Embedded C Tutorials

About 95% of what you need to know is in K&R. The other 5% is often very architecture-specific, depending on CPU, peripherals and compiler. Learn C, choose your platform, and read the toolchain's documentation.

Ok I thought that I would need to choose a specific CPU. My copy of K & R is right next to me. I will keep looking at it...

There are many books on embedded programming and C (just check Amazon). The trick with embedded systems, of course, is the embedded system. In addition to application programming, you need a board support package (BSP) which provides such things as interrupts, timers, and device drivers, etc. Then, in all but the simplest of systems, you are likely to find a real-time operating system (RTOS).

Perhaps you could check out RTOS vendors. I believe you can download the QNX tool set and try it out for free. QNX is mostly an Intel-based RTOS. For 8 bit, try Keil.

Ultimately, of course, you'll need some hardware to deploy your software. Some EE training helps here.

Regards, Bruce

Nah. In nearly 30 years of embedded development, I've used an RTOS precisely once, and that was legacy code. (And the RTOS sucked - it introduced a level of complexity that was not justified.) These were not simple systems.

To the OP: there are times when one needs an RTOS, but there are also times when one writes one's own scheduler. This needn't be difficult. Consider a loop with a bunch of tests that ask "is it time to do ", and then call the code if required. The trick is to never pend - i.e. code should return promptly - never wait for something to happen anywhere other than in the main loop. (Aka cooperative multitasking.)

In haste,

Steve

Hamish,

My experience would tend to support Steve's assessment of the (lack of) need for an RTOS in most circumstances.

I'm not flogging the 2144 but and It's been a few years, but the Hitachi (now Renasis) HEW used to be free for the download and worked well as an IDE with simulator.

I'm sure that someone in this NG can update you on its availabilty. Their documentation was copious and excellent.

This would put you pretty far down the pipe before you had to deal with real hardware, and the Hitachi evaluation board for the 2144 was dirt cheap. I've got a couple in the lab that I have no further use for, if you are somewhere that I can legally ship it to from the US.

Note a separate thread about a less-than-satisfied Mitsubishi user of HEW but his (her, whatever) experience certainly did not match mine.

Regards, Ken Asbury

In article , Bruce writes

Actually in most systems at 8 and 16 bit you do not have an RTOS They only become common in 32bit systems

For 8051 try Keil.

for other 8 bit there are a wide range of MCU

Dev kits abound everywhere.

Our own Lewin Edwards (larwe) has written a book, which I would recommend just on the basis of his posts here. Maybe this will coax him out from his bashful cover.

Hamish scrobe on the papyrus:

Have a look at the Imagecraft website. There are several C compilers there. All can be used with full functionality for 45 days and then become code size limited. There is also an excellent support network for Imagecraft in the form of a mailing list.

Atmel AVR's are specifically targeted at the C language and Atmel's AVR Studio simulator is free. There are lots of evaluation boards in the market, a good one that I have used for several projects is the ATmega32 controller board from Futurlec.

The Imagecraft HTLM-style help files are also quite good for a language summary and ready reference. They're not a complete description of the C language (nor do they aim to be) but are a good guide and have some helpful hints.

In article , John B writes

There is a good tutorial on the Byte Craft web site

There are tutorials and eval compilers with various size and time limits on :

I have a guide to embedded C on

I also have an 8051 C guide if you want to go 8051