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by TickleSteve 2862 days ago
Like the vast majority of software engineers, my work is not open source.

But since you seem like arguments from authority, I've got around 25 years experience in software ranging from hard-real-time embedded defence software to safety-critical train braking systems. I've been software architect on systems selling 10's of millions of products, currently working in the IoT space. I've architected and implemented software on servers, desktops, embedded and mobile platforms.

But no, you aren't likely to find my stuff on GitHub.
1 comments
devxpy 2862 days ago
Alright, thanks.

It's the internet, so have to make sure.

Most of my stuff is closed source as well.

Iot you say?

I made a couple of stuff myself, mostly using the micropython stack or the raspberry pi.

What do you generally work on?

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TickleSteve 2862 days ago
Not MicroPython.

If you're interested in IoT (or embedded s/w in general), get away from MicroPython.

The primary characteristic of most embedded products is to be low-cost. When you're selling millions of products, cost counts. You can't waste cycles or resources on Python.

MicroPython is a toy for the 'makers'. Similarly the JS equivalents. No real high volume product would use those technologies.

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devxpy 2862 days ago
the esp8266 boards are like pretty cheap.

Won't argue about pyboard, because that's more of a gimmick. (Way too expensive for what it does)

I think the cost and time of developing on micropython vs a lower level language like C, would superseded the cost associated with wasted cpu cycles.

However, I agree with the fact that no real product would use mpy right now in production because of the infancy of the project.

It certainly looks promising.

It's definitely NOT a toy.

OTOH JS is just a bad choice for this kind of work IMO. ( I'm a firm believer that JS is just a bad choice for anything in general, but IOT is just madness)

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TickleSteve 2862 days ago
No, uPython IS a toy.

In embedded s/w, the cost of the h/w outweighs everything else, ok so your 'easily developed' Python app will cost (say) 10K less to develop... but the resource requirements mean you need to go up $0.5 on the processor....

Oops, on your 500'000 devices you've suddenly wasted $250,000. All because you couldn't be bothered to save a few KB of RAM.

Python is a toy for embedded s/w.... dont get me going on catching bugs at runtime in an embedded system because you're using a dynamically typed language! Now you have to upgrade 500,000 device over-the air (cellular data costs) which will take a week, meanwhile your customers a fuming because their data is being lost!

seriously!

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devxpy 2862 days ago
Wait what?

How is catching bugs at runtime and dynamically typed language related?

In fact I've had (a lot) better experience debugging mpy apps than Arduino ones (that's the only low level embedded experience I have)

I mostly just let stuff fail, and have them restart gracefully (like the erlang guys)

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TickleSteve 2862 days ago
Now you're just trolling.

Do yourself a favour and learn your craft instead of trotting out obviously wrong statements to people who know better. Thats not a way to make a good impression.

Oh yes, regarding Erlang, trust me, I'm aware of 'let-it-fail' and have implemented it production on large distributed systems and trust me... that does not justify writing embedded s/w in a dynamically-typed language.

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