#109 overall
Embedded Systems - Shape the World
edX
4 recommenders · 4 threads · recommended in 3 years, 2014–2021 · score 3.9
A UT Austin edX course introducing embedded systems through programming microcontrollers in C with real hardware, including automatically graded labs. It is the first in the Shape the World series, followed by a course on real-time Bluetooth networks and an RTOS.
Commenters call it an excellent, high-quality hands-on introduction to embedded programming that works on real hardware.
CS Fundamentals & Systemsbeginnerfreemiuminteractive MOOC#embedded systems#microcontrollers#C#real-time systems#hardware
Recommendations by year
20062026
I don't really do anything with it professionally, but just for "feels" and to not completely lose touch with the hard reality (of registers and ports) I took the UT Austin course on embedded systems (https://www.edx.org/course/embedded-systems-shape-world-utau...) - which required the purchase of some real hardware for the automatically graded labs. I also signed up for the follow-up to this excellent course (https://www.edx.org/course/real-time-bluetooth-networks-shap...) starting in September - which is also going to be done on real hardware.
It's just a refresher for me, I did a lot of low-level and assembler in the 8 bit days, so it's nice to see what's current. It's a wonderful counterweight to otherwise doing very high level programming in dynamic languages and learning (more) FP (Scala). It's nice to be able to find plenty of use cases for 32 kByte of RAM on a tiny board (http://www.ti.com/tool/ek-tm4c123gxl).
I think some low-level embedded programming (directly in C to the chip, not on a highlevel board that even runs a full Linux OS) is ideal to keep me grounded and remember how wasteful those many abstraction layers actually are. Yes I know what they do and appreciate their service - but when I compare what I get vs. how much more I put in (in Giga-Hertz and Giga-Bytes) I'm not convinced that there isn't a lot of waste going on that cannot, should not, be justified and sold as "price of progress".
If you are interested in RTOS (real-time OS) courses I recommend checking edX for the expected September 2016 arrival date of a followup to this course:
edX course page: https://www.edx.org/course/embedded-systems-shape-world-utau...
More information: http://edx-org-utaustinx.s3.amazonaws.com/UT601x/index.html
The excellent quality of the above course - which includes programming actual hardware (you have to invest about $50 for components) - raises the expectations for that upcoming course.
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EDIT
The page is already up for the new course "Real-Time Bluetooth Networks - Shape the World":
https://www.edx.org/course/real-time-bluetooth-networks-shap...
- Enhance your embedded system skills
- Write your own real-time operating system
- Design, develop and debug C code
- Implement a personal fitness device
- Communicate using Bluetooth
More info: http://edx-org-utaustinx.s3.amazonaws.com/UT601x/RTOS.html
In regards to finding a project to start practicing, coupled with buying a dev board, I can recommend this course https://www.edx.org/course/embedded-systems-shape-the-world-...
I did it some time ago, the board they use is pretty cheap and it could be a good starting point. Disclaimer: - I did this course (or similar, but same professors and same university) online some years ago, so I assume it has been updated. - I do not get any benefits, monetary or otherwise, for promoting this course or for new enrollments. I just recommend it based on my personal experience.
Really good course to get into hardware prototyping: https://www.edx.org/course/utaustinx/utaustinx-ut-6-01x-embe...