Archive for the ‘Efficient C/C++’ Category

Embedded Software Boot Camp in a Box

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 Michael Barr

Whether you are new to embedded software development in C or looking for ways to improve your skills, the Embedded Software Boot Camp in a Box will provide you the hands-on education you need. Exercises are based around an ARM processor board (shown below), the MicroC/OS-II real-time operating system, and the IAR Embedded Workbench compiler/debugger, all of which are included in the box.

STR912-SK

Learn Embedded Programming on an ARM Processor

Netrino’s popular Embedded Software Boot Camp (see upcoming dates), on which this kit is based, is an intense in-person training experience that requires attendees to be able to check out of normal work and life routines for a week—sometimes also travelling a great distance. The Embedded Software Boot Camp in a Box is a way to learn the same skills at your own pace. You’ll do the same exercises and have access to the same materials, just won’t have a “drill instructor” or the clock to prod you.

Here’s how you’ll use the Embedded Software Boot Camp in a Box to learn embedded programming:

  • Read the 350 page “Field Manual” book, which contains the slides from the in-person Boot Camps, in order.
  • If you want to dig deeper, watch the video of Michael Barr‘s acclaimed “How to Prioritize RTOS Tasks and Why it Matters” lecture on DVD, or read the three books and numerous articles provided as PDFs on the USB drive.
  • As you read, you will come to slides titled “Exercise: …”. These slides mark the best points to attempt each exercise.
  • In all there are ten programming exercises: one to test your compiler/debugger/board setup; two concerning hardware interfacing in C; six concerning multithreaded programming with uC/OS-II; and one capstone project to build a scuba dive computer. These involve hardware interactions such as blinking LEDs, debouncing pushbuttons, reading A/D converters, working with programmable timer/counters, and generating audio tones via PWM signals.
  • Detailed instructions for each exercise can be found in the printed “Exercise Manual”.
  • Solutions for each of the exercises are provided on the USB drive.
  • After you finish with the included exercises, you’ll know your way around most of your ARM processor board and be ready to explore the rest of its hardware (RS-232, CAN, Ethernet, USB, etc.) on your own.

For more details or to order your kit now, browse on over to http://www.netrino.com/Boot-Camp-Box.

Upcoming Embedded Software Boot Camps

Thursday, October 21st, 2010 Michael Barr

Earlier this week, Netrino announced the dates and locations for a pair of upcoming public sessions of the popular hands-on Embedded Software Boot Camp workshops.  The dates and locations will be as follows:

These will be the 9th and 10th times, respectively, that the Embedded Software Boot Camp has been offered to the public since the first was held in 2008.  The workshop is a one-week skills strengthening program consisting of a series of lectures and hands-on exercises. This intense educational (yet fun!) program is guaranteed to quickly and dramatically raise the embedded programming skills of individuals and teams.

Everyone who attends learns a ton, including:

  • How to write portable device drivers and interrupt handlers in C
  • How to decide if an RTOS will benefit your application
  • How to architect real-time software to ensure all deadlines are met
  • More than fifty practical tips for reducing firmware bugs
  • How to find, fix, and prevent each of the top 10 firmware bugs

I will be the instructor for both of these sessions and hope you will make the commitment to become a Master Firmware Engineer in 2011 by taking this course!  You can find out more about pricing and other details here: http://www.netrino.com/Training-Calendar.