The tutorial is divided into modules which I will have at least a post per week. This tutorial needs at least a basic theoretical knowledge of electricity and computer, if you are totally not familiar with it you can still gain a lot but you have to read further on net.
Each module will be a new topic so as to give room for continuous comments on a particular topic.

This is the link to my previous post which talks about the importance of learning Embedded System. https://www.nairaland.com/2174624/embedded-systems-future-electronics-computer

#MODULE ONE: INTRODUCTION TO EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

A computer system (combination of hardware and software), designed for a specific control within a larger system is referred to as an embedded system. An embedded system is designed for specific task so it needs little processing power and little size of memory unlike the PC which works with larger data such as pictures, videos, sounds etc. Example of an embedded system is a system containing a microcontroller, systems like a moving message display, traffic light, code access system, finger print access system, fire alarm system, air conditioner, home office or industry automation system, stabilizers, automatic voltage switchers and controls, TV sets etc.

An embedded system is designed to run on its own without human intervention except it is programmed to accept input from a push button, it responds to input data collected via input transducers or another electronics system, process the data, and gives information through the output transducers or gives the information to another system for further processing, and may be required to respond to events in real time.
An embedded system can also be a specialized computer system that is part of a large system or machines. Typically, the heart of an embedded system is a microcontroller housed on a single chip. It is also referred to as a single chip computer. It contains a Microprocessor, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, IO ports, oscillator, ADC(Analog to digital converter) etc on a single chip with the program(software) and data stored in ROM.

Unlike a PC, PDA and smartphones that uses huge CPU processing power, RAM, ROM, disk drives etc. a microcontroller has all above features on a small scale which is enough to do functions like, displaying characters on LCD and LED display, controlling a relay, provide oscillation of any kind of waveform in an inverter or UPS circuit driving a motor, stepper motor and servo for robotics and industry automations, communicating with phones, modules or computer via RS232, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wifi and also reading signals from transducers like LDR, thermistors, humidity sensors, magnetometer direction sensor etc. this small scale function makes it cheaper, and makes embedded systems application smaller, lighter, power efficient, and cost effective.
Virtually all appliances that have a digital interface –watches, microwaves, calculators, air conditioner, sound systems, ATM machine, DVD, VCRs etc utilize embedded systems. Some embedded systems which requires higher processing power may include an operating system such as the ATM machine, but many embedded systems are so specialized that the entire logic can be implemented as a single program which means it does not need a special operating system, the necessary application software and operating software are written together in a single program.

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS:
• Embedded systems perform a very specific task but can be programmed to do different things simultaneously if those tasks do not require much processing speed.
• It is a replacement for discrete logic-based circuits, and also some analog circuit like voltage comparators and the likes.
• It provides functional upgrade of equipment because the software can be reprogrammed up to 100,000 times.
• Improves mechanical performance i.e it provides precise control of mechanical systems such as a stepper motor or servo motor used in building a robot.
• Protection of intellectual property. An embedded system contains both the hard ware and the software. The hardware can be easily copied and duplicated but the microcontroller system offers software code protection which offers protection of the software against piracy.
• They are efficient, size and cost effective in their various applications because every component such as processor, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, IO ports are done on a small scale mostly in a single chip but with just few addition of peripherals like Clock controller, ADC, DAC, external RAM, ROM and IO etc to increase its functions.
• Embedded systems have very limited resources, particularly the memory. It has limited IO ports, small processing power, slower speed of operation and thereby might not be suitable for video and audio and high speed applications.
• Generally they do not have secondary devices such as CD-ROM, Floppy Disk.

APPLICATION AREAS OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS:
• Consumer Appliances
• Office and home Automation
• Aircraft Electronics
• Medical Electronics
• Advertisement
• Telecommunication
• Robotics
• Laboratories and industrial equipment
• Vehicles
• Decorations
• Entertainment
• Military
• Mechatronics
and many more...
Indeed Embedded systems are very important in our everyday lives.

For further reading check out these books.
http://www.dauniv.ac.in/downloads/EmbsysRevEd_PPTs/Chap01Lesson_1Emsys.pdf
http://www.artist-embedded.org/docs/Events/2006/ChinaSchool/1_ESIntroduction.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_system

Watch out for the next tutorial...

Thank you so much. I am a very ardent freak of electronics(my moniker said it all). Howbeit,i have somethings to ask. How is it that YOU,AS AN ELECTONICS/EMBEDDED SYSTEMS EXPERT must/should know how to write in HEXADECIMALS( i got this from somebody i met here on NL, offline-- engr. Aksat. I follow people like him,including ENGR/TECH acorntree). I am an undergraduate, ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.

As a matter of fact(not priding myself o),i learnt about EMBEDDED SYSTEMS in ss3, frm my PHYSICS TEACHER,who studied EEE(uniben). He'd tell me little about LEDS and AMO-LED(Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode),sensors,etc. I have learnt THESE THINGS THEORETICALLY FOR A YEAR+. Engr Aksat told me offline NL,that I NEED A LAPTOP,to learn EMBEDDED SYSTEMS/MICROCONTROLLER PROGRAMMING. My dad is not buying a system for me now(he met 100% of my other needs o,he aint a pauper). He said 200L(am in 100 now). I hope i am NOT LEARNING TO RUN before WALKING. subsequent questions coming up(yea,i ask questions). Thanks so much.

Cc: acorntree,aksat,princejude,usisky

Dekatron:
Thank you so much. I am a very ardent freak of electronics(my moniker said it all). Howbeit,i have somethings to ask. How is it that YOU,AS AN ELECTONICS/EMBEDDED SYSTEMS EXPERT must/should know how to write in HEXADECIMALS( i got this from somebody i met here on NL, offline-- engr. Aksat. I follow people like him,including ENGR/TECH acorntree). I am an undergraduate, ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.
As a matter of fact(not priding myself o),i learnt about EMBEDDED SYSTEMS in ss3, frm my PHYSICS TEACHER,who studied EEE(uniben). He'd tell me little about LEDS and AMO-LED(Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode),sensors,etc. I have learnt THESE THINGS THEORETICALLY FOR A YEAR+. Engr Aksat told me offline NL,that I NEED A LAPTOP,to learn EMBEDDED SYSTEMS/MICROCONTROLLER PROGRAMMING. My dad is not buying a system for me now(he met 100% of my other needs o,he aint a pauper). He said 200L(am in 100 now). I hope i am NOT LEARNING TO RUN before WALKING. subsequent questions coming up(yea,i ask questions). Thanks so much.
Cc: acorntree,aksat,princejude,usisky

Like Aksat said, you really need a Laptop if you want to move from theoretical realm to the practical. As you know, Embedded systems design involves hardware and software. No software can be written, compiled and burned into a chip without a PC and no hardware is simulated or monitored via RS232 without a PC. if you dont have money for laptop, a Desktop computer pentium 4, 512mb ,60gig will do.

As to why embedded system designer needs hexadecimal. Hexadecimal is just a number representation. you can write your code using binary, octal or decimal and u can also mix various number system in a source code, it all depends on how well you understand it. hexadecimal is so common, maybe because so many computers make use of bus width, memory size etc in the order of 16. i.e 16bit,32bit,64bit etc

guassian:



Like Aksat said, you really need a Laptop if you want to move from theoretical realm to the practical. As you know, Embedded systems design involves hardware and software. No software can be written, compiled and burned into a chip without a PC and no hardware is simulated or monitored via RS232 without a PC. if you dont have money for laptop, a Desktop computer pentium 4, 512mb ,60gig will do.

As to why embedded system designer needs hexadecimal. Hexadecimal is just a number representation. you can write your code using binary, octal or decimal and u can also mix various number system in a source code, it all depends on how well you understand it. hexadecimal is so common, maybe because so many computers make use of bus width, memory size etc in the order of 16. i.e 16bit,32bit,64bit etc

I don't think a pentium 4 desktop with 512MB ram will do that for him.

You can't run Altera quartus suite on such specification, neither MPLAB IDE nor any hardware code simulation software I know of as most of them run on java. Except maybe he'll basically be doing Arduino.

To supplement your reply on why hexadecimal, it is because hexadecimal characters represent more binary digits with less characters.

@dekatron
You don't have to fear hexadecimal numbers, they are as easy as other number representations.

guassian:



Like Aksat said, you really need a Laptop if you want to move from theoretical realm to the practical. As you know, Embedded systems design involves hardware and software. No software can be written, compiled and burned into a chip without a PC and no hardware is simulated or monitored via RS232 without a PC. if you dont have money for laptop, a Desktop computer pentium 4, 512mb ,60gig will do.

he mentioned exactly the same specification(letter for letter). How do i learn hexadecimals?? I am tired of SET THEORY and MATHEMATICAL INDUCTION. Kilode??

Thanks 4 da post.

This is the link to the next Tutorial page https://www.nairaland.com/2181302/embedded-system-tutorial-include-module2.h#31345212

Following.....

I have really been blessed by all these tutorials.
Pls i am a beginner in this...i have learnt the basics of some of these languages like FORTRAN, C++...It looks boring, i just can find how it applies.
moreover can someone send me the link to get Assembly language compiler

Jesuspolice:
I have really been blessed by all these tutorials.
Pls i am a beginner in this...i have learnt the basics of some of these languages like FORTRAN, C++...It looks boring, i just can find how it applies.
moreover can someone send me the link to get Assembly language compiler

Oh! You mean assembly language assembler. You can always get that online or download from 4shared.com or better still i will give u link to MPASM an assembler for PIC MCU. http://dc470.4shared.com/download/bhHLV_KM/MPASM.exe?tsid=20150606-231233-bf5585e4&lgfp=2000

But assembly language in this modern world is outdated. Embedded Systems company are moving c++ makers of microcontrollers are designing the architecture to be "C compiler optimised" meaning you could explore all functions of the MCU using C language.

Take my little advice, continue learning high level language, dont go back to "old school"

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