Blog - myembeddedstuff.com

Arduino Uno Q: The Truth About its Boot-Up Performance

I’d seen a lot of conflicting info on various forums about the Arduino Uno Q's boot time. I decided to stop guessing and test it myself using my own setup to see exactly how long it takes from power-on until the first instruction of a sketch actually executes.In this article, I analyze the startup performance of the Arduino Uno Q boot. I’ll be measuring exactly how long it takes for the MCU sketch and the MPU Python script to execute from the moment the board receives power.Unlike theoretical analyses, I am using external signals and a logic analyzer to pinpoint when each processor begins execution and determine whether they start simultaneously.Specifically, I aim to answer: Does the MCU sketch start automatically? How long does…

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January 14, 2026

ArduinoUnoQ

Arduino Uno Q Communication: A Deep Dive into RPC

The communication system The Arduino Uno Q features a specialized communication method designed to handle data exchange between the MPU and the MCU. This system is based on RPC (Remote Procedure Call). In this post, we will explore the architecture, the protocol, and a hands-on example of how to send and receive commands. We'll even dive into a logic analyzer capture to see exactly how it works under the hood. Before proceeding with this post, I strongly recommend reading my previous review of the Arduino Uno Q: https://myembeddedstuff.com/arduino-uno-q-new-paradigm-review RPC Description Communication is based on RPC (Remote Procedure Call). This system operates like a sort of Router, hosted on the MPU as a service called Arduino-Router. It is responsible for creating and managing a connection table. This…

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January 8, 2026

ArduinoUnoQ

Arduino Uno Q: A New Paradigm.

The new Arduino Uno Q marks a turning point for Arduino's product line following its acquisition by Qualcomm. In this post, I will discuss why this board is so significant, what it is composed of, and future lines. Description Following Qualcomm's acquisition of Arduino, we have seen a shift in their designs. The new Arduino Uno Q maintains the original Uno form factor, but its internal components are completely different: the famous ATmega chips have been left behind in favor of a totally new architecture. Architecture They have opted to assemble a high-performance MPU chip, the Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210, alongside a MCU the STM32U585 microcontroller. This brings it closer to the concept of an SBC (Single Board Computer), allowing the MPU to run…

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January 3, 2026

EINK

Beyond 6 Colors: Exploring Dithering on Spectra 6-color E-Ink Displays

I have tested the XIAO ePaper DIY Kit (ESP32-S3) - EE04 from Seeed Studio in depth. While its 6-color Spectra 6 display is impressive out of the box, I wanted to see if software could overcome hardware limitations. In this post, I’ll share how I’ve pushed this hardware to its limits by using dithering techniques to simulate an entirely new range of color tones and shades. This post is divided into the following sections: Hardware Analysis How SPECTRA 6 E-INK Works The Challenge of SPECTRA 6 Conclusion Hardware Analysis The hardware is composed of two elements. The first one is the controller board. It features several push buttons, an ON/OFF switch and a charging circuit to power the device via battery and charge…

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December 30, 2025

Project

Project: Developing an E-Paper Dashboard with Arduino and the reTerminal E1001 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Thanks to the good reception of the previous post, where I described my project of an e-ink dashboard to visualize events and weather using the E1001 terminal from SeeedStudio, in this guide, I will explain step-by-step how to flash your own customized terminal. Additionally, I'll leave a few links in case you haven't acquired the terminal yet. LINK: [https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c39JPkAd] [https://www.seeedstudio.com/reTerminal-E1001-p-6534.html?sensecap_affiliate=roDgS6q&referring_service=link] SeeedStudio link with discount applied at the end. If you haven't seen my previous post, I recommend reading it: I explain good design practices that can be very useful for future embedded systems engineering projects. https://myembeddedstuff.com/dashboard-arduino-e1001 1. Installing the Arduino IDE We need the IDE to compile the code and adapt it to your Google Calendar, location, and other parameters. Guide and download…

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December 15, 2025

Project

Project: Developing an E-Paper Dashboard with Arduino and the reTerminal E1001

I've always wanted a device at home for a long time that would let me see at a glance, every morning while I have my coffee, what I need: the weather, my upcoming events, and some sensor data. I tried several solutions until I discovered a device that was perfect for this purpose. It saved me a lot of time in hardware development and was fully customizable to suit my needs. I'd like to share the development of my small project using the reTerminal E1001 e-paper display hardware from Seeed Studio. In this post, I will discuss the display's hardware, how I used the Arduino IDE to program it, the architectural schematic I followed, and the tools I used for the graphical design. I…

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December 8, 2025

Tools

How to measure RF Power with AD8319 RF Meter and Attenuators

IntroductionThe RF power meter is the key tool for calibration and quality control in my radio frequency projects.When working with RF equipment, we often need to know the output power of our system. This serves multiple purposes: from validating the state of the output to confirming that the transmission power is within a valid range (useful if we have to perform certification processes, for example).I arrived at this solution after analyzing various RF power measurement systems and finding one that was quite economical, functional, and very simple (without the need for any desktop applications).First, it's important to understand how RF system power measurement works. It's usually measured in Watts and indicates the amount of energy being transmitted/received per unit of time (1 W…

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December 1, 2025

ESP32

Getting Started with ESP32: ESP-IDF GitHub Examples Explained

INTRODUCTION When I started working with the ESP32 and its ESP-IDF framework, I found myself stuck and facing numerous problems when trying to develop even the most basic tasks: How do you initialize an I2C bus? How do you program a periodic timer? All of these questions kept coming up until I discovered how to make use of the documentation provided and look at simple examples to learn how to perform the most basic tasks with ESP-IDF, and then scale my project from there. Keep reading to find out how to get started with ESP-IDF in a practical way. INSTALLATION (You can skip this section if you’re already familiar with it.) The first step is to install ESP-IDF using the IDE you prefer.…

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November 25, 2025

Software

Secure Bootloader Design: A Complete Guide for Embedded Systems

INTRODUCTION The bootloader is a very important part of embedded systems. It doesn’t always have to be present, but in most commercial embedded products it’s an essential component. Keep reading and I’ll explain why. A bootloader is essentially an additional piece of firmware, separate from our main application that we program into the device through a programmer (for example via JTAG) to handle very specific tasks like mainly updating the system so we don’t have to rely on JTAG programming once the device is deployed in the field. It’s often said that it’s the first piece of code executed by the microcontroller, which isn’t entirely accurate. What we (as users) typically flash is the User Bootloader. Meanwhile, the chip manufacturer usually preloads a…

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November 18, 2025

Tools

WHY DID I START USING DREAMSOURCELAB LOGIC ANALYZERS?

INTRODUCTIONLogic analyzers are a basic tool in any electronics lab. They serve many purposes: from debugging errors, measuring timing between different processes, checking and sniffing communications and even identifying signals on a PCB.Throughout my career I’ve worked with different types of logic analyzers: from high-end devices like Saleae, to very cheap ones that cost around €10–15.My recommendation here is to always avoid those very low cost analyzers. When you’re trying to debug one of those annoying bugs that can take you more than a day to find, the last thing you need is to doubt whether your logic analyzer is working properly.On the other hand, analyzers like Saleae work flawlessly. Their hardware, probes, and software are excellent, but I think they’ve become too…

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November 11, 2025