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Get Involved: Contribute Quiz Questions for the Embedded Systems Community for a Chance to Win a LAP-C Pro!

Stephane BoucherMay 31, 20232 comments

Quiz questions are not only fun and interactive but also a cool way to learn and test your knowledge.  We are inviting you to join us in building a comprehensive quiz bank by contributing your own embedded systems quiz questions. 

If your quiz question ends up being one of the first 5 selected for publication, you'll win a Zeroplus Logic Analyzer Lap-C Pro 32-Channels 256Mb per Channel

Prize: Zeroplus Logic Analyzer Lap-C Pro 32-Channels 256Mb per Channel Compatible with Windows, Portable & Flexible
Value: $3,500
  • 32-Channels Logic Analyzer, 256Mb per Channel
  • 6 protocol triggers (hardware): I2C, I2S, SPI, SVID, UART, CAN2.0B
  • Pattern Generator: I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, more than 120 built-in protocol decoders
  • Long-time records: Transfer via USB 3.0 to a hard drive to sample for hours or days
  • Compatible with Windows OS 10/ 8.1 / 7 (32 or 64-bit

What is a Quiz Question?

You can see a few examples of Quiz Questions here.  A Quiz Question consists of the question itself, 5 multiple choices, and the solution with an explanation.   

Imagining/creating a quiz question is relatively easy -  even ChatGPT can do it.  Here's what ChatGPT came up with when I asked for a fun quiz question for Embedded Systems engineers:


# Question

What is the term used to describe the order of bytes in a multi-byte data type in an embedded system?

# Choices

  • A) Alignment
  • B) Endianness
  • C) Bitness
  • D) Bytecode
  • E) None of the above

# Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is B) Endianness.

Endianness is the term used to describe the order of bytes in a multi-byte data type, such as a 16-bit integer or a 32-bit float. There are two main types of endianness: big-endian and little-endian. In big-endian systems, the most significant byte is stored first, while in little-endian systems, the least significant byte is stored first. For example, the hexadecimal number 0x1234 would be stored as 0x12 0x34 in big-endian systems and as 0x34 0x12 in little-endian systems.

Endianness is an important concept in embedded systems because different processors and devices may use different endianness formats. This can cause problems when transferring data between them or when reading data from memory. Therefore, embedded system programmers need to be aware of the endianness of their system and use appropriate methods to convert data between different formats if needed.


Not bad! But we think you can do better than ChatGPT.

The ideal Quiz Question is catchy and educational at the same time.

By catchy, I mean hard to resist.  I'm sure you've stumbled on brain teasers on Social Media that you couldn't resist trying to solve.  For instance, chances are that you'll feel the urge to try and solve the following logic puzzle:

(in case you'd like the solution, it is 645, and the explanation is that you need to add the sum and product of the four digits).

Creating catchy Quiz Questions for the Embedded Systems community is more tricky. One of the quiz questions we posted a while ago did pretty well with almost 3000 individuals who gave it a shot.:

Predict the output of: 

#include <stdio.h>
#define x 2+3
int main()
{
    int y;
    y = x*x*x;
    printf("%d", y);
    return 0;
}

Why did this question perform well?  It wasn't perfect but we think it has these qualities:

  •   It is short and simple. It doesn't require more than a minute or two to come up with a possible solution.
  •   It it relevant and familiar. Most embedded systems people have used C language and macros before.
  •   It is insightful. It teaches people about the importance of using parentheses when defining macros.

  • How to Submit a Quiz Question

    To submit a quiz question, you'll need to be logged in.  If you don't have an EmbeddedRelated account yet, you can easily register here.  Once logged in, head over to the Quizzes section and click on the 'Submit a Quiz' tab.  Please note that the Quiz submission system should be considered in beta so If you encounter any problem or error while submitting a Quiz Question, please let us know.

    You have until July 31st to submit your Quiz Question(s).   

    Winners Selection Process

    Early in July, we will look at all submissions received and will pick our favorite 5, based on the following Venn Diagram:

    Thank you in advance for your participation!  Please feel free to ask questions or post comments below.


    [ - ]
    Comment by TimmyKaoJune 9, 2023

    Sounds fun! I will invite my embedded programmers and friends to participate! Thank you Stephane for holding this competition to win a Zeroplus Logic Analyzer Lap-C Pro 32-Channels 256Mb per Channel ! 

    [ - ]
    Comment by sudheerg_July 5, 2023

    Hi,

    When we submit a quiz do we get any notification if the quiz question being selected to publish on this site or not?

    Or do we get any feedback to rephrase them or edit them for better clarity?

    Regards,

    GSR

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