Alicia White

This was the day before Wiimotes. And so the whole idea of accelerometers and gyroscopes as being interfaces was very different then. Now you flip over your phone and it turns on, that's what you expect. But how does it even know? I think sensors are probably my favorite area of embedded systems right now.

This was the day before Wiimotes. And so the whole idea of accelerometers and gyroscopes as being interfaces was very different then. Now you flip over your phone and it turns on, that's what you expect. But how does it even know? I think sensors are probably my favorite area of embedded systems right now.

By accident? I mean, isn't that how it usually happens?

By accident? I mean, isn't that how it usually happens?

So in college, I took applied CS courses because I couldn't see the point of the theoretical ones and theoretical engineering because I didn't really like any of the actual engineering. And what that gave me was Fourier and signal processing, as well as the ability to develop products.

So in college, I took applied CS courses because I couldn't see the point of the theoretical ones and theoretical engineering because I didn't really like any of the actual engineering. And what that gave me was Fourier and signal processing, as well as the ability to develop products.

I went to HP and net servers, big then cloud computers, and kept getting lower and lower into the hardware, monitoring temperature, the things that we monitor now in cloud servers. We were just starting to put in temperature sensors and alerts when things were happening instead of just the bad old days of having computers that ran or they didn't or they caught on fire.

I went to HP and net servers, big then cloud computers, and kept getting lower and lower into the hardware, monitoring temperature, the things that we monitor now in cloud servers. We were just starting to put in temperature sensors and alerts when things were happening instead of just the bad old days of having computers that ran or they didn't or they caught on fire.

And you found that out by going in. And as I kept going lower and lower in the stack, eventually I wandered over to HP Labs and that was when we made DNA sensors, DNA scanners. And I didn't know what I was getting into. My perspective boss was like, you'll really enjoy this, I promise. And I was just like, HP Labs, that is the best location ever.

And you found that out by going in. And as I kept going lower and lower in the stack, eventually I wandered over to HP Labs and that was when we made DNA sensors, DNA scanners. And I didn't know what I was getting into. My perspective boss was like, you'll really enjoy this, I promise. And I was just like, HP Labs, that is the best location ever.

And the first time I moved a motor, because I told it to, not just because I powered on something, but the first time it was under my control. It was magical. It was like software can touch the world. Software can change physical things. It's not just zeros and ones. It's move this here, read what's actually happening. That physicality of embedded systems is what got me into it.

And the first time I moved a motor, because I told it to, not just because I powered on something, but the first time it was under my control. It was magical. It was like software can touch the world. Software can change physical things. It's not just zeros and ones. It's move this here, read what's actually happening. That physicality of embedded systems is what got me into it.

And that's what's kept me there. I really like... Not blinking lights. A lot of people get into it for blinking lights. A lot of the hobby things are blinking lights. And I appreciate it. I hate blinking lights. But I appreciate their enthusiasm. But for me, it's touching buttons and having things happen. So that's how I got into it.

And that's what's kept me there. I really like... Not blinking lights. A lot of people get into it for blinking lights. A lot of the hobby things are blinking lights. And I appreciate it. I hate blinking lights. But I appreciate their enthusiasm. But for me, it's touching buttons and having things happen. So that's how I got into it.

But I found out you can actually write software that changes things. And not just other software.

But I found out you can actually write software that changes things. And not just other software.

Teaching people, it's always amazing to get to see that moment or to see part of it. I like mentoring folks in hopes that I can be there when it hits.

Teaching people, it's always amazing to get to see that moment or to see part of it. I like mentoring folks in hopes that I can be there when it hits.

Yes. I mean, teaching now, there are some simulators. There's one called WOKWI, W-O-K-W-I. And it will simulate an Arduino system. And you can program it under C or Arduino or MicroPython, lots of interfaces. And it takes out that pain of wiring, getting the wiring wrong, blowing it up, all the things that can happen with embedded systems. It also takes away the pain of cross compiling.

Yes. I mean, teaching now, there are some simulators. There's one called WOKWI, W-O-K-W-I. And it will simulate an Arduino system. And you can program it under C or Arduino or MicroPython, lots of interfaces. And it takes out that pain of wiring, getting the wiring wrong, blowing it up, all the things that can happen with embedded systems. It also takes away the pain of cross compiling.