C Programming for Microcontrollers

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Introduction

Then somebody figured that if they designed a very simple core processor that only did a few things but did them very fast and efficiently, they could make a much cheaper and easier to program computer. Thus was born the RISC, Reduced Instruction Set Computers. The downside was that you had to write additional assembly language software to do all the things that the CISC computer had built in. For instance, instead of calling a divide instruction in a CISC device, you would have to do a series of subtractions to accomplish a division using a RISC device. This ‘disadvantage’ was offset by price and speed, and is completely irrelevant when you program with C since the complier generates the assembly code for you.
Although I’ll admit that ‘CISC versus RISC’ and ‘C versus assembly language’ arguments often seem more like religious warfare than logical discourse, I have come to believe that the AVR, a RISC device, programmed in C is the best way to microcontroller salvation (halleluiah brother).



Suggested Prerequisites:
• You should be able to use Windows applications.
• You should have an elementary knowledge of electronics, or at least be willing to study some tutorials as you go along so that you’ll know things like why you need to use a resistor when you light up an LED.
• I’ve received lots of suggestions about what needs to be in this book. Some folks are adamant that one must first learn assembly language and microcrocontroller architecture and basic electronics and digital logic and bla bla bla before even attempting C on microcontrollers. I politely disagree and say that you should just jump right in learn whats fun for you. You’ll run across lots of stuff that you will want to learn about, but I won’t cover in the book so you should be able to bracket your ignorance (and mine) making a note when you hit something you don’t know but would like to. Then you can learn it later. I’m using lots of things that aren’t directly relevant to C programming (like communicating with a microcontroller from a PC using a serial port or like what the heck is that transistor motor driver thingee…). If you get really curious, then GOOGLE for a tutorial on the topic.