An Embedded Software Primer (Paperback)

by David E. Simon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An excellent job of introducing and defining the jargon associated with embedded systems. This makes the text extremely easy to read." -- David Cuka

I sincerely wish (this book) had been available when I had to learn all this stuff the hard way." -- Steve Vinoski

Product Description
An Embedded Software Primer is a clearly written, insightful manual for engineers interested in writing embedded-system software. The example-driven approach puts you on a fast track to understanding embedded-system programming and applying what you learn to your projects. This book will give you the necessary foundation to work confidently in this field.

Building on your basic knowledge of computer programming concepts, this book is right for you will help you to:

* Learn core principles and advanced techniques of embedded-system software.
* Find out what a real-time operating system (RTOS) does and how to use one effectively.
* Experiment with sample code and the (C/OS RTOS version 1.11 (on the accompanying CD).
* Apply what you learn, no matter which microprocessor or RTOS you use.

After reading this book, you will be able to tackle the challenges of embedded system programming and quickly reap the benefits of your new skills.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (August 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020161569X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201615692
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,266 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Algorithms > Real-Time Data Processing
  #9 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Hardware > Microprocessors & System Design > Embedded Systems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for beginners and undergraduate level students, July 25, 2002

By	nsrpgmiv "nsrpgmiv" (SUNNYVALE, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I started working on an embedded platform 1 year ago. Although now I have a good understanding of a lot of the aspects of the system, I never get the big picture.

This book provides exactly what I needed.

If you are a working software engineer and have spent years doing high level programming, the first few chapters will give you a good review of low-level-close-to-the-machine things that you need to know, which is also very useful for students as these are very important concepts that they need to understand to have a solid foundation to conquer higher level, more abstract CS subjects.

In embedded system, bugs in task code can bring down the device. Author has done a very good job explaining how to protect shared data using mechanism provided by a RTOS. The communication between interrupt/task and among tasks are also discussed thoroughly.

Unlike the other reviewer, I found the use of the C!! language in this book a very clever way to abstract away the hardware dependent code from the point being discussed. Consider it pseudo comment if you will.

BTW, the excellent typesetting and use of fonts also makes it a very pleasant experience reading this book.

Looking forward to see a more advanced text on embedded system from this author in the future.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, excellent content, very well written!, June 13, 2000

By	Rob Wehrli (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I shouldn't need to say more; If you're interested in learning about writing software for embedded systems, this book will take you by the hand and get you there without a lot of fuss or difficulty in trying to figure out advanced topics from a 50,000ft perspective. It drills into each discussion using simplified but not simpleton characteristics of this writer's excellent skill. I recommend this book to every software engineer starting on the path to developing embedded systems. The use of uCOS-II is a decent idea, especially for everyone interested in doing a little embedded systems development using PC hardware...however, I believe that it is a less-than perfect choice because of the rather limited compiler choices for uCOS-II, which should at least include GNU's gcc, but doesn't last time I checked.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, good examples, author shares his experience, December 6, 2000

By	Kenneth S. Dieudonne (Melbourne, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Particularly useful for those just starting out in embedded software or for students at the bachelors level. Contains many real world-type examples and illustrates some common errors that we will all tend to make. Also, I know that electrical engineering students often don't get exposure to operating system concepts and computer science students lack exposure to hardware issues. This book helps to smooth over what you may be missing in your education. For the practicing engineer, I recommend it, not so much for reference, but for re-enforcement and clarification of essential concepts. Also it will add quality to your code.