How exciting! I’ve been asked to be a presenter at this year’s Online Embedded Conference, which is being organized by the guys and gals at the Beningo Embedded Group and the chaps and chappesses at Embedded Related.

The 2020 Online Embedded Conference boasts a great line-up of speakers (Click image to see a larger version — Image source: beningo.com)

VERY IMPORTANT: If you register before 29 February 2020 (yes, this year is a leap year) the conference is free; after that the cost goes up to $90, and later it will rise to $190, so don’t delay — tell your family and friends about this outrageously good deal.

As you’ll see, there is a great line-up of speakers, including many of my chums who are regular presenters at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC), ARM TEchCon, and numerous other prestigious venues.

Many of the speakers will be waffling on about microcontrollers and related topics. In the case of my session, I will be explicating, elucidating, and expounding on the topic “What the FAQ is an FPGA?” As it says in my abstract:

A lot of people design embedded systems. Some of them are the hardware design engineers who create the boards. Others are the software developers who program the boards. The one thing that most of them have in common (apart from mutual distrust of each other) is that they predominantly use microcontrollers (MCUs) as the primary processing element in their designs.

Most of them have heard of FPGAs, but all they typically know is that these devices can be programmed to perform different functions — they don’t know how. Similarly, most of them have heard about languages like Verilog and VHDL, but all they typically know is that FPGA designers use these languages to capture the design — they don’t know how these hardware description languages (HDLs) differ from programming languages like C/C++.

In this presentation, engineer, writer, and communicator Max the Magnificent (a legend in his own lunchtime) will rend the veils asunder and reveal all. Max says that we will be leaping from topic to topic with the agility of young mountain goats, so he urges attendees to dress appropriately.

I think that covers things nicely. I’m informed that, by registering early and showing support for the event, you will greatly contribute to elevate the organizers’ “already-very-good-but-there-is-always-room-for-improvement” mood. And, as the event gains momentum, it will make it easier for them to attract even more high-quality speakers and sessions.