Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++

Preface

Embedded software is in almost every electronic device in use today. There is software hidden away inside our watches, VCRs, cellular phones, and even a few toasters. The military uses embedded software to guide missiles and detect enemy aircraft. And communication satellites, deep-space probes, and many medical instruments would've been nearly impossible to create without it.

Someone has to write all that software, and there are tens of thousands of electrical engineers, computer scientists, and other professionals who actually do. I am one of them, and I know from my personal experience just how hard it can be to learn the craft. There aren't any embedded software courses in school, and I've never been able to find a decent book about the subject in any library.

Each embedded system is unique, and the hardware is highly specialized to the application domain. As a result, embedded systems programming can be a widely varying experience and can take years to master. However, one common denominator across almost all embedded software development is the use of the C programming language. This book will teach you how to use C and its descendent C++ in any embedded system.

Even if you already know how to write embedded software, you can still learn a lot from this book. In addition to learning how to use C and C++ more effectively, you'll also benefit from the detailed explanations and source code solutions to common embedded software problems. Among the advanced topics covered in the book are memory testing and verification, device driver design and implementation, real-time operating system internals, and code optimization techniques.