C Programming for Embedded Systems [Paperback]

Kirk Zurell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

Eager to transfer your C language skills to the 8-bit microcontroller embedded environment? This book will get you up and running fast with clear explanations of the common architectural elements of most 8-bit microcontrollers and the embedded-specific de

Get up and running fast with this clear presentation of 8-bit MCU development principles and demonstration project, complete with schematics, a parts list, and sample code. Learn the details of device-specific hardware development -- from preliminary software design to implementation of a working consumer product.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kirk Zurell is a technical writer and embedded programmer for Byte Craft Ltd. in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He has been programming and writing for desktop environments and embedded systems for over 15 years. His first 8-bit projects were with the 6502. Having attended the University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada) in communication studies, Kirk has introduced technical topics in support, training, and technical writing capacities. His goal is to build and write the system software for a 32-bit computer of his own design.

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: CMP (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929629044
• ISBN-13: 978-1929629046
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Computers & Technology > Hardware > Microprocessors & System Design > Embedded Systems

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A first time for everything, November 13, 2000

By 

Jon Heckendorf (Temecula, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: C Programming for Embedded Systems (Paperback)

I picked this book in hopes it would satisfy some of my requirements for a class I am teaching at ITT Tech. Alas, I found this book not suitable for learning at any level. I found the book lacking in content and worst I found the book to use some very obvious cheap tricks. The book is not 196 pages as stated but including every single page (including all blank pages) to be 192 pages. In reality it has only 118 pages of "content" until it goes into the Appendices. The lack of meaningful content, large type face (I thought only grade school kids wrote in large letters to build bulk) on very few pages got me to investigate. I went to my personal library of Motorola literature and dusted off all my books pertaining to 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. I then went to the Motorola site (www.motorola.com then go from there) and looked up all related and pertinent reference material and found for FREE all I needed and then some. I don't like giving anyone a bad review, for the simple reason that it takes a tremendous commitment to write a book. Saying that, in all my years working in the industry and teaching technical classes this is the first time a book has made me angry. I sent it back. Write a 2nd edition and add real content and explanations that explain then you might have something. Also, please give Motorola credit where credit is due.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rubbish, April 21, 2001

By 

T. C. Blake (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C Programming for Embedded Systems (Paperback)

One of the most important things an embedded assembly programmer coming into C needs to know is how to set up absolute memory addressing without resorting to compiler-specific features or assembly language. This book resorts to compiler-specific #pragma directives to fit its chosen chip and OS. The fact that we might want to use _no_ OS and a non-Bytecraft compiler is not something that seems to have crossed the author's mind. Much better to shell out the extra ten bucks for Ted Van Sickle's _Programming Microcontrollers in C_. That one is Motorola-oriented but at least has the common decency to explain how to set up ports and peripherals within the ANSI C language proper.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Beginners Book, Nothing More, November 19, 2000

By 

Brian K. Takita "Brian Takita" (Oakland, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C Programming for Embedded Systems (Paperback)

This book turned out to be useful to me. I am a student taking an embedded systems course programming only in assembly. I have programmed in C only on the PC before. I have gained some confidence in programming C for embedded systems, since this is the first time I have done so using C. I think this book helped me in the transition from Assembly to C. Most of the explanations were straitforward and easy to follow.

I found a couple bugs in the programs printed in the book (inexcusable for published work). The code was ok for the code on the CD they provided however. The code was not commented well either.

Another problem is how many of the topics are barely scratched. This book lacks depth.

In conclusion, this book is a decent intro to C programming for embedded systems (I am more confident in programming for embedded systems than when I started), but I dont see much use for somebody with any more experience. I probably will never open this book again. The source code may be useful to me as a student.