Synopses & Reviews
Embedded software is in almost every electronic device designed today.
There is software hidden away inside our watches, microwaves, VCRs,
cellular telephones, and pagers; the military uses embedded software
to guide smart missiles and detect enemy aircraft; communications
satellites, space probes, and modern medicine would be nearly
impossible without it. Of course, someone has to write all that
software, and there are thousands of computer scientists, electrical
engineers, and other professionals who actually do.
Each embedded system is unique and highly customized to the
application at hand. As a result, embedded systems programming is
a widely varying field that can take years to master. However,
if you have some programming experience and are familiar with C or
C++, you're ready to learn how to write embedded software. The
hands-on, no-nonsense style of this book will help you get started by
offering practical advice from someone who's been in your shoes and
wants to help you learn quickly.
The techniques and code examples presented here are directly
applicable to real-world embedded software projects of all sorts.
Even if you've done some embedded programming before, you'll still
benefit from the topics in this book, which include:
- Testing memory chips quickly and efficiently
- Writing and erasing Flash memory
- Verifying nonvolatile memory contents with CRCs
- Interfacing to on-chip and external peripherals
- Device driver design and implementation
- Optimizing embedded software for size and speed
- Making the most of C++ without a performance penalty
So whether you're writing your first embedded program, designing the
latest generation of hand-held whatchamacalits, or simply managing
the people who do, this book is for you.
Synopsis
Embedded software is in almost every electronic device designed today. There is software hidden away inside our watches, microwaves, VCRs, cellular telephones, and pagers; the military uses embedded software to guide smart missiles and detect enemy aircraft; communications satellites, space probes, and modern medicine would be nearly impossible without it. Of course, someone has to write all that software, and there are thousands of computer scientists, electrical engineers, and other professionals who actually do.
Each embedded system is unique and highly customized to the application at hand. As a result, embedded systems programming is a widely varying field that can take years to master. However, if you have some programming experience and are familiar with C or C++, you're ready to learn how to write embedded software. The hands-on, no-nonsense style of this book will help you get started by offering practical advice from someone who's been in your shoes and wants to help you learn quickly.
The techniques and code examples presented here are directly applicable to real-world embedded software projects of all sorts. Even if you've done some embedded programming before, you'll still benefit from the topics in this book, which include:
- Testing memory chips quickly and efficiently
- Writing and erasing Flash memory
- Verifying nonvolatile memory contents with CRCs
- Interfacing to on-chip and external peripherals
- Device driver design and implementation
- Optimizing embedded software for size and speed
So whether you're writing your first embedded program, designing the latest generation of hand-held whatchamacalits, or simply managing the people who do, this book is for you.
Synopsis
This book introduces embedded systems to C and C++ programmers. Topics include testing memory devices, writing and erasing flash memory, verifying nonvolatile memory contents, controlling on-chip peripherals, device driver design and implementation, and more.
About the Author
Michael Barr has been an editor of Embedded Systems Programming since 1999 and a contributor since 1997; he is currently that magazine's editor-in-chief. His book about embedded software development -- Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++ (O'Reilly, 1999) -- has taught tens of thousands of engineers the subject and been translated into several languages. He is also the author of CMP Book's Embedded Systems Dictionary (2003). Michael is a lecturer at the University of Maryland and a popular Embedded Systems Conference instructor and advisor. Software he wrote helps run millions of systems around the world, ranging from satellite base stations to physical therapy equipment. Through the Netrino Consultants Network, Michael provides design advice and training. He holds MS and BS degrees in electrical engineering.
Table of Contents
Dedication; Preface; Why I Wrote This Book; Intended Audience; Organization; Conventions, Typographical and Otherwise; Obtaining the Examples Online; How to Contact Us; Personal Comments and Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Introduction; 1.1 What Is an Embedded System?; 1.2 Variations on the Theme; 1.3 C: The Least Common Denominator; 1.4 A Few Words About Hardware; Chapter 2: Your First Embedded Program; 2.1 Hello, World!; 2.2 Das Blinkenlights; 2.3 The Role of the Infinite Loop; Chapter 3: Compiling, Linking, and Locating; 3.1 The Build Process; 3.2 Compiling; 3.3 Linking; 3.4 Locating; 3.5 Building das Blinkenlights; Chapter 4: Downloading and Debugging; 4.1 When in ROM ...; 4.2 Remote Debuggers; 4.3 Emulators; 4.4 Simulators and Other Tools; Chapter 5: Getting to Know the Hardware; 5.1 Understand the Big Picture; 5.2 Examine the Landscape; 5.3 Learn How to Communicate; 5.4 Get to Know the Processor; 5.5 Study the External Peripherals; 5.6 Initialize the Hardware; Chapter 6: Memory; 6.1 Types of Memory; 6.2 Memory Testing; 6.3 Validating Memory Contents; 6.4 Working with Flash Memory; Chapter 7: Peripherals; 7.1 Control and Status Registers; 7.2 The Device Driver Philosophy; 7.3 A Simple Timer Driver; 7.4 Das Blinkenlights, Revisited; Chapter 8: Operating Systems; 8.1 History and Purpose; 8.2 A Decent Embedded Operating System; 8.3 Real-Time Characteristics; 8.4 Selection Process; Chapter 9: Putting It All Together; 9.1 Application Overview; 9.2 Flashing the LED; 9.3 Printing "Hello, World!"; 9.4 Working with Serial Ports; 9.5 The Zilog 85230 Serial Controller; Chapter 10: Optimizing Your Code; 10.1 Increasing Code Efficiency; 10.2 Decreasing Code Size; 10.3 Reducing Memory Usage; 10.4 Limiting the Impact of C++; Arcom's Target188EB; Glossary; Bibliography; Colophon;