The growth path of embedded engineers

1. Start with the microcontroller

   Microcontroller is the core of the whole embedded system , Whether for thousands of embedded software engineers or embedded hardware engineers , Microcontrollers are the starting point for learning embedded systems .

   The most common problem for an embedded beginner on the forum is ： There are so many microcontrollers on the market at present , Which one should I learn better ？ On this question , Every embedded developer starts from their own experience , There may be different answers . Many beginners drift with the tide , To learn the 51 learn PIC , Learn later ARM, But every microcontroller is skimming , natural , In the end, I learned a lot but not deeply , When it comes to use, there is no use for one . In this case , I suggest embedded enthusiasts and beginners not to be greedy , Choose a mainstream embedded microcontroller and common embedded development tools in the industry , Proficient , Familiar with it , sufficient . Various microcontrollers have many similarities , Just grab one of the mainstream microcontrollers , Master its basic principle , Proficient in its main interface , Be familiar with its typical application , Later, I will encounter other types of microcontrollers , Compare their similarities and differences , Then you can go from here to there , Easily migrate applications from one microcontroller to another On a microcontroller . that , After selecting a microcontroller , How can we master it ？ The author thinks , Start with the smallest system of microcontroller , At its core , Choose the corresponding electronic components plus the minimum system to build the hardware circuit on the bread board or hole board , And use it under embedded development tools C Language writing 、 compile 、 link 、 Debug and download applications , Start by lighting a light-emitting diode , From easy to difficult , From simple to complex , Step by step , Combined with examples , Pay equal attention to both soft and hard , While learning the basic principles of embedded system with microcontroller as the core , Familiar with and experience the embedded system development process .
   I am based on the current widely used base thousand ARMCortex-M3 Embedded microcontroller of kernel STM32Fl03RCT6 Target , Learn its system structure 、 Storage organization 、 The principle of each module and interface .

2. Master One After the micro controller

   An embedded beginner is proficient in a microcontroller , Embedded is the real entry , Take it off ” rookie ” The hat of . At this time , It can be based on personal foundation 、 Hobbies and career orientation , Choose the future development direction , And do a good job in accumulating corresponding knowledge and Technology ：

1） If you want to be an embedded hardware engineer

   If you want to be an embedded hardware engineer , Not only Be familiar with all kinds of embedded chips （ Like microcontrollers 、 Memory 、 Voltage regulator 、 Level converter, etc ） And Interface Technology , Use... Skillfully Altium Designer（ primary Protel)、Cadence Allegro Wait for circuit design software and make circuit board , And it can also write the relationship between embedded system and hardware The closest underlying software , Such as BootLoader、BSP(Board Support Package, Board level support package ） etc. , Provide necessary support for upper application development .

2） If you want to be an embedded software engineer

   If you want to be an embedded software engineer , You should also master at least one embedded operating system and an industry-related application technology .

(1) Embedded operating system .

   With the complexity of embedded systems 、 The requirements of reliability and portability are improved and the development cycle is shortened , The use of embedded operating system in embedded system has become a trend . For embedded software engineers , In mastery After a microcontroller , You can choose the following embedded operating system as the goal of further upgrading ：

① The most suitable embedded operating system for entry µC/OS

  µC/OS It is specially designed for embedded applications , among 90％ The code for the C Language writing , The rest CPU Hardware related parts are implemented by assembly language , At present, it has been transplanted to almost all existing microcontrollers .
   More Than This ,µC/OS The code is short and open source , It is very suitable for beginners to learn the principle of embedded operating system .

② The most widely used embedded operating system is embedded Linux.

   And µC/OS comparison , Also open source embedded Linux Although the real-time performance is not strong , But the application field is wider . Currently in embedded Linux field , Engineers with the following abilities are particularly scarce ： One is to Linux Transplanted to a new microcontroller Linux Transplant Engineer ; The second is to write embedded Linux Driver's Linux Drive Engineer ; The third is to tailor and optimize the embedded system according to specific applications Linux Kernel Linux Kernel Engineer .

③ The most potential embedded operating system －Android、 Hongmeng .

   In recent years , With the development and popularization of smart phones , Free and open source Android It has great development potential and broad application prospects . As a Android Embedded Software Engineer , Should have a solid Java Programming ability , And there is a certain C and C+＋ Language foundation , Familiar with common data structures and algorithms , master Android System architecture , Understand the characteristics and development characteristics of mobile terminals , At the same time, I have some experience in mobile terminal network programming .

(2) Industry related application technology .

   Embedded is a The door industry is highly relevant 、 Fast developing emerging technologies . After the embedded software engineer completes the advanced embedded operating system , According to the main fields of embedded applications , At the same time, combined with their own interests , Do a good job in the accumulation of relevant application technologies , Then the embedded Road in the future will be broader .

① Network protocol and programming technology .

   Network protocol and programming technology include traditional TCP/IP Protocols and emerging wireless communication protocols . at present , With the popularity of wired networks , Most embedded systems need to be connected to a LAN or I nternet. TCP/IP Protocol and its embedded programming are the basic technologies that must be mastered first in networking ; But the future , Wireless connection and communication of embedded system is an inevitable trend , Therefore, mastering wireless communication protocol and embedded wireless programming technology is the requirement for embedded software engineers in the future . Wireless communication protocols commonly used in embedded field include wireless LAN communication protocols I EEE 802. 11 series , bluetooth (Bluetooth) And mobile communications （ Such as GPRS、 GSM、CD MA) etc. .

② Digital image compression technology .

   With the set-top box 、 The development and popularization of high-definition TV and other equipment , The combination of digital image and embedded technology is getting closer . Embedded software engineers engaged in the development of this field should master MPEG Encoding and decoding algorithm and Technology , Such as DVD 、MP3、PDA、 High definition television 、 The set-top box And so on MPEG High speed decoding problem .

③ Digital signal processing technology .

   Digital signal processing technology is also one of the technologies closely combined with embedded , Especially in the field of mobile communication , Embedded software engineers engaged in the development of this field need to have signals and systems 、 Background of digital signal processing , Familiar with digital signal processing algorithm （ Such as high-speed data acquisition 、 Compress 、 decompression 、 Communication etc. ） And its implementation on Embedded System .

3. just do it

   Whether embedded hardware engineer or embedded software engineer , It's not done in a day . Embedded system is an industry closely related to reality , Pay special attention to practical application ability . It is hard to imagine that an engineer who has not designed and made a circuit board is a Qualified embedded hardware engineer , It is also hard to imagine that an embedded software engineer has never developed an application on an embedded system . If there is a shortcut to the growth of an embedded engineer , Then participate in specific projects , From building a MCU Start with the smallest system , Continue to design and implement their own embedded products , Is the only shortcut .