NEW · INTERACTIVE BOOK

Notes from the edge of silicon

Essays, experiments, and teaching materials from a decade of wiring software to hardware.

Explore the Interactive Book $ latest article →
By Prof. Derek Molloy DCU Dublin City University
src/sample.c
CH1 · SAMPLE LOOP 



    

  






  

    

      

        
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    Getting to Know the Arduino UNO Q: Two Brains, One Board, and Zephyr Underneath
    Arduino
    FEATURED
  

  

    
Getting to Know the Arduino UNO Q: Two Brains, One Board, and Zephyr Underneath

    
The Arduino UNO Q pairs a quad-core Linux processor with a real-time STM32 microcontroller on one UNO-shaped board, and quietly runs Zephyr where the classic Arduino runtime used to be. This guide takes an engineer's look at the architecture.

    

      Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 21, 2026
      ·
      30 min read
    

  


          

              
    

      The Zephyr Web Server, Now in C++: Classes for Embedded Hardware
      Zephyr
    

  

    
The Zephyr Web Server, Now in C++: Classes for Embedded Hardware

    
A short follow-on from the Zephyr Thread web server guide, rebuilding the same project in C++ on the Seeed XIAO nRF52840, and adding the RGB LED and the on-die temperature sensor to show why classes suit Zephyr hardware so well.

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 06, 2026
      ·
      22 min read
    

  


              
    

      A Zephyr Web Server on the Seeed XIAO nRF52840, over Thread (C/C++)
      Zephyr
    

  

    
A Zephyr Web Server on the Seeed XIAO nRF52840, over Thread (C/C++)

    
In an earlier guide we built a tiny web server on an ESP32-C3 in async Rust, using Embassy. A browser could connect over Wi-Fi,

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 03, 2026
      ·
      34 min read
    

  


          

        

  






  





  

    

      

        
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      A Real Dual-Brain Application on the Arduino UNO Q: an AI Brick, a Camera, and a Presence Lamp
      Arduino
    

  

    
A Real Dual-Brain Application on the Arduino UNO Q: an AI Brick, a Camera, and a Presence Lamp

    
Part two of the UNO Q series puts the board's dual-brain design to real work - a vision AI Brick on the Linux side detects a person through a camera, and the microcontroller side turns that into a smoothly breathing lamp that never stutters, no matter how hard the AI is working.

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 22, 2026
      ·
      19 min read
    

  


          
    

      The State of Rust for Embedded Development in Mid-2026
      Rust
    

  

    
The State of Rust for Embedded Development in Mid-2026

    
A survey of where Rust stands for embedded and edge development in mid-2026, from bare-metal async on microcontrollers to services on embedded Linux, including the toolchain, the safety-certification story, the wireless gaps, and measurements from this blog's own boards.

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 15, 2026
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      13 min read
    

  


          
    

      From TinyML to Tiny Language Models: the State of Edge AI in 2026
      Edge-AI
    

  

    
From TinyML to Tiny Language Models: the State of Edge AI in 2026

    
A field guide to state-of-the-art edge AI in 2026, covering the models that now run on small devices, the neural accelerators that make them possible, and federated learning, grounded in the low-cost hardware used throughout this blog.

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 10, 2026
      ·
      20 min read
    

  


          
    

      A Low-Cost Thread Border Router: ESP32-C6-WROOM as an OpenThread RCP for Home Assistant in Docker
      ESP32
    

  

    
A Low-Cost Thread Border Router: ESP32-C6-WROOM as an OpenThread RCP for Home Assistant in Docker

    
Thread is the low-power IPv6 mesh that underpins most Matter smart-home devices, and to use it you need a Thread Border Router (a bridge

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Jul 01, 2026
      ·
      20 min read
    

  


          
    

      Teaching Edge Programming: C++, Rust and Embedded Linux in the age of LLMs by Derek Molloy (2026)
      C++
    

  

    
Teaching Edge Programming: C++, Rust and Embedded Linux in the age of LLMs by Derek Molloy (2026)

    
This talk reflects on practical experience teaching C, C++, and Rust for edge programming in Electronic and Computer Engineering at Dublin City University, where language choices are shaped by emerging industry needs and sound educational pedagogy

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Apr 23, 2026
      ·
      1 min read
    

  


          
    

      Hello World: Migrating to a High-Performance Stack
      News
    

  

    
Hello World: Migrating to a High-Performance Stack

    
Welcome to the New derekmolloy.ie

I’ve finally made the leap. After years of running on WordPress, I’ve migrated my content to

    

        Derek Molloy
        Derek Molloy
      ·
      Mar 21, 2026
      ·
      2 min read
    

  


    

  






  

    

      

        
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    Edge Programming with C/C++ and Rust cover
  

  
Edge Programming with C/C++ and Rust

  
STARLIGHT · ONGOING · 2026

  
A live, interactive textbook. Runnable code blocks, guided terminal sessions, schematic marginalia — the lab, in a browser.

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Derek Molloy's textbooks, Exploring BeagleBone and Exploring Raspberry Pi, are originally written and published in English. Because they are widely used as core engineering texts in universities around the world, they have also been officially translated into several languages.

      

        
        
        
        
        
      

    

  






  

    

      

        
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        MSc in Electronic & Computer Technology at Dublin City University
      

      

        
MSc in Electronic & Computer Technology · Dublin City University

        
The evolution of connectivity: from IoT to AIoT

        
Everyday objects, machines, and whole cities are no longer just connected — they collaborate, learn, and make decisions. Ireland sits at the forefront of this shift, and the MCTY programme puts you there: a flexible General Master's, or a focused Major in IoT Systems or the new Edge & IoT Security, spanning scalable IoT design, cloud-to-edge orchestration, and securing the devices at the network's edge.

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