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Boyan Lazic

*Before enrolling, carefully read the description*This course was created mostly for students, but also for people wishing to start their career on this path to gain general knowledge of embedded systems.

When starting with embedded systems, from my experience and the experience of others, the problem is that there are many unclarities when it comes to reading the documentation and schematics, and later on combining it with programming at the beginning of their studies or research.

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*Before enrolling, carefully read the description*This course was created mostly for students, but also for people wishing to start their career on this path to gain general knowledge of embedded systems.

When starting with embedded systems, from my experience and the experience of others, the problem is that there are many unclarities when it comes to reading the documentation and schematics, and later on combining it with programming at the beginning of their studies or research.

This course was made exactly to bridge those gaps and give them insight how simple it is to achieve many functionalities, all by going step-by-step through the reference manual, schematics and programming the device. During the course, all the concepts will be graphically explained. I think that visual learning is the best way of learning.

Because this field is such that just by talking you can't reach lot, so you must show some results, at the end of every important step,  an experiment will be conducted to show the proof. This can also help students or employee beginners with their projects. The device that was used in this course is the

The only libraries and instructions that are used in this course, are the ones that can be used on any other C compiler. Everything else is self-made. The course content is kept minimalistic.

During the course you'll learn about:

- Memory access and editing

- General Purpose Input Output (GPIO)

- Interrupts

- Nested Vector Interrupt Controlelr (NVIC)

- Clocks (

- what wasn't?

- where to put more emphasis on?

- is something missing?

- what would you like to see but was not covered? (it can also be something unrelated to the given topics)

The feedback is optional, it's supposed to be less about me, but more about others. Those who decide to share their opinion, I would ask for constructive feedback, because that way I can consider it and make new courses better and more understandable for future viewers.For the first 30-days I'm open to answering all questions regarding the course

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Memory map and what are the parts of memory
  • Use pointers to edit data in memory
  • Different ways to access and edit data in memory
  • Bitwise operations on data
  • Endianness of a device
  • Understanding gpio and going through output and input
  • Understanding nvic and triggering interrupts
  • Understanding the sysclk and going through its configuration
  • Understanding the timer and going through its various functionalities
  • Understanding dma and going through its functionality

Syllabus

IDE Installation and setup
Keil uVision Installation
Setup Keil uVision for STM32
Memory
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a step-by-step approach to understanding embedded systems, which can be very helpful for those new to the field
Emphasizes visual learning and hands-on experiments, which can reinforce theoretical concepts and improve knowledge retention
Focuses on using fundamental C programming techniques, which ensures the code is portable across different compilers
Covers essential embedded systems concepts like memory access, GPIO, interrupts, timers, and DMA, which are foundational for future projects
Requires the use of Keil uVision, which may require a license or have limitations for certain users, potentially creating a barrier to entry
Uses the STM32 microcontroller, so learners will need to acquire the hardware to fully participate in the hands-on experiments

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Reviews summary

Clear bare metal stm32 guide for beginners

According to learners, this course provides a largely positive and effective introduction to STM32 bare metal programming. Students frequently praise the clarity of explanations, highlighting how the instructor uses excellent visualizations to simplify complex concepts and bridge the gap with documentation. The practical experiments are also highly valued for reinforcing learning. While many found it excellent for beginners and a strong foundation for understanding the hardware at a register level, a few reviewers noted that the pace was sometimes fast or wished for more code examples or a larger project to apply the concepts, though this might be expected from 'part 1' of a series.
Wished for more advanced topics or larger projects.
"More hands-on examples or a small project combining multiple peripherals would be beneficial."
"A bit more depth in some areas, especially advanced timer configurations or more complex DMA examples..."
"Sometimes wish there were more advanced topics covered or a larger project to apply everything."
"Some parts felt a little basic, but it's labeled Part 1, so maybe more advanced topics are in Part 2."
Provides a strong foundation for getting started.
"Highly recommend for anyone starting bare metal programming on STM32."
"A solid course for beginners."
"Highly recommended for beginners."
"Perfect for getting started with STM32 bare metal."
"A solid introductory course."
Experiments reinforce learning and validate concepts.
"All the experiments are very helpful and validate the concepts being taught."
"The experiments are well-designed and reinforce the learning."
"Experiments are practical and reinforce the theory."
"Loved the experiments."
"...relevant experiments, this is a must for anyone wanting to understand embedded systems from the ground up."
Teaches register-level programming for hardware understanding.
"...really helps in understanding bare metal programming and how the microcontroller works behind the scenes."
"Excellent course to start with STM32 microcontrollers in bare metal programming."
"Outstanding! The course delivers exactly what it promises. Bare metal programming explained clearly..."
"I learned a lot about STM32 registers and how to directly control peripherals without relying on HAL or CubeMX."
"If you want to learn bare metal on STM32 and understand *why* things work, this is it."
"This is THE course for anyone serious about embedded systems bare metal..."
Concepts explained clearly with great visualizations.
"...the way it's explained. It covers the fundamentals in an easy to understand way. The instructor explains the concepts visually which really helps..."
"concepts are well explained with great visualizations."
"This is the first time I've found a course that explains bare metal programming in such a clear and comprehensive way. The instructor's method of using visualizations is very effective."
"Found this course after struggling with documentation. It simplifies the concepts brilliantly. The visual explanations are a game-changer."
"The visualizations alone are worth the price. Coupled with clear explanations..."
Some found the pace fast or desired more code examples.
"...sometimes felt a bit rushed. More hands-on examples... would be beneficial."
"Sometimes the pace feels a bit fast, and I had to rewatch sections. Practical examples are good but could be more numerous."
"Some topics could benefit from more examples."
"The pace was generally good but sometimes felt rushed."

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 STM32 bare metal guide for future embedded projects (part 1) with these activities:
Review C Programming Fundamentals
Strengthen your understanding of C programming concepts, particularly pointers and memory management, which are crucial for bare metal STM32 development.
Show steps
  • Review C syntax and data types.
  • Practice pointer arithmetic and memory allocation.
  • Work through C programming exercises.
Develop a simple blinking LED application
Start a hands-on project to solidify your understanding of GPIO and timer configurations by creating a blinking LED application on an STM32 board.
Show steps
  • Configure the GPIO pin for the LED.
  • Set up a timer to generate periodic interrupts.
  • Toggle the LED state in the interrupt handler.
Review 'Embedded Systems Architecture' by Raj Kamal
Gain a deeper understanding of embedded systems architecture to better grasp the concepts covered in the STM32 bare metal course.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on microcontroller architecture.
  • Study the sections on memory organization and peripheral interfaces.
  • Take notes on key concepts and examples.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Implement GPIO control using CMSIS
Reinforce your understanding of GPIO configuration by implementing control functions using CMSIS (Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard) for STM32.
Show steps
  • Set up a basic STM32 project with CMSIS.
  • Write functions to control GPIO pins (set, reset, toggle).
  • Test the functions on a development board.
Review 'Mastering STM32' by Carmine Noviello
Deepen your understanding of STM32 microcontrollers with a comprehensive guide covering peripherals, programming, and advanced topics.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read chapters relevant to the course topics.
  • Experiment with code examples provided in the book.
  • Refer to the book for detailed explanations of STM32 features.
Create a blog post on STM32 Interrupts
Solidify your knowledge of interrupts by creating a blog post explaining the concept, NVIC, and practical examples on STM32.
Show steps
  • Research STM32 interrupt handling mechanisms.
  • Write a clear and concise explanation of interrupts.
  • Include code examples and diagrams.
  • Publish the blog post online.
Contribute to an STM32-related open-source project
Enhance your skills and contribute to the community by participating in an open-source project related to STM32 development.
Show steps
  • Find an STM32 open-source project on GitHub.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete STM32 bare metal guide for future embedded projects (part 1) will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Embedded Systems Engineer
An Embedded Systems Engineer designs, develops, and tests the software and hardware of embedded systems, such as those found in cars and medical devices. This course provides a strong foundation in the bare metal programming of microcontrollers. With its focus on directly manipulating memory, configuring General Purpose Input Output (GPIO), managing interrupts using the Nested Vector Interrupt Controller and configuring timers, this course may be useful for aspiring embedded systems engineers. The course's use of C and direct interaction with hardware aligns well with the tasks of an Embedded Systems Engineer.
Firmware Developer
A Firmware Developer creates low-level software that directly interacts with hardware components. This course may be useful due to its emphasis on memory access, bitwise operations, and direct register manipulation. A Firmware Developer will greatly appreciate the topics of GPIO, interrupts, and timers, which are essential in firmware development. This course, with its focus on bare metal programming and practical experiments, allows a Firmware Developer to understand how to program a microcontroller from the ground up.
Robotics Engineer
A Robotics Engineer designs, builds, and programs robots. This course introduces many key concepts helpful to those in robotics, including lower-level microcontroller programming, memory management, and interrupt handling. A robotics engineer frequently deals with sensors, motors, and other embedded components, and this course helps build a foundation in those areas. The course's emphasis on GPIO, timers, and DMA will help the aspiring Robotics Engineer understand the underlying software and hardware interactions.
Control Systems Engineer
A Control Systems Engineer designs systems that regulate and maintain the behavior of dynamic systems. This course helps in understanding the lower level aspects of control systems through programming on embedded devices. Understanding microcontroller configurations, along with memory access, is crucial for implementing control algorithms. The course's lessons on timers, PWM output, and input capture are particularly relevant for the tasks of a Control Systems Engineer. This course is especially useful for those looking to implement and test control systems in embedded environments.
Mechatronics Engineer
A Mechatronics Engineer integrates mechanical, electrical, and software engineering principles, and this course may be useful in providing the software foundation for embedded systems. A Mechatronics Engineer will find direct experience programming microcontrollers useful, especially on topics such as memory management, GPIO, and interrupts. This course, with its focus on interfacing with hardware and programming timers and DMA, provides essential skills for those in mechatronics, where the ability to integrate electronic controls with mechanical systems is critical.
Internet of Things Developer
An Internet of Things Developer creates software for devices that collect and transmit data over a network. This course may be useful as it presents a valuable introduction to the microcontroller programming aspects of IoT devices. An Internet of Things Developer needs to understand how these devices work at a low-level. The course's coverage of GPIO, timers, and DMA provides a practical understanding of how IoT devices interact with their environment, making it a useful resource for an Internet of Things Developer. The hands-on experience with hardware through this course helps bridge the gap between software and physical devices.
Hardware Engineer
A Hardware Engineer designs, develops, and tests hardware components and systems. Although this course focuses on software, it provides insights into how to program and interact directly with hardware, which a Hardware Engineer finds valuable. The course's deep dive into memory access, GPIO, and interrupts provides a good understanding of how the software interfaces with the hardware, which is essential for a Hardware Engineer. This course may be useful in enabling a Hardware Engineer to understand the impact of software on their designs.
Automation Engineer
An Automation Engineer designs and implements automated systems. This course may be useful to those working with embedded systems in automation. The course's focus on bare metal programming provides a solid foundation for understanding how to program microcontrollers used in industrial automation and control. The course's practical examples with GPIO, interrupts, and timers equip the Automation Engineer to work with hardware interfaces in automation environments. The hands-on approach will be useful for automation projects.
Test Engineer
A Test Engineer designs and implements tests to ensure the quality and functionality of embedded systems. This course may be useful for a Test Engineer, especially in understanding the internal workings of embedded devices and how they are programmed. The ability to understand memory access, directly interact with hardware, and program the various peripherals of a microcontroller are crucial for a Test Engineer to create thorough tests. The course's focus on practical experiments is beneficial for a Test Engineer.
Automotive Engineer
An Automotive Engineer designs, develops, and tests vehicles and their components. This course introduces some of the skills needed to work on embedded systems in automotive applications. An Automotive Engineer will find the course's coverage of memory access, GPIO, and interrupts useful in developing vehicle control systems. Understanding the programming of microcontrollers and how they interact with hardware will be advantageous to an Automotive Engineer. This course may be useful as a general introduction to embedded systems.
Aerospace Engineer
An Aerospace Engineer designs aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. This course may be useful in giving a foundation in the lower level embedded systems used in the aerospace industry. Aerospace engineers often work with embedded systems, and the course's focus on memory access, timers, and interrupt handling provides useful insights. The course's emphasis on practical experiments will help an Aerospace Engineer understand microcontroller programming.
Application Engineer
An Application Engineer provides technical support and can also help customers adapt products for specific use cases. This course may help an Application Engineer become better equipped to work with products that use microcontrollers. A deeper understanding of memory management, GPIO, and interrupt handling, as covered in this course, benefits the Application Engineer when helping customers to integrate embedded devices through software. The course may be particularly useful for application engineers working with embedded devices.
Biomedical Engineer
A Biomedical Engineer designs and develops medical devices, including those with embedded systems. This course may be useful to those working on the microcontroller side of biomedical devices. This course provides a foundation in programming embedded systems, such as microcontrollers. The course's emphasis on hardware interaction, including memory access, GPIO and interrupts, provides a basic understanding for a Biomedical Engineer who must understand some software, especially as it relates to medical devices. The hands-on aspect will be particularly useful to a Biomedical Engineer.
Product Developer
A product developer designs and develops new products, and this course can help in understanding the underlying electronics. The course's focus on bare metal programming and microcontroller fundamentals may be useful, particularly for products involving embedded systems. A Product Developer gains a valuable perspective on the capabilities and limitations of the underlying technology when integrating microcontrollers. The course emphasis on practical experiments may provide insight into the development process.
Research Scientist
A Research Scientist conducts scientific research and experiments. This course may be useful as an introduction to embedded systems, particularly if the research involves working with hardware or sensor data. A Research Scientist may want to understand the interface between software and hardware, especially if sensors or custom hardware are involved. This course's topics on memory access, interrupts, and timers may be pertinent. This course may provide a valuable base for experiments that require hardware interaction.

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 STM32 bare metal guide for future embedded projects (part 1).
Provides a comprehensive overview of embedded systems architecture, programming, and design principles. It covers various aspects of embedded systems, including hardware and software components. It is particularly useful for understanding the underlying architecture of STM32 microcontrollers and how to effectively program them. This book can be used as a reference text throughout the course.

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