Firmware Developer

Firmware Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 17 Nov 2024

Q1. What is structure padding and how to pack a structure

Ans.

Structure padding is adding empty bytes to align data in memory. Packing a structure removes padding to save memory.

Structure padding ensures that data members are aligned to memory boundaries for efficient access
Padding bytes are added between data members to ensure alignment
Packing a structure removes padding to save memory but may impact performance
Example: struct example { char a; int b; } - sizeof(struct example) may be larger due to padding

Q2. How to set the priority of a task

Ans.

Task priority can be set using priority levels or scheduling algorithms in firmware development.

Use priority levels to assign importance to tasks
Higher priority tasks are executed before lower priority tasks
Implement scheduling algorithms like preemptive scheduling or round-robin scheduling to manage task priorities

Q3. how to do circular left shift an array.

Ans.

Circular left shift an array means shifting all elements of the array to the left by a specified number of positions.

Create a temporary array to store elements that will be shifted out of the original array.
Copy elements from the original array to the temporary array based on the number of positions to shift.
Shift the remaining elements in the original array to the left.
Copy elements from the temporary array back to the original array to complete the circular left shift.

Q4. How to check stack overflow

Ans.

To check for stack overflow, monitor stack usage and set a limit to trigger an alert if exceeded.

Monitor stack usage by tracking the stack pointer and comparing it to the stack size.
Set a limit for stack usage and trigger an alert if the limit is exceeded.
Use tools like stack analyzers or profilers to detect stack overflow.
Implement stack canaries or guard zones to detect stack corruption.

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Q5. coding tests in c - psuedo code

Ans.

The question is about coding tests in C using pseudo code.

Understand the problem statement clearly before writing pseudo code.
Break down the problem into smaller steps and write pseudo code for each step.
Use proper syntax and logic in your pseudo code to demonstrate your understanding of C programming.

Q6. Difference between semafore and mutex

Ans.

A semaphore is a signaling mechanism while a mutex is a locking mechanism used to control access to shared resources in multithreaded environments.

Semaphore is used to control access to a pool of resources, while mutex is used to control access to a single resource.
Semaphores can be used to allow multiple threads to access a shared resource simultaneously, while mutex allows only one thread to access the resource at a time.
Mutexes are typically faster than semaphores because ...read more

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Q7. Difference between structure and union

Ans.

Structure is a collection of different data types under one name, while union is a single memory location that can hold different data types at different times.

Structure allows each member to have its own memory location, while union shares a single memory location for all members.
In a structure, all members can be accessed simultaneously, while in a union, only one member can be accessed at a time.
Example: struct Person { int age; char name[20]; }; union Data { int num; char...read more