Description

Description

This course focuses on programming microcontrollers, particularly Cortex-M-based MCUs, using the C language. Participants will gain hands-on experience with bare-metal programming on an STM32F4 MCU (Cortex-M4 core) while understanding toolchains, debugging techniques, and performance optimization.

Training Objectives

• Review the C language standard with an emphasis on embedded applications.
• Identify essential C features for embedded systems.
• Explore the embedded context through practical labs on STM32F4 MCUs.
• Utilize debugging tools effectively.
• Understand the toolchain process
• including compilation
• assembly
• and linking.
• Configure linker scripts for memory management.
• Gain an overview of STM32F4 architecture.
• Understand the Cortex-M4 programmer's model.
• Learn the boot sequence and initialization process.
• Analyze compiler optimizations and techniques for writing efficient code.
• Interface C and assembly language.
• Manage interrupt handling.
• Develop serial communication drivers.
• Configure and use DMA transfers.
• Implement ADC functionalities.

Course Outline

• Day 1: Toolchain, Build Process & Debugging<
• Understanding the Toolchain<
• Cross-compilation principles<
• Role of compiler, assembler, and linker<
• C source program structure<
• Preprocessor directives: #define, #include<
• Writing macros and header files safely<
• Object file sections & library inclusion<
• Startup files and linker scripts<
• GCC compiler options<
• Running code from RAM<
• Writing Makefiles<
• Exercises:<
• Analyze build steps of a simple program.<
• Work with conditional compilation.<
• Configure the linker to allocate code and data.<
• Lab Environment Setup<
• Project creation from scratch<
• Debugging setup (debug probe, communication with target MCU)<
• Debugging windows (C/Disassembly, memory, stack, variables, registers)<
• Breakpoints and step-through execution<
• Day 2: Core C Concepts & Embedded Data Handling<
• Types and Operators<
• Variable storage classes (static, automatic, register, extern)<
• Scalar types (char, int, float, double)<
• Type conversion, casting, volatile keyword<
• Exercises: Work with types and operators.<
• Control Structures<
• if/else, switch/case<
• Looping structures (while, do/while, for)<
• Exercises: Implement control structures.<
• Pointers and Arrays<
• Pointer declaration, initialization, and operations<
• Constants, volatile and restrict pointers<
• One-dimensional and multi-dimensional arrays<
• Exercises: Work with pointers and arrays.<
• Structures and Unions<
• Structs, unions, bit fields, peripheral register modeling<
• Memory alignment, endianness<
• Exercises: Model STM32F4 peripheral registers.<
• Functions<
• Function prototypes, function pointers<
• Stack operations and recursion<
• Function inlining and pipeline optimizations<
• Exercises: Analyze stack usage and function calls.<
• Standard Library Overview<
• stdio library (printf, scanf, memcpy)<
• File access functions<
• Day 3: Embedded-Specific Programming Techniques<
• Data Structures<
• Implementing FIFOs, linked lists<
• Exercises: Work with linked lists.<
• Memory Management<
• Dynamic allocation (malloc, free), stack vs heap<
• Memory management algorithms (Buddy System, Best-fit/First-fit, Pool management)<
• Exercises: Implement dynamic memory allocation.<
• Embedded Context Considerations<
• Peripheral programming<
• Memory access and caching<
• Interrupt-driven programming<
• Exercises: Timer interrupt handling.<
• Cortex-M4 Architecture Overview<
• Harvard architecture, register model, execution modes<
• System control block, SysTick timer, NVIC interrupt handling<
• Exercises: Analyze the boot sequence.<
• Day 4: Advanced Topics & STM32F4-Specific Features<
• Compiler Optimizations<
• Function inlining, memory alignment, struct packing<
• Exercises: Mix C and Assembly, analyze function inlining.<
• STM32F4 MCU Overview<
• ARM Cortex-M4-based architecture<
• Bus matrix, memory mapping, DMA, UART, ADC<
• Flash programming, clocking, power management<
• Exercises:<
• Implement DMA-based data transfers.<
• Redirect printf output via UART.<
• Display ADC values on an LCD.