You need to write your first program for an embedded system. Your IT people say that you can have any software you need as long as it is Microsoft Office. Do you have everything you need to do your job? No, you're in big trouble.

Embedded systems programming uses a set of very specialized tools, and if you've never used them before, you can spend a lot of money and not get what you need.

This week on Embedded Wednesdays, we look at the tools used to produce embedded systems firmware. We give an overview of the compilers, debuggers, and IDEs you will be using. After reading this post, and doing some research, you should have the information you need to go to your boss and say "NO, I can't control that cutting laser with an Excel macro. I need this..."