Fast and Effective Embedded Systems Design: Applying the ARM mbed
Fast and Effective Embedded Systems Design is a fast-moving introduction to embedded systems design, applying the innovative ARM mbed and its web-based development environment. Each chapter introduces a major topic in embedded systems, and proceeds as a series of practical experiments, adopting a "learning through doing" strategy. Minimal background knowledge is needed to start. C/C++ programming is applied, with a step-by-step approach which allows you to get coding quickly. Once the basics are covered, the book progresses to some "hot" embedded issues - intelligent instrumentation, wireless and networked systems, digital audio and digital signal processing. In this new edition all examples and peripheral devices are updated to use the most recent libraries and peripheral devices, with increased technical depth, and introduction of the "mbed enabled" concept.
Written by two experts in the field, this book reflects on the experimental results, develops and matches theory to practice, evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the technology and techniques introduced, and considers applications in a wider context.
New Chapters on:
- Bluetooth and ZigBee communication
- Internet communication and control, setting the scene for the ‘Internet of Things’
- Digital Audio, with high-fidelity applications and use of the I2S bus
- Power supply, and very low power applications
- The development process of moving from prototyping to small-scale or mass manufacture, with a commercial case study.
- Updates all examples and peripheral devices to use the most recent libraries and peripheral products
- Includes examples with touch screen displays and includes high definition audio input/output with the I2S interface
- Covers the development process of moving from prototyping to small-scale or mass manufacture with commercial case studies
- Covers hot embedded issues such as intelligent instrumentation, networked systems, closed loop control, and digital signal processing
Why Read This Book
You will get a fast, hands-on introduction to embedded systems by building real projects with the ARM mbed platform and its web-based IDE, so you can move from concept to working firmware quickly. The book combines concise theory with step-by-step experiments covering peripherals, networking, low‑power design and DSP, giving practical skills you can apply to IoT and embedded projects right away.
Who Will Benefit
Early-career embedded engineers, hobbyists, and developers with basic programming skills who want a practical, project-first route into microcontroller, IoT and firmware development using ARM mbed.
Level: Beginner — Prerequisites: Basic C or C++ programming and elementary digital electronics (voltage, GPIO basics); no deep prior embedded experience required.
Key Takeaways
- Use the ARM mbed web IDE and mbed libraries to develop, build and deploy firmware quickly
- Interface sensors and actuators via GPIO, ADC, PWM, SPI, I2C and UART
- Implement real‑time behaviors and concurrent tasks using mbed OS/RTOS concepts
- Build networked and wireless IoT nodes (Ethernet/Wi‑Fi/BLE) and connect devices to cloud services
- Apply basic digital signal processing and audio techniques on microcontrollers
- Debug, test and optimize firmware for power and performance on ARM Cortex‑M hardware
Topics Covered
- Introduction to ARM mbed and the web-based development workflow
- C/C++ for embedded: toolchain, compiling and debugging with mbed
- Digital I/O, buttons, LEDs and basic hardware interfacing
- Timers, PWM, ADC and analog sensor interfacing
- Serial communications: UART, SPI and I2C
- Interrupts, events and real-time programming basics
- Concurrency and RTOS fundamentals with mbed OS
- Low-power design and energy-efficient firmware techniques
- Embedded networking: TCP/IP, Ethernet and Wi‑Fi connectivity
- Wireless protocols and IoT stacks (BLE and simple cloud integration)
- Digital audio and introductory DSP on microcontrollers
- Projects: intelligent instrumentation, data logging and networked devices
- Debugging, testing, and deployment best practices
- Appendices: board reference, libraries and further resources
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Compared with Elecia White's Making Embedded Systems, Toulson is more experiment-driven and mbed-centric for rapid hands-on learning; unlike Joseph Yiu's Definitive Guide to ARM Cortex‑M, it focuses less on low-level ARM internals and more on practical projects and higher-level libraries.
