[TillE]

Tinkering with microcontrollers is probably the most satisfying, because it really challenges you to understand exactly what is going on at all times, right down to the electrical level.

Developing for retro hardware can be fun too, for similar reasons.

[mysterydip]

I was recently able to get into microcontrollers for the first time on a work project (paid to learn something interesting!), and definitely agree. Getting to the pulsewidth-level of different protocols and learning whole new ways to debug has been really fun.

[Ken_At_EM]

I’m really glad to hear this. Building hardware for the real world amplified the power of software incredibly.

PS…we’re hiring firmware engineers to bring hardware to life.

[jlokier]

> PS…we’re hiring firmware engineers to bring hardware to life.

Who is "we"? Your profile doesn't say.

[Ken_At_EM]

Whoops! Fixed it!

[azzentys]

Would be glad to apply.. ;-)

[Ken_At_EM]

Just updated my profile, check out the link there.

[ducktective]

>Tinkering with microcontrollers is probably the most satisfying

Not so satisfying when seeing the pay-grade compared to other CS fields.

[krm01]

If your satisfaction comes from a paygrade, it’s probably a false positive

[anthomtb]

Do you expect your spare-time programming projects to fall in a specific salary range?

[yellowapple]

No son of mine will join the local youth soccer team unless he gets a competitive salary and 401(k)!

[weatherlite]

Any advice on best way to get started?