Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems

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1. rramadassApr 2025
   Two more of my favourites for Embedded Microcontroller based systems are;

   Introduction to Embedded Systems: Using Microcontrollers and the MSP430 by Manuel Jimenez et al. An excellent textbook with an emphasis on interfacing to a MCU from a hardware perspective. The chapter titled "The Analog Signal Chain" is by itself worth the price of the book.

   Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems by Michael Pont. Full of C code for 8051 which you can study and then adapt to your specific MCU family. Free book available at https://www.safetty.net/publications/pttes Also checkout all of his other books since they are also full of C code examples.

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2. rramadassDec 2024
   For an excellent (and free) 8051 book with lots of C code see Michael Pont's Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems - https://www.safetty.net/publications/pttes
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3. rramadassNov 2022
   100% this!

   When i started learning Embedded Systems (lots of C/C++ Programming experience but without an Electronics background) it was understanding the needed Electronics and how to interface/debug the Hardware-Software interface where i had the most difficulty.

   I found the following helpful in my education and hopefully people with a Software-only background who want to get into Embedded Systems will also find these useful;

   * Designing Embedded Hardware by John Catsoulis - Very good introduction to relevant practical Electronics without drowning you in nitty-gritty details.

   * Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems by Michael Pont (free pdf available at his company SafeTTy website) - Full of C code showing how to interface to hardware and do stuff.

   * Practical Electronics for Inventors by Paul Scherz, Simon Monk - Reference for when you need more Electronics knowledge.

   * Understanding Signals with the PropScope from the company Parallax (search for free pdfs online) - Practical lab book showing how to use PropScope(a USB based Oscilloscope) to study Signals on circuits built using the Parallax BASIC Stamp MCU board. You can use any other MCU/Oscilloscope combination (eg. Arduino with Analog Discovery 2 aka AD2) to build the same circuits and do the lessons. Digilent also has a lot of lessons on using the AD2 at its website.

   * Introduction to Embedded Systems: Using Microcontrollers and the MSP430 by Manuel Jimenez et al. - Excellent and nicely illustrated textbook to learn Embedded Systems from. The MSP430 MCU is used as a case study but everything is presented in a general way.

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4. rramadassMay 2022
   The only way to learn this is to study complete systems done by others (books, existing systems that you are working on etc.) As Bismarck said; “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” The same is applicable on the positive side too. So read/study as much as you can and memorize/learn key design techniques. C/C++ is particularly rich in this regard since there is so much (of varying degrees of complexity) out there in these languages.

   Two concrete examples;

   1) When i started out with Computers in early 1990's, i read Al Williams' Turbo C.: Memory Resident Utilities, Screen Input/Output and Programming Techniques This book taught me how to layer abstractions and build systems one layer at a time. For example, the book defines a layer over the BIOS api, layer on top of that to design a windowing system, layer on top of that to design a window manager and use that to write a memory-resident text editor. Lots of different things coming together harmoniously to build a complete system.

   2) A few years ago when i started to study Embedded Systems, as a Software Guy (no Electronics knowledge) i was at a loss to understand HW gobbledygook until i came across Michael Pont's Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems (large book freely available at https://www.safetty.net/publications/pttes) It is full of C code showing exactly how to interface with various HW in an Embedded System. That gave me everything i needed to understand how to implement a bare-metal Embedded System and eventually understand the HW (from other books).

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5. rramadassMar 2021
   You might find the following books (in addition to those listed by others here) helpful;

   Practical Electrical Engineering by Makarov et.al.

   Electronic Circuits: Handbook for Design and Application by Tietze, Schenk et.al.

   Sensors and Signal Conditioning by Ramon Pallas-Areny et.al.

   Introduction to Embedded Systems: Using Microcontrollers and the MSP430 by Jimenez et.al.

   Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems by Michael Pont.

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6. rramadassMar 2020
   I can recommend the following for Embedded Programming;

   * Michael Pont's Embedded C and Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems (PTTES). They are chock full of invaluable C code (for 8051); in particular, beg, borrow or steal PTTES (free pdf available). Also checkout his other books and his company SafeTTy Systems.

   * Make: AVR programming by Elliot Williams teaches you to directly program the ATmega328P on a Arduino Uno.

   * Introduction to Embedded Systems: Using Microcontrollers and the MSP430 by Jimenez, Palomera et al. is an excellent textbook explaining each hardware aspect of an embedded system and how to program them.

   Note: All the above are for bare-metal embedded programming. For Embedded Linux on RPi, i suggest Exploring Raspberry Pi: Interfacing to the Real World with Embedded Linux by Derek Molloy.

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