The topic of electronic design is becoming increasingly popular. We offer you an article that will tell you what microcontroller programming is for beginners.
What microcontrollers exist?
First of all, it is necessary to describe the situation withmicrocontrollers. The fact is that they are not produced by one company, but by several at once, therefore there are quite a lot of different microcontrollers that have different parameters, different features when used and different possibilities. They differ in speed, additional interfaces and number of outputs. The most popular throughout the former Soviet Union are representatives of the PIC and AVR. Programming microcontrollers AVR and RIS is easy, which ensured their popularity.
How are microcontrollers programmed?
Microcontroller Programmingcarried out, as a rule, with the help of special devices, which are called programmers. Programmers can be either purchased or homemade. But when flashing a microcontroller using an improvised programmer, the chance that it will turn into a “brick” is quite high. There is another option that can be considered on the example of the Arduino board. The board works on the Atmel MK, and programming AVR microcontrollers is implemented in it. The board already has a pre-flashed bootloader and a USB port that allow you to safely flash the used microcontroller, not allowing the user access to the data that this very MK can disable. Programming microcontrollers for beginners is not as difficult as it may seem, and with a certain skill and ingenuity will save you from having to go for a new mechanism.
Hardware differences of different microcontrollers
When choosing a microcontroller should payattention to some of the hardware differences are not even different companies, but also in the same model range. First you should pay attention to the possibility of rewriting information on the microcontroller. This feature will allow you to experiment with one MK for a long time. Also pay attention to the number of pins with their purpose. Do not deprive of attention and the frequency of the crystal, on which the circuit operates: the number of operations per second that the microcontroller can perform depends on it. When inspecting these characteristics, as well as the memory of the MK, at first it may seem that there is nothing sensible on microcontrollers, but this is a misconception. Remember that programming of microcontrollers for beginners does not require the best technology at the beginning, but you can take something more powerful as a reserve.
Microcontroller programming languages
As programming languagesTwo microcontrollers are used: C / C ++ and assembler. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. So, if we talk about the assembler, then it gives the opportunity to do everything very subtly and efficiently, this is especially important when there is not enough RAM or operational capacity (which, however, quite rarely happens). But his study and writing programs on it requires quite a lot of effort, punctuality and time. Therefore, for development based on microcontrollers, programming languages C and C ++ are often used. They are more understandable, in their appearance and structure, they are close to human speech, although they do not represent it in their full meaning. They also have a very well-developed functionality that can easily interact with the hardware, imagining that this is just an element of the program. With all its obvious advantages in C and C ++, they create more extensive programs than in assembler.
Also on occasion, when criticalis the operating space used, you can connect these languages. Almost all development environments for C and C ++ have the ability to install assembler inserts into the program. Therefore, in the event of a problem at a critical section, you can write an assembler insert and integrate it into the firmware for the microcontroller, and write the firmware itself, more precisely, most of it, in C or C ++. Programming microcontrollers on the SI is easier, so many people choose these languages. But those who are not afraid of difficulties and want to understand the peculiarities of the equipment, can try their hand with assembler.
Parting words
If you want to experiment withmicrocontrollers, that's fine. One can only be advised to be patient and persistent, and then any goals set before the inventor will be feasible. Programming microcontrollers for beginners and for experienced people looks different: what is difficult for beginners, for experienced ones, is a routine. The main thing is to remember that everything that does not contradict the laws of physics is feasible and solvable.
