Microcontroller Systems Engineering

This book is about a state of the art tool, Flowcode[registered], and how you can use Flowcode to develop microcontroller applications. The book starts very simply with a tutorial project and step-by-step instructions. As you go along the projects increase in difficulty and the new concepts are explained. Each project has a clear description of both hardware and software with pictures and diagrams, which explain not just how things are done but also why. All sources are available for free download. Since Flowcode is a high level language the intricacies of microcontroller programming are hidden from view. For that reason it doesn't make much difference whether the program is meant for a PIC, AVR or ARM microcontroller. On a high level the programs for these microcontrollers, although vastly different in internal structure, are identical. For that reason this book is on microcontroller application design in general, not just for one type of microcontroller. If you don't own the microcontroller described in a project you can usually convert it to another microcontroller quite easily. E-blocks[registered] will be used as hardware for the projects in this book. This way the hardware can be put together quickly and reliably. Fully tested units simply connect together using connectors or short flat ribbon cables to form completed projects. This book covers 45 exciting and fun projects for beginners and experts such as: timer; secret doorbell; cell phone remote control; youth deterrent; GPS tracking; pulse width modulated motor control; persistence of vision; sound activated switch; CAN bus; Internet webserver and much more. You can use it as a projects book, and build the projects for your own use. Or you can use it as a study guide to learn more about microcontroller systems engineering and the PIC, AVR and ARM microcontrollers.