Michael Barr

Embedded Systems Expert

Areas of Expertise:

real-time operating systems
embedded software
firmware development process
software architecture
consulting

speaking
programming
training
writing

Biography

Michael Barr is an internationally recognized expert on the design of embedded computer systems. In that role, he has provided expert witness testimony in federal court, appeared on PBS’ American Business Review, and been quoted in various newspapers.

Michael is the author of three books and more than forty articles on embedded software development. For three and a half years Michael served as editor-in-chief of Embedded Systems Programming magazine. In addition, Michael has been a member of the advisory board of the Embedded Systems Conference. Software he wrote continues to power millions of products.

Michael holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering and has lectured in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, from which he also earned an MBA.

Books

Programming Embedded Systems
by Michael Barr , Anthony Massa
Second Edition October 2006
OUT OF PRINT
(3)
(Read Reviews)

Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++
by Michael Barr
January 1999
OUT OF PRINT
(3)
(Read Reviews)

Articles

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Making Sense of Programmable Logic
Publish Date: Mar. 2, 2004Hardware engineers create the bulk of their new digital circuitry in programming languages such as VHDL and Verilog and often target it to CPLDs and FPGAs. What are these devices and how are they changing the way embedded systems are designed? In this article, Michael Barr, author of Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++, helps you make sense of programmable logic. Choosing a Compiler: The Little Things
Publish Date: Dec. 29, 2003Let's face it -- there's nothing sexy about the topic of cross compilers. But little differences between compilers can make a big difference in the success or failure of your software project. Michael Barr, author of Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++, looks at the criteria for selecting the right C/C++ cross compiler for your project. Manipulating Fixed-Width Integer Data Types
Publish Date: Oct. 7, 2003There are many programming situations in which integer size matters. For example, in the process of manipulating memory-mapped I/O registers, embedded programmers who use C or C++ often require fixed-size integer data types that aren't provided by the language standards. Michael Barr takes a new look at this old problem, and he includes a final solution to the issue of naming fixed-width integer data types. Michael is the author of Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++. Introduction to Closed-Loop Control
Publish Date: Aug. 5, 2003Most control systems utilize feedback in some manner. These are known as closed-loop control systems. Here's a look at several fundamental feedback mechanisms, culminating in a description of a basic PID controller, by Michael Barr, author of Programming Embedded Systems for C and C++. Introduction to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
Publish Date: Jul. 2, 2003Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a powerful technique for controlling analog circuits with a processor's digital outputs. Learn how PWM works, from the author of Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++.

Blog

Michael's blog posts are hosted at:
http://www.embeddedgurus.net/barr-code/

Firmware Disasters

June 23 2009

First, an Airbus A330 fell out of the sky. Then two D.C. Metro trains collided. Several hundred people have been killed and injured in these disastrous system failures. Did bugs in embedded software play a role in these disasters? And what will be the third disaster headline?An incident on an… read more

Annual Embedded Engineer Survey -- Call for Participation

May 21 2009

VDC Research is conducting its annual survey of embedded engineers. If you are involved in the engineering of embedded systems, you should take the survey. The research covers embedded software, hardware, tools, and development practices.VDC will provide all respondents who complete the survey:* A summary of the 2009 survey findings*… read more

Coding Standard Rule #10: Don't Use the Comma Delimiter Within Variable Declarations

April 15 2009

Rule: The comma (‘,’) operator shall not be used within variable declarations.Example (don’t):char * x, y; // did you want y to be a pointer or not?Reasoning: The cost of placing each declaration on a line of its own is low. By contrast, the risk that you've made a mistake… read more

Embedded Systems Conference Wrap-Up

April 07 2009

I spent last week in San Jose, at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). As I have come to expect (this was my twelfth consecutive year as a speaker), the event remains the place for embedded systems developers to be. There is no other similar event for learning about the latest… read more

Coding Standard Rule #9: Don't Create Function-Like Macros

April 03 2009

Rule: Parameterized macros shall not be used if an inline function can be written to accomplish the same task. Example:#define MAX(A, B) ((A) > (B) ? (A) : (B)) // Don’t do this ...inline int max(int a, int b) // ... if you can do this instead. Reasoning: There are… read more

Coding Standard Rule #8: Don't Mix Signed and Unsigned Data

April 02 2009

Rule: Signed integers shall not be combined with unsigned integers in comparisons or expressions. In support of this, decimal constants meant to be unsigned should be declared with a ‘u’ at the end.Example (don’t):uint8_t a = 6u;int8_t b = -9;if (a + b < 4){ // This correct path should… read more

Coding Standard Rule #7: Don't Mix Bit-Wise Operators and Signed Data

April 01 2009

Rule: None of the bit-wise operators (i.e., &, |, ~, ^, <<, and >>) shall be used to manipulate signed integer data.Example (don’t):int8_t signed_data = -4;signed_data >>= 1; // not necessarily -2 Reasoning: The C standard does not specific the underlying format of signed data (e.g., 2’s complement) and leaves… read more

Coding Standard Rule #6: Use C99's Fixed-Width Integer Type Names

April 01 2009

This is the sixth in a continuing series of blog posts describing simple coding rules that help keep bugs out of embedded C programs.Rule: Whenever the width, in bits or bytes, of an integer value matters in the program, fixed width data types shall be used in place of char,… read more

Coding Standard Rule #5: Only use Comments for Commenting

March 30 2009

This is the fifth in a continuing series of blog posts describing simple coding rules that help keep bugs out of embedded C programs.Rule: Comments shall neither be nested nor used to disable a block of code, even temporarily. To temporarily disable a block of code, use the preprocessor’s conditional… read more

Coding Standard Rule #4: Use volatile Whenever Possible

March 27 2009

This is the fourth in a continuing series of blog posts describing simple coding rules that help keep bugs out of embedded C programs.Rule: The volatile keyword shall be used whenever appropriate, including:To declare a global variable accessible (by current use or scope) by any interrupt service routine,To declare a… read more

New Mobile Phone OS Market Share Data

March 26 2009

Fast Company magazine yesterday reported the latest statistics on mobile web browsing. Not surprisingly, people with iPhones are the dominant users of mobile Internet.Included in the article are statistics about the market for mobile phone operating systems. The shakeup in the OS market share mix over the past six months… read more

Coding Standard Rule #3: Use static to Enforce Encapsulation

March 26 2009

The third in a continuing series of blog posts about simple rules for keeping bugs out of embedded software written in the C programming language.Rule: C's static keyword shall be used to declare all functions and variables that do not need to be visible outside of the module in which… read more

Requirements vs. Design

March 26 2009

Over the years, I have found that many engineers (as well as their managers) struggle to separate the various elements or layers of firmware engineering. For example, we are barraged with requests for "design reviews" that turn out to be "code reviews" because the customer is confused about the meaning… read more

Calling all Embedded Systems Bloggers

March 25 2009

I am currently doing research for an in-depth blog post or series about the online social networking community of individuals and companies with blogs, facebook pages, twitter feeds, etc. about embedded systems development. If you are involved with any part of the online embedded systems community and think I may… read more

Coding Standard Rule #2: Use const Wherever Possible

March 24 2009

Another in a continuing series of blog posts about simple rules for keeping bugs out of embedded software written in the C programming language.Rule: The const keyword shall be used whenever possible, including:To declare variables that should not be changed after initialization,To define call-by-reference function parameters that should not be… read more

Biography

Books

Articles

Blog

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