Embedded Go

Learn Go's use in embedded systems.

Go on embedded Linux

On embedded Linux systems such as a Raspberry Pi, a router or an industrial device, Go is very handy: a single static binary, no dependencies, easy cross-compiling.

CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm GOARM=7 go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o sensor
scp sensor pi@cihaz:/usr/local/bin/

-ldflags="-s -w" shrinks the binary by dropping symbol and debug information.

Talking to hardware

On Linux hardware often looks like a file: GPIO, I²C and sensors are read under /sys or /dev. Pure-Go libraries such as periph.io wrap them. With limited memory, setting GOMEMLIMIT and avoiding needless goroutines matter.

b, _ := os.ReadFile("/sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp")
// "48312\n" → 48.3 °C

Exercise Parse temperature

Convert the text "48312\n" read from a sensor file to a number with strings.TrimSpace and strconv.Atoi, divide by 1000 for Celsius and print it with %.1f.

Show example solution

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "strconv"
    "strings"
)

func main() {
    ham := "48312\n"
    n, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(ham))
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Println(err)
        return
    }
    fmt.Printf("%.1f\n", float64(n)/1000)
}

Test yourself

Which variable is added for 32-bit ARMv7?
- GOARM=7
- GOARCH=arm64
- GOAMD64=v3
- GOOS=arm
Show answer

GOARM=7 — GOARCH=arm selects 32-bit ARM; GOARM sets which ARM version to generate code for.

Shrink the binary

go build -ldflags="____" -o sensor

Show answer

go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o sensor

Setting and purpose

GOARCH=arm

32-bit ARM
GOARM=7

ARMv7 code
-ldflags="-s -w"

Smaller binary
/sys/class

Hardware files

Next lesson: TinyGo

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