What this book covers
Chapter 1, What Are Embedded Systems? makes you familiar with what an embedded system entails. By looking at the various categories and examples of embedded systems in each category, a good overview of what is meant with the term embedded and the wide variety within that term should be formed. It explores the wide range of historic and currently available microcontrollers and system-on-chip solutions you can find in existing systems as well as new designs.
Chapter 2, C++ as an Embedded Language, explains why C++ is actually as nimble as C and similar languages. Not only is C++ generally at least as fast as C, there is no additional bloat, and it offers many advantages with code paradigms and maintainability.
Chapter 3, Developing for Embedded Linux and Similar Systems, explains how to develop for Linux-based embedded systems and kin on SBCs and manage the differences between Linux-based and PC-based development.
Chapter 4, Resource-Restricted Embedded Systems, deals with planning for and using limited resources efficiently. We will take a look at how to select the right MCU for a new project and add peripherals and deal with Ethernet and serial interface requirements in a project. We will also look at an example AVR project, how to develop for other MCU architectures, and whether to use an RTOS.
Chapter 5, Example – Soil Humidity Monitor with Wi-Fi, explains how to create a Wi-Fi-enabled soil humidity monitor with actuator options for a pump or similar. Using the built-in web server, you can use its browser-based UI for monitoring and control, or integrate it into a larger system using its REST API.
Chapter 6, Testing OS-Based Applications, looks at how to develop and test embedded OS-based applications. You will learn how to install and use a cross-compilation toolchain, do remote debugging using GDB, and write a build system.
Chapter 7, Testing Resource-Restricted Platforms, shows how to effective develop for MCU-based targets. You will also see how to implement an integration environment that allows us to debug MCU-based applications from the comfort of a desktop OS and the tools it provides.
Chapter 8, Example – Linux-Based Infotainment System, explains how you can fairly easily construct an SBC-based infotainment system, using voice-to-text to construct a voice-driven UI. We will also look at how we can extend it to add even more functionality.
Chapter 9, Example – Building Monitoring and Control, shows how a building-wide monitoring and management system is developed, what its components looks like, and what lessons are learned during its development.
Chapter 10, Developing Embedded Systems with Qt, looks at the myriad of ways in which the Qt framework can be used to develop for embedded systems. We will look at how it compares with other frameworks and how Qt is optimized for these embedded platforms, before working through an example of a QML-based GUI that can be added to the previously-created infotainment system.
Chapter 11, Developing for Hybrid SoC/FPGA Systems, teaches you how to communicate with the FPGA side of a hybrid FPGA/SoC system and helps you understand how a variety of algorithms are implemented in FPGA and used on the SoC side. You will also learn how to implement a basic oscilloscope on a hybrid FPGA/SoC system.
Appendix, Best Practices, runs through a number of common issues and pitfalls that are likely to occur while working on an embedded software design.