As a backend developer, you may not realize that Java was initially born on embedded devices like set-top boxes and gateways. We discussed this topic for the first time almost three years ago in Foojay Podcast #2 with James Gosling, Johan Vos, Erik Costlow, and Frank Delporte (https://foojay.io/today/foojay-podcast-2/).

In this episode #55, we look into the history of the Java Micro Edition and how things evolved. Nowadays, with processors becoming increasingly powerful, we can run the exact same Java runtime on any Linux system, from the biggest cloud servers to the smallest Raspberry Pi Zero. Let's find out what can be done with Java in the embedded world.

Guests

Robert von Burg

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitchme/
• https://mstdn.gsi.li/@eitch

DaShaun Carter

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dashaun/
• https://twitter.com/dashaun
• https://vmst.io/@dashaun

Pavel Petroshenko

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavel-petroshenko-5220092/

Content

00:00 Introduction of the topic and guests
04:53 Java is running on more devices than we can imagine
06:18 History of Java ME
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javameoverview.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SavaJe
Jasper S20: https://vimeo.com/198239375
Jasper S20: https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=77&p=1498
15:55 Java on modern embedded devices
22:25 Are modern embedded devices still "embedded"?
25:24 Current modern Java is perfect for embedded uses
https://www.pi4j.com
30:10 How Java moved to ARM on Mac and cloud
34:48 Green Computing = Reducing costs
Presentation by Miro Wengner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP4xeeY3HIA
https://thenewstack.io/which-programming-languages-use-the-least-electricity/
37:47 Recent Java evolutions impacting embedded use
41:51 Is there a need for real-time Java?
LED strips with Java: https://www.pi4j.com/examples/jbang/pixelblaze_output_expander/
49:44 Spring IO presentation by DaShaun
https://2024.springio.net/sessions/spring-boot-on-the-edge
51:38 Java on RISC-V
https://riscv.org/blog/2024/04/java-21-and-22-now-available-on-risc-v-a-collaboration-between-rise-and-eclipse-adoptium
53:27 More details about the product Robert develops with Java
https://www.pi4j.com/featured-projects/soft-real-time-plc-written-in-strolch/
https://strolch.li/
59:09 Network alternatives on embedded (e.g. LoRa)
1:03:42 What will the future bring to embedded Java?
Pi4J Spring Boot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I62IviQLNts
https://openjdk.org/projects/leyden/
https://openjdk.org/projects/crac/
1:09:07 Conclusion