Best platform for learning embedded programming? [closed]

Answer 1

For a fun project to test, have a look at xgamestation

But for a more industrial used one chip solution programming, look at PIC

Answer 2

mikroElektronika has nice ARM boards and C, Pascal and Basic compilers that might suite your demands.

Answer 3

You should try and learn from developpers kits provided by Embedded Artists. After you get the kit, check their instructional videos and videos provided by NXP, which are not as detailed as they could be, but they cover a lot of things. Problems with learning ARM as your first architecture and try to do something practicall are:

• You need to buy dev. kit.
• You need a good book to learn ARM assembly, because sooner or later you will come across ARM startup code, which is quite a deal for a beginner. The book i mentioned allso covers some C programming.
• Combine book mentioned above with a user guide for your speciffic processor like this one. Make sure you get this as studying this in combination with above book is the only way to learn your ARM proc. in detail.
• If you want to make a transfer from ARM assembly to C programming you will need to read this book, which covers a different ARM processor but is easier for C beginner. The down side is that it doesn't explain any ARM assembly, but this is why you need the first book.

There is no easy way.

Answer 4

Texas Instruments has released a very interesting development kit at a very low price: The eZ430-Chronos Development Tool contains an MSP430 with display and various sensors in a sports watch, including a usb debug programmer and a usb radio access point for 50$

There is also a wiki containing lots and lots of information.

I have already created a stackexchange proposal for the eZ430-Chronos Kit.

Answer 5

Second that:

Arduino platform http://www.arduino.cc

HTH

Answer 6

I would suggest Microchip's PIC18F series. I just started developing for them with the RealICE in-circuit emulator, but the pickit2 is a decent debugger for the price. You could say this for the AVR's also, but there is a large following for the device all over the web. I was able to have a - buggy, yet functional - embedded USB device running within days due to all the PIC related chatter.

The only thing I don't like about the PICs is that a lot of the sample code is VERY entwined into the demo boards. That can make it hard to tear out sections that you need and still have an application that will build and run for your application.