There have long been three options in developing, testing, and debugging microprocessor applications. For hobbyists and enthusiasts, the simple and probably the most frustrating way of developing an application was to write and download the program code into the microprocessor, plug the microprocessor into the circuit, and hope it works. Needless to say, you could find yourself spending most of your development time debugging and downloading the program back into the microprocessor, over and over again.
Link: Linux Gazette
