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Israel Gbati

Are you tired of Copying and Pasting code you don't understand?

With a programming based approach, this course is designed to give you a solid foundation in bare-metal firmware development for  ARM-based microcontrollers . The goal of this course is to teach you how to navigate the microcontroller reference manual and datasheet to extract the right  information to professionally  build peripheral drivers and firmware. To achieve this goal, no libraries are used in this course, purely bare-metal embedded-c and register manipulations.

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Are you tired of Copying and Pasting code you don't understand?

With a programming based approach, this course is designed to give you a solid foundation in bare-metal firmware development for  ARM-based microcontrollers . The goal of this course is to teach you how to navigate the microcontroller reference manual and datasheet to extract the right  information to professionally  build peripheral drivers and firmware. To achieve this goal, no libraries are used in this course, purely bare-metal embedded-c and register manipulations.

Still keeping it simple, this course comes in different ARM Cortex-M development boards  so that students can put the techniques to practice using an ARM Cortex-M development board of their choice. This version of the course uses the STMicroelectronics  STM32L4-NUCLEO which has an ARM Cortex-M4 microcontoller.

So with that understood, let me tell you…

                                                                                     Exactly What You’re Getting

This is dramatically different from any course you have ever taken because it’s more of a professional hands-on “field guide” to stm32 bare metal firmware development.The reason why is because there’s no fluff or filler. It immediately gets down to the actual subject, showing you exactly what to do, how to do it, and why.

Plus, it’s easy.

And you’ll immediately “get” the entire mythology I personally use to build firmware for consumer devices in my professional life.

                                                                         It's About MORE Than Just Getting the Code to Work

See, this course will change your professional life forever. Here is what one student had to say about the 1st version (STM32F4) of the course :

  "I would suggest this course for all the beginners. The concepts have been covered in the right sequence.And also the best part of this lecture series is getting to know how to explore the reference manual and datasheets."

Here is what another student had to say :

    "Extremly helpful to get to understand the uC programming deeper. For me it is much easier from now to develop code because I undertstand the base behind, so I'm more confident and more experienced to develop and debug the code. Really, this course is very useful to link the hardware knowledge with the coding skills. This fills the gap between them. Thanks for it. :)"

A third student :

"I am a professional semiconductor chipset application engineer with 30 years in global embedded product design in system applications. I can say this teacher is very straight forward by sharing his many years knowledge to the students with his true heart. Yes. I love his teaching pace and style. "

                                                     The First Version (STM32F4)  is being Taken by 5000+ Students with 1000+ Reviews

If at least one of the following applies to you then keep reading if not then simply skip this course:

" Escape From "

  1. Copying/Pasting code you don’t understand

  2. Using third party libraries and header files like HAL, LL and StdPeriph

  3. Experiencing bugs you don’t understand

  4. Being afraid of technical documentations like the reference manual and datasheet of the chip

  5. Imposter syndrome

" Arrive At "

  1. Building every single line of code from scratch by writing to the microcontroller’s memory space directly.

  2. Using No third party libraries or header files

  3. Understanding and writing every single line of code yourself- no Copy/Paste

  4. Using the debugger effectively to analyze and resolve any bugs

  5. Developing proficiency in your embedded development skills and confidently take the next steps

So like I said, there’s more than just getting each piece of code to work.

Here’s an overview of what you’re getting...

  • Analyzing the chip documentations:

    Before developing the firmware for any chip you have to learn how to read the documentation provided by the chip manufacturer.

  • Defining Peripheral address

    All components on the microcontroller have an address range. To write to a component or read from a component you need to locate its address range in the documentation and properly define the addresses in your code.

  • Creating registers from the address:

    The addresses in the address range of a component represent the registers of that component. To access these registers you have effectively typecast the addresses.

  • Understanding CMSIS:

    Cortex-Microcontroller Interface Standard (CMSIS)CMSIS is a standard developed by Arm for all Cortex-Microcontrollers. This is the standard used in professional firmware development

But it gets better because you’re also getting…

                                                         Deep Lessons on Developing Peripheral Drivers

You will learn how to develop bare-metal drivers for the following peripherals :

  • Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

  • Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

  • Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C)

  • Nested Vector Interrupt Controller (NVIC)

  • General Purpose Timers (TIM)

  • System Tick Timer (SysTick)

  • General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)

                                                           Specially Designed For People Who Hate Copy/Paste

Listen. If you don’t like “Copy/Paste” you’re not alone. I can’t stand it either. I’d literally rather have a piece of code that I wrote from scratch that doesn’t work than someone else’s working code I copied and pasted.

And that’s why I’ve spent months designing and recording this course in which I show you how to locate every single register used and the meaning of every hexadecimal value written into the register.

Also it comes with a money back guarantee so you have nothing to loose.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Write firmware using only bare-metal embedded-c
  • Write bare-metal adc drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal timer drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal uart drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal interrupt drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal gpio drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal spi drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Write bare-metal i2c drivers for the stm32l4 microcontroller
  • Build every single line of code from scratch by writing to the microcontroller’s memory space directly.
  • Use no third party libraries or header files
  • Understand and write every single line of code yourself- no copy/paste
  • Use the debugger effectively to analyze and resolve any bugs
  • Develop proficiency in your embedded development skills and confidently take the next steps
  • Define addresses for the different peripherals
  • Analyze the chip documentation
  • Create registers from the addresses
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Getting Started - Constructing Peripheral Registers from Memory Addresses
Downloading our Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
Installing our Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on bare-metal firmware development, which is essential for embedded systems engineers who need fine-grained control over hardware
Teaches how to navigate microcontroller reference manuals and datasheets, which are crucial skills for professional firmware development
Covers the Cortex Microcontroller Interface Standard (CMSIS), which is widely used in professional firmware development environments
Emphasizes writing code from scratch without relying on third-party libraries, which can lead to a deeper understanding of microcontroller architecture
Requires an STM32L4-NUCLEO development board, which may require learners to purchase additional hardware to complete the course
Uses the STM32L4 microcontroller, so learners should ensure that this microcontroller is still relevant to their projects and professional goals

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Reviews summary

Bare-metal stm32l4 embedded development

According to learners, this course provides a deep understanding of bare-metal firmware development for STM32L4 microcontrollers. Students praise the hands-on approach focused on building drivers directly from the microcontroller reference manual and datasheet without relying on third-party libraries. Reviewers frequently mention gaining confidence and a solid foundation, enabling them to understand what happens 'under the hood'. While the approach is highly valued for building professional skills, some note it is challenging for absolute beginners and assumes some prior embedded knowledge. The course covers essential peripherals like GPIO, UART, Timers, ADC, SPI, and I2C in detail.
Instructor's explanations are clear and effective.
"The instructor is very straight forward by sharing his knowledge."
"I love his teaching pace and style, makes complex things understandable."
"The instructor explains the concepts clearly, making it easy to follow."
"Really appreciate the instructor's ability to break down technical details."
Students gain confidence in embedded skills.
"I'm more confident and more experienced to develop and debug the code now."
"This course is very useful to link the hardware knowledge with the coding skills."
"Developed proficiency in my embedded development skills and feel ready to take next steps."
"Greatly increased my confidence in tackling bare-metal projects."
Practical exercises reinforce core concepts.
"The hands-on coding exercises are very helpful and well-explained."
"Putting the concepts into practice with code writing was a great learning experience."
"Writing the code line by line along with the instructor was invaluable for understanding."
"The practical coding examples for peripherals are excellent."
Learn hardware interaction through documentation.
"helped me understand how to read documentation and build drivers without abstraction layers."
"I finally understand what happens under the hood by reading the reference manual."
"Building every single line of code from scratch gives a deep understanding."
"This course demystifies embedded development by focusing on registers and datasheets."
Best suited for those with prior background.
"not suitable for absolute beginners without any embedded background."
"Some prior embedded knowledge is recommended to keep up with the pace."
"It's challenging but incredibly rewarding if you stick with it and put in the effort."
"Might be a steep learning curve if you've only ever used high-level libraries."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in STM32L4 Bare-Metal Peripheral Drivers Development with these activities:
Review Embedded Systems Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of embedded systems concepts to better grasp the bare-metal approach taught in this course.
Browse courses on Embedded Systems
Show steps
  • Review microcontroller architecture basics.
  • Study memory organization and addressing.
  • Practice basic C programming concepts.
Read 'Embedded Systems Architecture' by Tammy Noergaard
Gain a deeper understanding of embedded systems architecture to complement the practical driver development in the course.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the book.
  • Read the chapters related to microcontroller architecture and memory management.
  • Take notes on key concepts and examples.
Practice Register Manipulation in C
Reinforce your ability to directly manipulate microcontroller registers using C, a core skill taught in the course.
Show steps
  • Write C code to set and clear specific bits in a register.
  • Simulate register behavior using variables and bitwise operators.
  • Test your code with different register configurations.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document STM32L4 Peripherals
Deepen your understanding of STM32L4 peripherals by creating detailed documentation based on the reference manual.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific peripheral (e.g., UART, SPI).
  • Thoroughly read the corresponding section in the STM32L4 reference manual.
  • Create a document summarizing the peripheral's registers, functionality, and usage.
Develop a Simple Bare-Metal Application
Apply the knowledge gained in the course by building a small application that interacts with STM32L4 peripherals.
Show steps
  • Define the application's functionality (e.g., blinking an LED, sending data via UART).
  • Write bare-metal drivers for the required peripherals.
  • Integrate the drivers into a complete application.
  • Test and debug the application on the STM32L4-NUCLEO board.
Contribute to a Bare-Metal Driver Library
Enhance your skills and contribute to the community by contributing to an open-source bare-metal driver library for STM32L4.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source bare-metal driver library project.
  • Identify a peripheral driver that needs improvement or is missing.
  • Develop the driver according to the project's coding standards.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.
Read 'The Definitive Guide to ARM Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M4 Processors' by Joseph Yiu
Gain a deeper understanding of the ARM Cortex-M4 architecture to optimize your bare-metal driver development.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the book.
  • Read the chapters related to the Cortex-M4 architecture and peripherals.
  • Take notes on key concepts and examples.

Career center

Learners who complete STM32L4 Bare-Metal Peripheral Drivers Development will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Embedded Firmware Engineer
An embedded firmware engineer designs, develops, and tests low-level software that interacts directly with hardware, such as microcontrollers. This course provides a hands-on approach to bare-metal firmware development for ARM-based microcontrollers, focusing on how to navigate reference manuals and datasheets to build peripheral drivers. It directly addresses the needs of an embedded firmware engineer by emphasizing the creation of code from scratch, without relying on third-party libraries, using register manipulation and direct memory access. This approach improves not just a developer's coding ability, but also their ability to confidently debug and analyze solutions.
Medical Device Embedded Engineer
A medical device embedded engineer develops software for medical devices that often involve precise measurements and real-time control. This course on bare-metal firmware development is especially helpful for medical devices that demand direct and reliable hardware interaction. By teaching how to create peripheral drivers such as ADCs, timers, and communication interfaces, this course may contribute to a medical device embedded engineer's ability to build robust and dependable medical devices, and it also may improve their understanding of device safety and performance.
Automotive Embedded Engineer
An automotive embedded engineer develops software for in-car control systems, such as engine control units, infotainment systems, and safety features. This position requires a deep understanding of microcontrollers and peripheral interfaces. This course helps build a foundation in bare-metal firmware development, using the STM32L4, which is often used in automotive applications. The course emphasizes low-level driver development for peripherals like ADC, SPI, and I2C, providing skills that directly translate to the needs of an automotive embedded engineer, especially given the need for robust and real-time performance.
Consumer Electronics Engineer
A consumer electronics engineer designs and develops electronic products for the consumer market, often using microcontrollers. This course, focusing on bare-metal firmware development, is particularly useful for a consumer electronics engineer who needs hands-on experience developing drivers for peripherals such as SPI, I2C, and ADC. The course's emphasis on creating code from scratch and debugging techniques could be beneficial for the rapid development cycles required in the consumer electronics industry, and may also help the engineer customize hardware and software integrations more effectively.
Internet of Things Engineer
An Internet of Things engineer designs, develops, and deploys IoT devices and systems. These devices commonly use microcontrollers to collect data, communicate wirelessly, and control physical processes. This course, focusing on bare-metal firmware development for ARM microcontrollers, may be useful to an Internet of Things engineer. It provides hands-on experience with peripheral drivers such as UART, SPI, and I2C, which are frequently used in IoT projects. By emphasizing coding from scratch and debugging techniques, this course may help an IoT engineer build more complex and more robust IoT solutions.
Industrial Automation Engineer
An industrial automation engineer designs and implements automated systems in manufacturing and processing plants. Microcontrollers are often used, often for PLCs, and a deep understanding of low-level programming is essential. This course may be useful for an industrial automation engineer, as it provides hands-on experience in developing bare-metal firmware, particularly in the domain of peripheral drivers for ARM-based microcontrollers. By learning how to manage peripherals directly, an industrial automation engineer will be able to improve the performance and reliability of automated processes.
Aerospace Embedded Systems Engineer
An aerospace embedded systems engineer designs and tests embedded software for spacecraft, aircraft, and satellites. This role requires high reliability and performance, often demanding direct hardware control. This course, which teaches bare-metal firmware development for ARM microcontrollers, may be helpful for this career path. By focusing on how to extract information from datasheets and reference manuals, and by utilizing peripheral driver development, this course can be crucial for aerospace applications where precise and reliable operation is paramount.
Control Systems Engineer
A control systems engineer designs and develops systems that manage and regulate the behavior of dynamic systems. Microcontrollers are often at the heart of control systems, and a control systems engineer must be adept in programming them. This course, which teaches how to develop peripheral drivers and firmware at a bare-metal level, may be useful to a control systems engineer. It specifically covers timers, ADCs, and communication interfaces, which are all core peripherals used in industrial control applications. Learning to configure and use these peripherals directly may help a control system engineer create both more capable and more efficient systems.
Research and Development Engineer
A research and development engineer works on innovative technologies and product development, often having to work with microcontrollers. The hands-on techniques taught in this course for writing bare-metal firmware and peripheral drivers for ARM microcontrollers may be useful to a research and development engineer. With its focus on low-level hardware control, this course will allow a research and development engineer to better explore new hardware and software combinations, and to fine-tune novel systems more effectively.
Firmware Test Engineer
A firmware test engineer is responsible for testing and debugging embedded software to ensure its reliability and performance. A firmware test engineer needs to have an understanding of low-level firmware. This course, which teaches how to develop peripheral drivers from the ground up and use debugging tools effectively, may be useful for a firmware test engineer. This course emphasizes code analysis and debugging, which are significant skills for any firmware test engineer, especially for ensuring that firmware interacts correctly with the hardware.
Robotics Engineer
A robotics engineer designs, builds, and tests robots and automated systems. A strong grasp of embedded systems is often needed because robots rely on microcontrollers to control motors, sensors, and other actuators. This course focuses on developing bare-metal firmware for ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, and thus may be useful for a robotics engineer. The course may help a robotics engineer gain the ability to write low-level code that interacts directly with robot hardware, enhancing their ability to fine-tune performance and reliability.
Electrical Engineer
An electrical engineer designs, develops, and tests electrical systems, and they often work with microcontrollers and embedded systems. This course is designed to teach how to write bare-metal firmware for ARM microcontrollers, and it may be useful for an electrical engineer needing to understand hardware-software interaction. The course's focus on microcontroller peripherals and how to control them directly through programming may allow an electrical engineer to produce more effective designs and to better integrate software systems.
Computer Engineer
A computer engineer works with computer hardware and software, often needing to understand how they interact. This course focuses on low-level programming for embedded systems, and it may be useful for some computer engineers. The course may help a computer engineer learn how to bridge the gap between hardware and software. Specific topics, such as how to write peripheral drivers and debug firmware, may provide a deeper understanding of how a computer works at a fundamental level.
Hardware Engineer
A hardware engineer designs and develops physical components of electronic devices. Though not directly a software focused role, understanding how firmware interacts with hardware, is essential for effective hardware design. This course, with its deep dive into microcontroller peripherals and register-level programming, may be useful in helping a hardware engineer to learn the software side. A hardware engineer with this knowledge can better integrate hardware with software components and better understand the impact of their designs on firmware development.
Embedded Systems Consultant
An embedded systems consultant advises companies on the design and implementation of embedded systems. This course, which teaches hands-on bare-metal firmware development, may be useful for an embedded systems consultant by broadening their practical knowledge of microcontroller programming. The course's approach to building drivers from scratch may help an embedded systems consultant better understand the complexities of hardware-software interactions. This course will allow them to offer better solutions to clients, particularly those needing custom firmware solutions.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in STM32L4 Bare-Metal Peripheral Drivers Development.
Provides a comprehensive overview of embedded systems architecture, covering hardware and software aspects. It is particularly useful for understanding the underlying principles of microcontroller operation and memory management. It serves as a valuable reference for students seeking a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in the course. This book is commonly used in academic institutions.
Provides an in-depth look at the architecture of the ARM Cortex-M4 processor, which is at the heart of the STM32L4 microcontroller. It covers topics such as the instruction set, memory system, and interrupt handling. It valuable resource for students who want to understand the inner workings of the microcontroller. This book is commonly used in academic institutions.

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