors.

Multimedia and Signal Processing
The digital living room is getting all the publicity today. But the consumer electronics field goes way beyond that buzz word. It takes advantage of all the latest wireless technologies, as well as the latest multimedia capabilities. In many cases, these systems are powered by a battery, so power management must be at the forefront of the design and not an after-thought. In many cases, those multimedia consumer-electronics devices are driven by the latest signal processing CPUs. But it's not just consumer electronics that's taking advantage of signal processing. This track covers such areas as digital signal processors, algorithms, tools, and development techniques.

Networking, Connectivity, and Embedded Internet
The percentage of embedded systems that must "talk" to the outside world is quite high. Communications may occur over the Internet, or it may be over some other intranet or networking topology. In some cases, the platforms will talk over a wire, while in other cases, it'll be wireless. In this track, attendees will first learn what options are available to them and which is best for their application. Then they'll get down to the nitty-gritty of learning how to integrate these technologies, both in hardware and software, into their embedded system. It may also include datacomm/telecomm.

Programmable Logic
One component that seems to sit on just about every high-end embedded board is a programmable logic device. Users claim that these parts are still too big, too expensive, and too complicated. Yet, they're still omnipresent. This track will show users how to best take advantage of the technologies available to them, and in some cases take much more advantage of the programmable part than designers thought would be possible. Topics include model-based programmable logic design and implementation, multi-core processor design within FPGAs, DSP-based FPGA design, proper layout and routing techniques, OS tips and tricks as it relates to programmable logic, etc.

Project Management
Whether you're part of a team, the team's manager, or working solo, there's a process that should be followed for any design. Are you aware of that process? Do you understand how team members should be interacting with each other? Do you know how to choose the best team members? Even if you can positively answer these questions, you still must then deal with budgets, schedules, and upper management, among other things. This track will help you cope with all of these areas, and some others you probably never thought of. The classes are lead by Jack Ganssle, one of the world's authorities on project management.

Real-Time Development
Many OSs claim to be real time. But that's an over-used term, and now means different things to different people. And if you do require real-time in your system, you probably know that it requires a special talent. In many cases these are mission-critical applications, so the margin for error is basically zero. What you'll learn in this track is how to design, build, and optimize a system for real-time applications. It'll cover both the hardware and software concerns.

Safety and Security
Embedded software is an ever-present part of modern society. In applications ranging from avionics to pacemakers, the safety of the product is of critical concern throughout the design process. This track looks at issues surrounding firmware safety and the related concept of security against tampering, whether physical or over a network. Best practices for embedded software architecture and development tools/process are recommended to ensure a safe and secure outcome.

Software Debugging Techniques
No one writes perfect code. Hence, at some point along the way, developers must debug that code. These classes will teach attendees various methods of debugging their software.

System Integration and Test
Integrating the components required for an embedded system, both hardware and software, can be a daunting task, depending on the complexity of the system. In many cases, integrating the hardware and software with each other is the most critical step. The classes in this track may cover such topics as test infrastructure and architectures, test automation, test driven development, continuous integration, integration test, on- and off-target software test, testable architectures, integration and test tradeoffs, and instrumentation.

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