I've been working as a software engineer since 1995. The domain has been distributed applications, mainly Java (windows) but also used to do C++ (unix).
I've grown tired of the whole enterprise software thing and want to break into embedded systems programming. I would love to find a job working with C and assembler (something I never got the chance to really learn or apply).
I start classes at UC Irvine tonight to get their certificate for Embedded Systems Design. I've got what seem to be the core learning books for embedded programming, and I'll get to play with a few microcontrollers during my education. I hope to come away from these courses with enough knowledge to know how to assemble a very simple embedded system and put some software on it to make it do something.
What advice would you give a senior software engineer that wanted to transition into embedded programming? I plan to obtain some kits for the more popular microcontrollers so that I can at least have some kind of experience to talk about when I search for a job as an embedded programmer (but it won't be professional experience).
Web links? Publications to subscribe to? user groups? things to buy and build? Any of that info would be appreciated!
Thanks
-Jeff