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THE BENCH Chips · Programming · Embedded systems

Independent · about the bench

Sections

Chip Basics
- The part, its pins and its memories.
- What a Microcontroller Actually Is
- The Pins You Have to Get Right First
- The Memory Types, Told Apart
- Clocks, and Why the Part Will Not Start
Programming Chips
- Getting firmware onto silicon.
- Four Ways Firmware Gets In
- From Source to Running Code
- What a Bootloader Buys You
- Why Read-Out Protection Exists
Programmers & Tools
- The machines on the bench.
- What a Device Programmer Does
- Debugging Something With No Screen
- The Bench, Minimally Equipped
Embedded Systems
- Making it behave once it runs.
- Interrupts, and Why Timing Gets Strange
- Making It Last on a Battery
- Reading the Real World
How Chips Are Made
- Sand to package.
- How a Chip Is Actually Made
- Why the Package Matters
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Section 03

Programmers & Tools

The machines on the bench. What each instrument on the bench is for, described by function rather than by brand.

3 explainersGeneric diagrams onlyNo dates

What a Device Programmer Does — Sockets, in-circuit adapters and the difference between programming and debugging.

03.1 What a Device Programmer DoesSockets, in-circuit adapters and the difference between programming and debugging. Explainer
4 min read
03.2 Debugging Something With No ScreenBreakpoints, watch windows, a spare pin and a logic analyser. Explainer
6 min read
03.3 The Bench, Minimally EquippedWhat is worth buying first, and what can wait. Explainer
3 min read

THE BENCH

An independent explainer on chips, programming and embedded systems. Not a manufacturer, distributor or reseller.

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Programming Chips
Programmers & Tools
Embedded Systems
How Chips Are Made

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No prices · no catalogue · no vendor rankingsGeneric diagrams only — always work from the manufacturer’s documentation