Use the right tool for the job: embedded programming

Question

I\'m interested in programming languages well suited for embedded programming. In particular:

Is it possible to program embedded systems in C++? Or is it better to u

Answer 1

I think you already have a great answer by Clifford, but I'll add my experience to it. As was pointed out, the type of embedded system is the main driver. In Defense/Aerospace, C and Ada are the most popular embedded languages I encounter. Although as time goes on, I am seeing more C++ as the model based development becomes popular with the tools such as Rhapsody. In the jobs listing, seeing requirements for Object Oriented Design experience also leads me to believe that the market is slowly shifting to follow the trends of mainstream development.

If you're really interested in embedded development, I would start with C. It is pretty universal. Almost every OS, including real time OS's like Integrity, Nucleus, VxWorks, and embedded Linux, has a compiler and tools for it. The things you'll learn about pointers, memory management, etc... will translate into C++ development well in the embedded world at least.

As for Java, if you're interested in development for mobile platforms like smart phones, this is a solid choice (Android comes to mind). But in the world of Real Time Operating Systems, I haven't seen it.

On that note, that brings me to my last point and advice. If I wanted to jump into embedded programming (which I did just 4 years ago), I would focus on learning C from a low level point of view as mentioned above. Then, I would also learn what makes real time programming so difficult/different. I found the book below quite good at teaching you to think like an embedded programmer vs. an application developer. Good luck!

An Embedded Software Primer