Crash Course Arduino and Microcontroller Development

Master the Essentials of Embedded Systems, Electronics, Firmware Design and Arduino C/C++ Programming

Created by: Andre LaMothe
Computer Scientist / Embedded Engineer / Author

What Will I Learn?

• Learn about microcontrollers, microprocessors and their internal architecture including how instructions are executed, ALUs, Buses, MMUs, DMA and more.
• Master embedded engineering theory and pratice from blinking an LED to building complex systems with sensors, actuators and displays.
• Learn the Arduino platform's hardware, software and APIs as a working platform to bridge the gap to more complex systems like ARM later in the course.
• Understand C/C++ from the ground up and how to write effective firmware for embedded systems and memory/compute constrained systems.
• Learn how processors run at the bare metal level including inline and external assembly language programming and interfacing with C/C++.
• Conquer advanced Computer Science subjects such as optimization theory, data structures, recursion, interrupts, and Big O analysis.
• Explore multitasking on microcontrollers by developing an interrupt based-round-robin kernal as well as using FreeRTOS.
• Become expert in numerous tools such as compilers, Arduino IDE, TinkerCAD, EasyEDA, Replit, VSCode, CodeLite, WokWi, Fritzing, MPLabX, STM32CubeIDE, and more.
• Learn electronics fundamentals like Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws, circuit analysis, how passive components work, transistors, and FETs.
• Understand the basics of analog and digital systems and building both combinational and sequential logic circuits with TTL/CMOS ICs.
• Overcome programmable logic and the fundamentals of CPLDs, PALs, GALs, and FPGAs along with a primer on hardware description languages and CUPL.
• Understand various memories types such as FLASH, RAM, SRAM, EEPROM and their different applications.
• Conquer power management and sleep modes and how to shut peripherals down in your embedded designs, wake from interrupts, and manage power effectively.
• Understand how to read datasheets, do research, dig into APIs and documentation like the pros.
• Discover simulation software to test your ideas and build systems virtually before committing to physical hardware.
• Learn how to build embedded projects on the bench with solderless breadboards, point to point wiring and tactics to make these builds work at high speed.
• Understand how to use test equipment properly such as digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and power supplies.
• Build numerous bench projects including a complete Arduino based game console running a 3D wire-frame game, equipped with RGB LCD, game pad, sound and more!
• Master one of the fastest growing and highest paid engineering fields in the world.

Requirements

• A Windows, MacOS, or Linux PC/Laptop to run the desktop applications. But, a tablet or phone will suffice for students that simply want to watch lectures and follow me on the bench.
• This is a hands on course, we build projects with the Arduino platform, so to follow along with the physical builds students will have to purchase Arduino hardware and other components.
• This course teaches electronics, microcontrollers, C/C++, and embedded engineering from the ground up, so no prior knowledge is needed!
• The goal of this course is to teach fundamentals through theory, discussions and hands-on coding and builds on the bench. So, patience and time are needed, but they will pay off!

Target audience

• Anyone that wants to learn about the Arduino, Microcontrollers and Embedded Engineering.
• Coders and programmers that want to explore the hardware side of development at the level of microcontrollers.
• Hobbyists and hackers that want to learn about the "Arduino" platform, what it is, and how to use it to build projects, gadgets, and contraptions.
• Students that want a single course that covers everything from the ground up, so by the end they can think of an embedded project, design, code, and build it with confidence.