what do I need?!

[Amit]

hello,

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
electonic in order to get a career in this field?

in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
haven't used them for a long time.

please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
important?

thanks.

 

[Tim Wescott]

Amit wrote:

hello,

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
electonic in order to get a career in this field?

in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
haven't used them for a long time.

please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
important?

I know many very effective embedded software engineers whose sum of
formal electronics knowledge is how to politely ask an EE for help.

Basically, if you work somewhere that there is a diverse staff, then the
more EE knowledge you have the better, but you often only need to be
able to scrutinize a schematic and get a general idea of what it means.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

 

[Amit]

On Jun 5, 4:00 pm, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:

"Amit" <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9cbf4aa7-fbf9-4e03-9e2f-aeb1a2e98a7c@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...



hello,

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
electonic in order to get a career in this field?

in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
haven't used them for a long time.

please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
important?

You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful
embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's
usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to be
more of a "jack of all trades".

But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic
analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB
and other interfaces and how to debug them.

You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded soft
core processors.

Dave.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your response. yes I have used Altera NIOS II soft
processor using VHDL and C for few months but was worry about
electonic/analog part. I guess I must learn things you said. Now,
questions is where should I start learning them? is there any online
course I can take or class that I can sing up?

Thanks.
amit

 

[JeffM]

Amit wrote:

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning
microcontroller programming (arm) using c.
[...]i am not expert in analog or electronic.
what should i know or learn about electonic
in order to get a career in this field?

Got good bandwidth and 40 hours to spare?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.basics/browse_frm/thread/484089614b650470/8dfe8dfb88533ae6?q=remote.areas+*-*-covers-*-theory-*-*-*-*-*-*-*+awesome+zz-zz+*-accent+40.hour.electronics.course.on.Youtube

 

[David L. Jones]

On Jun 9, 7:06 am, Amit <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Jun 5, 4:00 pm, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:



"Amit" <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9cbf4aa7-fbf9-4e03-9e2f-aeb1a2e98a7c@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

hello,

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
electonic in order to get a career in this field?

in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
haven't used them for a long time.

please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
important?

You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful
embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's
usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to be
more of a "jack of all trades".

But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic
analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB
and other interfaces and how to debug them.

You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded soft
core processors.

Dave.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your response. yes I have used Altera NIOS II soft
processor using VHDL and C for few months but was worry about
electonic/analog part.

Don't worry. Having VHDL and soft core experience is plenty enough to
get you a job in the embedded programming field. I would concentrate
on expanding your knowledge in that area rather than trying to learn
electronics design and compete in that area.

I guess I must learn things you said. Now,
questions is where should I start learning them? is there any online
course I can take or class that I can sing up?

Forget classes or courses, BUILD stuff and PLAY with stuff, that is
the best way to learn.
You are much better off spending your money and time playing with FPGA
and processor development boards. Many of them come with those
interfaces I mentioned, and you can play with your hearts content and
learn lots of stuff esily. A cheap digital oscilloscope will be
invaluable, invest in one.

Develop useful (or even not so useful) embedded applications and show
these off at job interviews. You'll get a job in the field in no time.
Start by selling your software development skills, and then you'll
pick up more electronics skills on the job.

Dave.