Re: Learning embedded systems

From: Neil Kurzman (nsk_at_mail.asb.com)
Date: 03/02/05 

Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 03:02:24 GMT

Dan wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 11:24:40 GMT, Jonathan Kirwan
> <jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote:
>
> >Since the OP specifically mentioned trying to gain knowledge to help secure a
> >job in embedded programming and admitted little assembly experience, I'd
> >recommend working especially on the assembly skills.
>
> I have to disagree. I have an embedded application on a Hitachi
> processor with close to 16,000 lines of C++ code. The total assembly
> code is less than 20 lines. To spend a lot of time learning assembly
> is counter-productive. Code written in C and C++ is significantly
> easier to write, debug and maintain. Knowledge of assembly can at
> times be helpful, but keep it in the 20 to 16,000 perspective.
>
> Dan

YOU HAVE "an embedded application on a Hitachi
processor with close to 16,000 lines of C++ code"

Try a few 1000 on a PIC, or 8051 (low end 8 bits) you can not use C++
You can avoid asm but why? It can simplify the project. And if you have no Idea
how the C will compile to asm your Interrupts can be too long and you will not
know why. Look at the PSoC. The code the IDE gives you must be in asm. How many
bits is your Hitachi CPU.

Embedded can mean 1K of asm in a 8 bit CPU or 100meg app running on embedded XP,
or even bigger.