Press Release
May 20, 2005
"Designing Embedded Hardware, Second Edition": Creating Embedded Systems--From Fundamentals to Finished Devices
Sebastopol, CA--You can tell by the gleam in a programmer's eye that
there's a certain beauty in well-written software. There's beauty in
well-designed hardware, as well. "With embedded computers, you get to
understand the machine at all levels, at once aware of currents flowing
though circuit traces and software executing complex algorithms," says
John Catsoulis, author of Designing Embedded Hardware, Second Edition
(O'Reilly, US $44.95). According to Catsoulis, it's neither possible to
write embedded software without understanding the hardware, nor to design
hardware without understanding software. "You become involved with the
machine to a degree beyond that which is possible with desktop computers.
Best of all, it's a lot of fun."
There's a growing interest in designing and building embedded hardware
among programmers, hobbyists, and engineers of all types, which is
understandable considering the profusion of these systems surrounding us.
A typical house easily has thirty or more of these systems hidden inside
televisions, VCRs, DVD players, alarm clocks, remote controls, cell
phones, toys, and a host of other devices. Embedded systems are one of the
most rapidly growing segments of the computer industry. Plus, as Catsoulis
says, making them is fun.
"The embedded computer industry is large and constantly growing, yet most
people involved in the industry are writing their software to run on
third-party hardware. This book shows them how to create their own
hardware--to truly turn their design into their own creation," Catsoulis
explains. Once readers have finished the book, they should be able to
design their own computers from scratch and actually build them. "They
could use the skills they gain to create anything from a garden-watering
system controller to an MP3 player, or even a desktop computer. The basic
skills are the same."
This new edition of Designing Embedded Hardware includes information on
the latest generation of processors and microcontrollers, including the
new MAXQ processor. It spells out the basics of embedded design for
beginners while providing advanced material for more experienced system
designers. The book steers a course between manuals dedicated to writing
code for particular microprocessors and those that stress the philosophy
of embedded-system design without providing practical information. Readers
will learn about:
Theory and practice of embedded systems
Understanding schematics and datasheets
Powering an embedded system
Producing and debugging an embedded system
Processors such as the PIC, Atmel AVR, and Motorola 68000 series
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) architectures
Protocols (SPI and 12C) used to add peripherals
RS-232C, RS-422, infrared communication, and USB
CAN and Ethernet networking
Pulse Width Monitoring and motor control
Catsoulis notes that in the first edition of the book he deliberately left
out coverage of software for a variety of reasons. The second edition
includes some software: "I won't even attempt to cover the instructions of
each processor in this book. What I will do is show some simple assembly
language techniques. While the instructions may be wildly different
between architectures, the basic concepts are the same." Also new to the
book is a chapter on the Forth programming language--which, though
relatively old, Catsoulis explains, "is a useful tool for embedded system
development to which many engineers have yet to be exposed."
Software professionals who want to design their own hardware will find a
wealth of information in Designing Embedded Hardware, Second Edition to
help them penetrate the mysteries of building their own specialized
devices and start them well on their way.
Praise for the previous edition:
"Designing Embedded Hardware offers a vast amount of technical knowledge
on how the machines we program work and why they are designed this
way...an excellent primer for seasoned software engineers who want to
learn more about computers, processor architecture, and peripherals. I
hardly need to say at this point that I highly recommend it for hardware
design rookies."
--Danny Kalev, IBM DeveloperWorks
"In a much more efficient, practical, and accessible way than the typical
textbooks, this book begins by outlining the basic principles of
electronics and computer architecture. By page 77, you're ready to start
applying those principles...For too long, hardware design has been a black
art. Or maybe just the dearth of good books has made it seem so. I hope
John Catsoulis' new book will be as successful in the market as it's been
in showing me how to design hardware. I can't wait to put my new knowledge
into practice."
--Michael Barr, "Embedded Systems Programming"
Additional Resources:
Designing Embedded Hardware, Second Edition
John Catsoulis
ISBN: 0-596-00755-8, 377 pages, $44.95 US, $62.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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