Embedded System Design using UML State Machines from Udemy

Learn the fundamentals of simple and hierarchical UML state machines in easy steps

The course emphasizes project-based learning, learning by doing.

The goal of this course is to introduce an event-driven programming paradigm using simple and hierarchical state machines.

After going through this course, you will be trained to apply the state machine approach to solve your complex embedded systems projects.

Some of the highlights of this course are as below

you will learn,

1) UML(Unified Modeling Language) state machine semantics like simple/composite states, events, signals, transitions, entry/exit actions, guards, pseudo-states, etc

2) Drawing UML state machines using graphical modeling tools such as Astah and QM™ modeling tool

3) Implementing embedded applications using Hierarchical state machines and Active objects design approach

4) Using QP™ real-time embedded framework and QP™-Nano Arduino library in your embedded projects

5) Active objects

6) Hands-on event-driven project implementation and testing on Arduino UNO board (Please check the preview videos)

Hardware:

If you want to test the code developed on the target hardware, you need the below-mentioned boards and components

1. Arduino UNO(1)

2. 16x2 character LCD (1)

3. Pushbuttons (3)

4. 10KΩ resistors (3)

5 . 220Ω resistor (3)

6. 100KΩ Potentiometer (1)

7. Arduino buzzer (1)

8. Jumper wires-M2M

Software:

Installation procedure for important software are covered in this course

1. Arduino IDE (Free and Open source )

2. Microsoft visual code (Free)

3. PlatformIO VS code extension(Free and Open source )

4. QM™ modeling tool by Quantum Leaps, LLC (Free GPL version)

5. Astah by Change Vision, Inc.(Trial version)

Learning order of FastBit Embedded Brain Academy Courses,

If you are a beginner in the field of embedded systems, then you can take our courses in the below-mentioned order. This is just a recommendation from the instructor for beginners.

1) Microcontroller Embedded C Programming: absolute beginners(Embedded C)

2) Embedded Systems Programming on ARM Cortex-M3/M4 Processor(ARM Cortex M4 Processor specific)

3) Mastering Microcontroller with Embedded Driver Development(MCU1)

4) Mastering Microcontroller: TIMERS, PWM, CAN, RTC,LOW POWER(MCU2)

5) Mastering Microcontroller: STM32-LTDC, LCD-TFT, LVGL(MCU3)

6) Embedded System Design using UML State Machines(State machine)

7) Mastering RTOS: Hands-on FreeRTOS and STM32Fx with Debugging(RTOS)

8) ARM Cortex M Microcontroller DMA Programming Demystified(DMA)

9) STM32Fx Microcontroller Custom Bootloader Development(Bootloader)

10) Embedded Linux Step by Step using Beaglebone Black(Linux)

11) Linux device driver programming using Beaglebone Black(LDD1)

Other programming courses

1) Master The Rust Programming Language : Beginner To Advanced

What's inside

Learning objectives

Event driven programming paradigm
Flat and hierarchical state machines (simple fsms and h-fsms)
Uml state machine semantics and state chart drawing
Converting uml statecharts into executable c/c++ code
Action objects design approach
Different state machine implementation strategies
Nested switch implementation of state machines
State table approach to implementing the state machines

State-handler approach to implementing the state machines
Usage of function pointers in 'c'
Hands-on projects using simple fsm and hsms
Step by step code development
Graphically modeling event-driven embedded application using uml statecharts modeler tools
Working with qp™ embedded real-time framework and qm™ tool of quantum leaps, llc to draw and implement the hsms
Show more
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Event driven programming paradigm
Flat and hierarchical state machines (simple fsms and h-fsms)
Uml state machine semantics and state chart drawing
Converting uml statecharts into executable c/c++ code
Action objects design approach
Different state machine implementation strategies
Nested switch implementation of state machines
State table approach to implementing the state machines
State-handler approach to implementing the state machines
Usage of function pointers in 'c'
Hands-on projects using simple fsm and hsms
Step by step code development
Graphically modeling event-driven embedded application using uml statecharts modeler tools
Working with qp™ embedded real-time framework and qm™ tool of quantum leaps, llc to draw and implement the hsms
Show more
Show less

Syllabus

Introduction

About the instructor

Important Note

Course Repository and Slides

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Emphasizes project-based learning, which allows learners to immediately apply the concepts of UML state machines to real-world embedded systems projects

Uses the QP real-time embedded framework and QP-Nano Arduino library, which are valuable tools for developing real-time embedded applications

Requires specific hardware components like Arduino UNO, LCD, pushbuttons, resistors, potentiometer, buzzer, and jumper wires, which may require additional purchases

Recommends a series of courses, suggesting that learners may benefit from prior knowledge in microcontroller programming and embedded systems concepts

Covers UML state machine semantics, including simple/composite states, events, signals, transitions, entry/exit actions, guards, and pseudo-states, which are fundamental concepts in system design

Uses Astah and QM modeling tools, which may require a trial or GPL version, potentially limiting access to all features for some learners

Reviews summary

Embedded system design: uml state machines

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation in using UML state machines for embedded systems, emphasizing a project-based learning approach. Students particularly value the detailed coverage of both flat and hierarchical state machines and the practical application through hands-on exercises on the Arduino UNO board. The introduction and practical use of tools like the QM modeling tool and the QP™ framework are highlighted as significant strengths, equipping learners with relevant skills for real-world development. While largely positive, some learners note that having prior knowledge of embedded C programming and microcontroller basics is highly beneficial, suggesting it may be more suitable for those with some existing background rather than absolute beginners, despite the comprehensive content.

Best with embedded C/C++ base.

"It's really helpful if you already have a strong background in embedded C programming."

"Recommend taking the earlier embedded courses by the instructor first if you are a beginner."

"While the course explains concepts well, prior microcontroller experience makes it much easier to follow."

Good intro to QM and QP.

"Working with QP™ embedded real-time framework and QM™ tool was very informative."

"The introduction and usage of the QM tool for drawing HSMs were a key takeaway for me."

"Using PlatformIO VS Code extension was practical for the development environment."

Thorough coverage of FSM/HSM.

"Learn the fundamentals of simple and hierarchical UML state machines in easy steps"

"The course covers UML state machine semantics like entry/exit actions and guards extensively."

"I now have a clear understanding of both flat and hierarchical state machines and how to apply them."

Emphasis on practical application.

"The hands-on event-driven project implementation and testing on Arduino UNO board were incredibly useful."

"I learned best by doing, and the exercises like the Productivity Timer demo really helped."

"This course emphasizes project-based learning, which is the best way to learn embedded systems."

Some sections challenging.

"Some parts, especially when diving into the QP framework, felt a bit fast-paced."

"Needed to spend extra time reviewing certain lectures to fully grasp the concepts."

"The complexity of the HSM implementation required significant focus."

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 Embedded System Design using UML State Machines with these activities:

Review C/C++ Fundamentals

Show steps

Strengthen your understanding of C/C++ syntax, pointers, memory management, and data structures. A solid foundation in these areas is crucial for effectively implementing state machines in embedded systems.

Browse courses on C++ Programming

Show steps

Review basic syntax and data types.
Practice pointer arithmetic and memory allocation.
Work through example problems involving structures and unions.

Review 'UML Distilled'

Show steps

Improve your understanding of UML diagrams, particularly state diagrams, which are essential for designing and documenting state machines.

View UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the chapters on state diagrams and other relevant UML diagrams.
Practice drawing UML diagrams for simple systems.
Use UML diagrams to document your own state machine designs.

Review 'Practical UML Statecharts in C/C++'

Show steps

Deepen your understanding of UML statecharts and their practical application in embedded systems. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the concepts and techniques covered in the course.

View Practical UML Statecharts in C/C++: Event... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the chapters on statechart semantics and design patterns.
Study the code examples and try implementing them yourself.
Relate the book's content to the course lectures and exercises.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Implement State Machines for Simple Systems

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of state machine concepts by implementing them for various simple systems. This hands-on practice will solidify your ability to translate UML diagrams into functional code.

Show steps

Choose a simple system, such as a traffic light or a vending machine.
Design a UML statechart for the system.
Implement the state machine in C/C++ using the techniques learned in the course.
Test your implementation thoroughly.

Create a Blog Post on State Machine Implementation Techniques

Show steps

Solidify your knowledge by explaining different state machine implementation techniques in a blog post. This will force you to organize your thoughts and communicate the concepts clearly.

Show steps

Research different state machine implementation techniques (nested switch, state table, state handler).
Write a clear and concise explanation of each technique.
Provide code examples to illustrate each technique.
Publish your blog post on a platform like Medium or your own website.

Develop a More Complex Embedded System with State Machines

Show steps

Apply your knowledge to a more challenging project that requires the use of hierarchical state machines and active objects. This will test your ability to design and implement complex embedded systems.

Show steps

Choose a project, such as a robotic arm controller or a home automation system.
Design the system architecture using UML statecharts and active objects.
Implement the system in C/C++ using the QP framework or a similar library.
Test and debug your implementation thoroughly.

Contribute to an Open-Source Embedded Systems Project

Show steps

Gain practical experience by contributing to an open-source embedded systems project that utilizes state machines. This will expose you to real-world coding practices and collaborative development.

Show steps

Find an open-source project that aligns with your interests and skills.
Study the project's codebase and documentation.
Identify a bug or feature that you can contribute to.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Embedded System Design using UML State Machines will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Firmware Engineer

A Firmware Engineer develops low-level software that controls hardware devices. This course will help a firmware engineer understand event-driven programming paradigms using state machines, a common technique in firmware development. By learning how to implement state machines using different approaches like nested switches and state tables, as taught in this course, a firmware engineer can handle complex system behaviors efficiently. The hands-on projects using Arduino and the QP framework provided in the course are also incredibly valuable in understanding real-world firmware implementation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Firmware Engineer

Embedded Systems Engineer

An Embedded Systems Engineer designs, develops, and tests software and hardware for embedded systems. This course helps build a foundation in event-driven programming, a crucial aspect of embedded systems. The course's focus on UML state machines and their practical implementation with tools like QM and Arduino directly translates to real-world embedded development scenarios. Understanding hierarchical state machines and active objects is critical for building complex, well-structured embedded systems. This course provides the practical knowledge needed for an embedded systems engineer to design robust and reliable solutions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Embedded Systems Engineer

Control Systems Engineer

A Control Systems Engineer designs and implements control systems for various applications, often involving embedded systems. This course helps a control systems engineer understand event-driven programming, which is a cornerstone of many control systems. The focus on UML state machines, coupled with hands-on experience with tools like QM and Arduino, helps control systems engineers manage the complexity of control algorithms and hardware interactions. The course's practical approach to implementing hierarchical state machines and active objects provides valuable insight into building robust control systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Control Systems Engineer

Industrial Automation Engineer

An Industrial Automation Engineer designs, develops, and maintains automated systems in industrial environments. This course helps an Industrial Automation Engineer understand event-driven programming, a key aspect of industrial control systems, through UML state machines. The course emphasizes practical implementation using tools like QM and Arduino, which directly apply to programming industrial controllers. The knowledge of hierarchical state machines and active objects can be very useful in managing complex automation processes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial Automation Engineer

Internet of Things Developer

An Internet of Things Developer creates software for connected devices. This course enables an Internet of Things Developer to design and implement robust event-driven logic for IoT devices using UML state machines. The practical experience with state machine implementations, nested switches and the state handler technique included in this course, along with hands-on projects using Arduino, are directly applicable to programming IoT devices. The knowledge of hierarchical state machines and active objects also provides a framework for building more complex and reliable IoT applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Internet of Things Developer

Robotics Engineer

A Robotics Engineer designs and builds robots and robotic systems. This course may be useful for a Robotics Engineer by offering a strong foundation in event-driven programming, which is essential for controlling robot behaviors and interactions. Understanding UML state machines and their implementation using embedded frameworks like QP and Arduino helps manage the complex state transitions common in robotics. The course's focus on both simple and hierarchical state machines and active objects is directly applicable to creating intricate control systems in robotics and this course provides essential practical experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Automation Engineer

An Automation Engineer designs and implements automated systems across different sectors. This course may be helpful for an Automation Engineer by providing a strong foundation in event-driven programming concepts using UML state machines, which are directly relevant in designing control systems for automated processes. Practical experience with state machine implementation using QM and Arduino, provided by this course, allows an automation engineer to manage complex state transitions effectively and to build robust control systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Automation Engineer

Automotive Engineer

An Automotive Engineer designs and develops automotive systems, often utilizing embedded controllers. This course may be helpful to an Automotive Engineer by introducing them to event-driven programming and state machines, which are crucial in automotive control systems such as engine control units and transmission controllers. The course's focus on UML state machines and hands-on development with Arduino will help in understanding how to design and implement robust control logic. The practical experience in using QP for hierarchical state machines enhances skills for developing automotive embedded systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Automotive Engineer

Medical Device Developer

A Medical Device Developer creates software and hardware for medical devices, which often includes embedded systems. This course may be helpful to a Medical Device Developer because event-driven programming using state machines can be a critical aspect of reliable device control. Understanding UML state machines and their implementation, using tools like QM and hands-on exercises using Arduino, may aid in designing robust and dependable embedded applications. The course's focus on hierarchical state machines and active objects provides essential tools for developing the complex control systems of medical devices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Device Developer

Software Architect

A Software Architect designs the high-level structure of software systems. This course may be helpful to a Software Architect by providing a deeper understanding of event-driven paradigms using UML state machines, a useful tool when designing complex software systems, including aspects of the structure and behavior of reactive components within the software. The course's focus on hierarchical state machines and active objects can add significant value in planning the architecture of complex applications with clearly defined state transitions. The practical project-based learning is also useful for understanding how design choices affect implementation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Architect

Aerospace Engineer

An Aerospace Engineer designs and develops aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems. This course may be useful for an Aerospace Engineer, as event-driven programming and state machines are very relevant in controlling complex aerospace systems. The concepts of UML state machines and their implementation, using embedded frameworks like QP, as covered in this course, help model the behaviors of aerospace control systems. Although this role usually requires an advanced degree, the material covered in this course may be particularly useful for certain hardware-related applications, and provide a solid foundation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Aerospace Engineer

System on a Chip Designer

A System on a Chip Designer is involved in the design and development of integrated circuits that combine multiple components on a single chip, as they will need an intimate knowledge of embedded systems. This course may be useful for a system on a chip designer, focusing on state-machine design and implementation techniques with UML state machines. The course's approach and the utilization of tools like the QP framework help understand the software-hardware integration aspects of embedded controllers. Although this role often requires an advanced degree, a candidate with this course in their portfolio will have a strong foundation.

See salaries and explore the career path for System on a Chip Designer

Real Time Operating Systems Developer

A Real Time Operating Systems Developer creates and maintains operating systems for real time applications. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be useful to a Real Time Operating Systems Developer as it introduces event-driven programming using UML state machines. Although the focus is not on RTOS design, a real time operating systems developer needs to understand the practical implementation of state machines as state machines are a fundamental aspect of the design of an operating system. The practical, hands-on approach to implementing state machines using tools like QP and Arduino might be valuable.

See salaries and explore the career path for Real Time Operating Systems Developer

Hardware Engineer

A Hardware Engineer designs and oversees the development of physical hardware components. This is a software course, but this course may be useful to a Hardware Engineer who wishes to understand how embedded software interacts with hardware. State machine concepts and state transition design, as covered in this course, can help a Hardware Engineer better understand the functional behaviors of digital circuits, especially when these are controlled by microcontrollers. The hands-on project implementation using the provided hardware can be very valuable for understanding the design constraints and operational modes of embedded systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hardware Engineer

Game Developer

A Game Developer creates video games and interactive entertainment software. Although not directly related, this course may be useful for a Game Developer by introducing them to the state machine concept, which is a fundamental design pattern in game development. The state machine design principle taught in this course, particularly the hierarchical approach to managing states, can be used to create complex game logic. The project-based learning can be valuable for understanding how software design patterns are implemented in practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer

Embedded System Design using UML State Machines

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Embedded system design: uml state machines

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