hello,

i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
electonic in order to get a career in this field?

in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
haven't used them for a long time.

please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
important?

thanks.

Amit wrote:
> hello,
> 
> i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
> programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
> not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
> electonic in order to get a career in this field?
> 
> in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
> haven't used them for a long time.
> 
> please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
> important?

I know many very effective embedded software engineers whose sum of 
formal electronics knowledge is how to politely ask an EE for help.

Basically, if you work somewhere that there is a diverse staff, then the 
more EE knowledge you have the better, but you often only need to be 
able to scrutinize a schematic and get a general idea of what it means.

-- 

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

"Amit" <a...@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:9...@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> hello,
>
> i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
> programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
> not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
> electonic in order to get a career in this field?
>
> in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
> haven't used them for a long time.
>
> please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
> important?

You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful 
embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's 
usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to be 
more of a "jack of all trades".

But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic 
analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB 
and other interfaces and how to debug them.

You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded soft 
core processors.

Dave. 

"Amit" <a...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9...@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> hello,
>
> i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
> programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
> not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
> electonic in order to get a career in this field?
>
> in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
> haven't used them for a long time.
>
> please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
> important?

You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful
embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's
usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to be
more of a "jack of all trades".

But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic
analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB
and other interfaces and how to debug them.

You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded soft
core processors.

Dave.

On Jun 5, 4:00=A0pm, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Amit" <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:9...@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > hello,
>
> > i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
> > programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
> > not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
> > electonic in order to get a career in this field?
>
> > in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
> > haven't used them for a long time.
>
> > please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
> > important?
>
> You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful
> embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's
> usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to b=
e
> more of a "jack of all trades".
>
> But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic
> analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB=

> and other interfaces and how to debug them.
>
> You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded sof=
t
> core processors.
>
> Dave.


Hi Dave,

Thanks for your response. yes I have used Altera NIOS II soft
processor using VHDL and C for few months but was worry about
electonic/analog part. I guess I must learn things you said. Now,
questions is where should I start learning them? is there any online
course I can take or class that I can sing up?

Thanks.
amit

Amit wrote:
>i'm a programmer who currently have started learning
>microcontroller programming (arm) using c.
>[...]i am not expert in analog or electronic.
>what should i know or learn about electonic
>in order to get a career in this field?

Got good bandwidth and 40 hours to spare?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.basics/browse_frm/thread/484089614b650470/8dfe8dfb88533ae6?q=remote.areas
+*-*-covers-*-theory-*-*-*-*-*-*-*+awesome+zz-zz+*-accent+40.hour.electronics.course.on.Youtube

On Jun 9, 7:06 am, Amit <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 5, 4:00 pm, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "Amit" <amit.ko...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:9...@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > hello,
>
> > > i'm a programmer who currently have started learning microcontroller
> > > programming (arm) using c. one thing that i'm worry about is that i am
> > > not expert in analog or electronic. what should i know or learn about
> > > electonic in order to get a career in this field?
>
> > > in past, i used logic analyzer and oscilloscope back in school but
> > > haven't used them for a long time.
>
> > > please let me know what topic in electronic I need to learn for this
> > > important?
>
> > You don't necessarily need electronics skills to be a good and useful
> > embedded programmer, as long as there is a good EE guy in the team. It's
> > usually the smaller companies with smaller R&D teams that require you to be
> > more of a "jack of all trades".
>
> > But it helps of you can drive a digital storage oscilloscope and logic
> > analyser. You'll also need to know about I2C, JTAG, SPI, RS232, RS485, USB
> > and other interfaces and how to debug them.
>
> > You might need some FPGA/VHDL knowledge if you are working on enbedded soft
> > core processors.
>
> > Dave.
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> Thanks for your response. yes I have used Altera NIOS II soft
> processor using VHDL and C for few months but was worry about
> electonic/analog part.

Don't worry. Having VHDL and soft core experience is plenty enough to
get you a job in the embedded programming field. I would concentrate
on expanding your knowledge in that area rather than trying to learn
electronics design and compete in that area.

> I guess I must learn things you said. Now,
> questions is where should I start learning them? is there any online
> course I can take or class that I can sing up?

Forget classes or courses, BUILD stuff and PLAY with stuff, that is
the best way to learn.
You are much better off spending your money and time playing with FPGA
and processor development boards. Many of them come with those
interfaces I mentioned, and you can play with your hearts content and
learn lots of stuff esily. A cheap digital oscilloscope will be
invaluable, invest in one.

Develop useful (or even not so useful) embedded applications and show
these off at job interviews. You'll get a job in the field in no time.
Start by selling your software development skills, and then you'll
pick up more  electronics skills on the job.

Dave.