LEARN HARDWARE FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGN by O G Popa EDITION 4 ISBN/EAN 9780978160449

LEARN HARDWARE FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGN by O G Popa is not another technical book: it is a book unlike any other! No book has ever spanned through microcontroller hardware design, C firmware design, and high-level software programming to take control over hardware and firmware. All in one good, working knowledge book.

LHFSD delivers exactly as the title says: you will learn hardware, firmware, and software design. Each topic is explained in details, step-by-step, and one at a time. Each new chapter adds gradually to the previously built modules, so that the readers advance gently towards more complex topics. LHFSD represents the fundamental knowledge needed to start developing your own commercial product.

Included with LHFSD book are few hundred pages of firmware and software source code files on CD-ROM--a self extractable zip file. The source code for Edition 4, version ED4RV1, has been modified to work on Windows XP and Vista. Note that the source code of previous Editions is not functional on the latest tools: Windows XP/Vista, MPLAB, C30 V3.00.


LHFSD IS RECOMMENDED FOR

1. TEACHERS AND TRAINING COURSES: although everything is explained in LHFSD, the amount of information is huge, therefore a teacher could help a lot by developing important collateral topics.

2. BEGINNERS: the problem today is not "to learn or not to learn"--you have to learn. Ten years from now things are going to be way, way too complex to catch up. Learn to build your own commercial product and become an employer yourself!

3. INTERMEDIATE DESIGNERS: improve your design performance, and increase your productivity with LHFSD book because, if do not not do it, the "competition" does--this is life.

4. ADVANCED DESIGNERS: things can be done very complex, or extremely simple as they are presented in LHFSD. Only practical, end result matters. LHFSD presents a "design method" which could be employed in any circumstances. The entire book is a nice example of structuring and implementing complex projects. Before anything, LHFSD helps developing your LOGIC! 



FEW REFERENCES

1. The LHFSD book listed at Microchip University Corner
2. The LHFSD book mentioned in Microchip's University Program (PDF file)


FROM OUR READERS

"... The incredible about the LHFSD book is, it is a good, working design project, not senseless, useless theory you can find on the Internet or in hundreds other books. This book teaches you true, beneficial skills ..."


FROM THE AUTHOR

"Learn Hardware Firmware and Software Design is the first book of a series I planned few years ago. My intention is to present the design work simplified, so that all readers who feel attracted to it would discover that it takes only little logic, for each design phase. The design tools we use are only the instruments we employ to transform our thoughts/logic into reality."


FROM THE PUBLISHER

"There are no other books similar to Learn Hardware Firmware and Software Design, and this is not only in the extraordinary extent of the topics presented, but also in their incredibly logic and simple format. Learn Hardware Firmware and Software Design is, and it is going to be for a long time, the reference book in hardware, firmware, and software design.

Good news: LHFSD is the first book in a large series dedicated to hardware, firmware and software design work. The second book of the series named Design Hardware Firmware and Software Tools (DHFST) is planned to be published fairly soon. Note that the fundamental notions described in LHFSD are not presented again in DHFST, or in any of the coming books; therefore, LHFSD is mandatory."  

  

LHFSD-HCK V2.2

ATTENTION
Due to actual raise in shipping costs, we have suspend the production of LHFSD-HCK kits. This decision could be temporarily or, possibly, permanently. Please use the LHFSD book to build the kit yourself, or buy an used one.

As promised, we offer LHFSD-HCK (Hardware Companion Kit) V2.2 built exactly as it is described in LEARN HARDWARE FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGN, Part 1. Learning hardware, firmware, and software theoretically is very good; however, practical experimentation is going to build a lot of confidence in your designing skills. This little piece of hardware includes the complete PCB board populated with the dsPIC30F4011 microcontroller, with all ICs, and with one unipolar or bipolar stepper motor.

The PCB board implements hardware modules grouped on functionality, and it is built around the dsPIC30F4011 microcontroller running at 80 MHz (or 20 MIPS). However, you could change it to work at 120 MHz (or 30 MIPS). In addition to being a learning aid to the LHFSD book, this Hardware Companion Kit is in fact a firmware tool which will help you implement new firmware/software algorithms for years to come. In order to facilitate the development work, all ICs are mounted on sockets, therefore allowing for quick IC replacement. Even more, by taking the ICs out, a great number of the microcontroller ports may be accessed directly: this allows for hardware modifications of the initial design.

The HCK kit is supplied by a 9V AC/DC 750 mA wall adapter--not provided because it is exactly the adaptor that comes with MPLAB ICD2 (you do not need the adaptor if you work with ICD2 USB connection). In addition, the Kit requires a DB9 serial cable in order to work with HyperTerminal and the LHFSD Visual Basic applications--again not provided. The cable is also supplied with ICD2, and it is not used when working with the USB connection. Please read the REQUIREMENTS chapter in LHFSD in order to find out exactly what you need to start working with LHFSD-HCK V2.2.