Welcome to my life!
Self-employed embedded engineer Morten Dramstad mixes industrial microcontroller work with hands-on hobbies and community projects. He describes AVR-based livestock automation, a current LPC1788 Cortex-M3 project and practical compiler choices like Keil and Imagecraft. Outside engineering he restores a 1952 AJS, built an electronic injection prototype on a Motorola 68HC16, trains for a private pilot license, and runs DMX512 workshops at his church.
Boot sequence for an ARM based embedded system -2
DM walks through the concrete steps of an ARM system startup, from the reset vector to handing control to C. The post explains what the early assembly reset code must do: set system registers, initialize stacks, set up the MMU, copy .data and clear .bss, and remap the vector table into RAM for faster interrupts. It finishes with external memory bring-up and loading an OS image.
Boot Sequence for an ARM based embedded system
Deeksha draws on five years in embedded systems to introduce the ARM boot sequence used on Boot ROM based platforms. The post outlines what the Boot ROM does at reset, how it probes boot media, and when control is passed to a software bootloader. It also highlights key differences between NOR XiP and NAND RAM-loading and the need for bad-block handling.
C++ on microcontrollers 4 – input pins, and decoding a rotary switch
Wouter van Ooijen shows how to extend a small C++ I/O library for microcontrollers to support input pins and mixed I/O, and how to decode a rotary switch reliably. The post walks through a safe class hierarchy for input, output, and bidirectional pins, then builds a quadrature decoder with a saturating counter and an HC595 seven-segment demo you can run on LPCXpresso hardware.
C++ on microcontrollers 3 – a first shot at an hc595 class with 8 output pins
A simple HC595 wrapper turns into a nice C++ lesson in how to build reusable I/O abstractions for microcontrollers. Wouter van Ooijen shows how to expose all eight shift-register outputs as regular output pin objects, then generalizes the same pattern to MCU ports and even daisy-chained HC595 chips. Along the way, he runs into a classic class dependency problem and resolves it with forward declarations and out-of-class method definitions.
C++ on microcontrollers 2 - LPCXpresso, LPC-link, Code Sourcery, lpc21isp, linkerscript, LPC1114 startup
Wouter van Ooijen walks you through getting C++ to run on a tiny LPC1114 board using LPCXpresso hardware and a command-line toolchain. He demonstrates a minimal linker script and startup code that initialize .data and .bss and call C++ global constructors, shows how to flash via the on-chip bootloader with lpc21isp when LPC-link is locked, and includes practical GPIO and SysTick LED examples.
C++ on microcontrollers 1 - introduction, and an output pin class
Wouter van Ooijen shows how small C++ abstractions make GPIO code portable and reusable. Starting from a simple output_pin interface he implements concrete pins for an LPC2148 GPIO and a 74HC595 shift register, then composes behaviors with wrappers like tee and invert. The post demonstrates virtual methods, references, and constructor initialization lists to build drivers you can reuse across boards.
New Discussion Group for Users of TI ARM based MCUs
A new discussion group is opening up for engineers working with TI’s ARM-based microcontrollers. Stephane Boucher is inviting users to subscribe, with moderation in place to help keep spam under control, and notes that the group may take a little time to gain momentum before the useful conversations really start flowing.
An overview of Linux Boot Process for Embedded Systems
Booting Linux on embedded hardware collapses PC boot stages into a single bootloader, and understanding the early steps helps troubleshoot low-level failures. Kunal Singh breaks down the sequence from the bootstrap firmware and primary/secondary bootloaders through zImage decompression, MMU and page table setup, start_kernel, and the initrd pivot to the root filesystem. Practical focus favors ARM examples.
Boot sequence for an ARM based embedded system -2
DM walks through the concrete steps of an ARM system startup, from the reset vector to handing control to C. The post explains what the early assembly reset code must do: set system registers, initialize stacks, set up the MMU, copy .data and clear .bss, and remap the vector table into RAM for faster interrupts. It finishes with external memory bring-up and loading an OS image.
Embedded Systems - free EdX course by UT-Austin!
Lonnie shares a free edX Embedded Systems course from UT Austin that teaches hands-on firmware using the TI Tiva Launchpad. The class centers on practical projects, culminating in an arcade-style shooter built with an 80 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 board and inexpensive peripherals like the Nokia 5110 display. It’s a low-cost path to move from hobby tools to industry-style microcontroller development.
How to install Ubuntu 12.04 Precise, Xubuntu-desktop and Open JDK-7 on Beagleboard Rev. C2
Want to run Java GUI apps on a BeagleBoard Rev C2? This hands-on post walks through installing Ubuntu 12.04, adding the Xubuntu desktop, and getting OpenJDK-7 running, including SD flashing, u-boot and network setup, display and audio tweaks, and a fix for XFCE login ownership problems. Follow the exact commands and small workarounds the author used to get a monitor, sound, and Java VM working on the board.
C++ on microcontrollers 4 – input pins, and decoding a rotary switch
Wouter van Ooijen shows how to extend a small C++ I/O library for microcontrollers to support input pins and mixed I/O, and how to decode a rotary switch reliably. The post walks through a safe class hierarchy for input, output, and bidirectional pins, then builds a quadrature decoder with a saturating counter and an HC595 seven-segment demo you can run on LPCXpresso hardware.
C++ on microcontrollers 2 - LPCXpresso, LPC-link, Code Sourcery, lpc21isp, linkerscript, LPC1114 startup
Wouter van Ooijen walks you through getting C++ to run on a tiny LPC1114 board using LPCXpresso hardware and a command-line toolchain. He demonstrates a minimal linker script and startup code that initialize .data and .bss and call C++ global constructors, shows how to flash via the on-chip bootloader with lpc21isp when LPC-link is locked, and includes practical GPIO and SysTick LED examples.
Welcome to my life!
Self-employed embedded engineer Morten Dramstad mixes industrial microcontroller work with hands-on hobbies and community projects. He describes AVR-based livestock automation, a current LPC1788 Cortex-M3 project and practical compiler choices like Keil and Imagecraft. Outside engineering he restores a 1952 AJS, built an electronic injection prototype on a Motorola 68HC16, trains for a private pilot license, and runs DMX512 workshops at his church.
C++ on microcontrollers 3 – a first shot at an hc595 class with 8 output pins
A simple HC595 wrapper turns into a nice C++ lesson in how to build reusable I/O abstractions for microcontrollers. Wouter van Ooijen shows how to expose all eight shift-register outputs as regular output pin objects, then generalizes the same pattern to MCU ports and even daisy-chained HC595 chips. Along the way, he runs into a classic class dependency problem and resolves it with forward declarations and out-of-class method definitions.
New Discussion Group for Users of TI ARM based MCUs
A new discussion group is opening up for engineers working with TI’s ARM-based microcontrollers. Stephane Boucher is inviting users to subscribe, with moderation in place to help keep spam under control, and notes that the group may take a little time to gain momentum before the useful conversations really start flowing.
Off the shelf availability of Custom IoT Gateway
Choosing the right gateway can make or break an IoT deployment, yet industrial gateways are often expensive and generic. This post walks through practical criteria for off-the-shelf and custom gateways, covering edge computing trade-offs, mainframe versus embedded Linux, SoC and ADC choices, interfacing and debugging needs, and when to design your own hardware for real-time or protocol demands.
How to install Ubuntu 12.04 Precise, Xubuntu-desktop and Open JDK-7 on Beagleboard Rev. C2
Want to run Java GUI apps on a BeagleBoard Rev C2? This hands-on post walks through installing Ubuntu 12.04, adding the Xubuntu desktop, and getting OpenJDK-7 running, including SD flashing, u-boot and network setup, display and audio tweaks, and a fix for XFCE login ownership problems. Follow the exact commands and small workarounds the author used to get a monitor, sound, and Java VM working on the board.
Cutting Through the Confusion with ARM Cortex-M Interrupt Priorities
ARM Cortex-M interrupt priorities are famously confusing because numeric priority values are inverted relative to urgency and several different conventions coexist. This post cuts through the mess by explaining NVIC register bit placement, the CMSIS NVIC_SetPriority convention, preempt versus subpriority grouping, and when to use PRIMASK or BASEPRI. Read on for practical rules to avoid subtle priority bugs in real-time firmware.
Embedded Programming Video Course Teaches RTOS
From basic foreground/background loops to priority-inheritance protocols, this free video course walks you through building and improving an RTOS step by step. Lessons cover manual context switching, round-robin and preemptive priority schedulers, efficient thread blocking, and synchronization primitives. The series finishes with a practical port to a professional RTOS in the QP/C ecosystem, showing semaphores, mutexes, and ways to prevent priority inversion.
Peripheral Interaction Without a Linux Device Driver Using Spidev
Kernel-space drivers are not always necessary; many SPI peripherals can be handled from userspace using spidev. This post shows how to expose an SPI device through the device tree and kernel, wire a Bosch BMP388 to a Toradex Apalis iMX8 Ixora board, and implement a C userspace app that uses ioctl to read the chip ID. Practical tips on SPI settings and logic-analyzer validation are included.
Embedded Systems - free EdX course by UT-Austin!
Lonnie shares a free edX Embedded Systems course from UT Austin that teaches hands-on firmware using the TI Tiva Launchpad. The class centers on practical projects, culminating in an arcade-style shooter built with an 80 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 board and inexpensive peripherals like the Nokia 5110 display. It’s a low-cost path to move from hobby tools to industry-style microcontroller development.
C++ on microcontrollers 3 – a first shot at an hc595 class with 8 output pins
A simple HC595 wrapper turns into a nice C++ lesson in how to build reusable I/O abstractions for microcontrollers. Wouter van Ooijen shows how to expose all eight shift-register outputs as regular output pin objects, then generalizes the same pattern to MCU ports and even daisy-chained HC595 chips. Along the way, he runs into a classic class dependency problem and resolves it with forward declarations and out-of-class method definitions.
New Discussion Group for Users of TI ARM based MCUs
A new discussion group is opening up for engineers working with TI’s ARM-based microcontrollers. Stephane Boucher is inviting users to subscribe, with moderation in place to help keep spam under control, and notes that the group may take a little time to gain momentum before the useful conversations really start flowing.
Welcome to my life!
Self-employed embedded engineer Morten Dramstad mixes industrial microcontroller work with hands-on hobbies and community projects. He describes AVR-based livestock automation, a current LPC1788 Cortex-M3 project and practical compiler choices like Keil and Imagecraft. Outside engineering he restores a 1952 AJS, built an electronic injection prototype on a Motorola 68HC16, trains for a private pilot license, and runs DMX512 workshops at his church.
Off the shelf availability of Custom IoT Gateway
Choosing the right gateway can make or break an IoT deployment, yet industrial gateways are often expensive and generic. This post walks through practical criteria for off-the-shelf and custom gateways, covering edge computing trade-offs, mainframe versus embedded Linux, SoC and ADC choices, interfacing and debugging needs, and when to design your own hardware for real-time or protocol demands.
