Hands-On Embedded Programming with C++17: Create versatile and robust embedded solutions for MCUs and RTOSes with modern
Build safety-critical and memory-safe stand-alone and networked embedded systems
Key Features
- Know how C++ works and compares to other languages used for embedded development
- Create advanced GUIs for embedded devices to design an attractive and functional UI
- Integrate proven strategies into your design for optimum hardware performance
Book Description
C++ is a great choice for embedded development, most notably, because it does not add any bloat, extends maintainability, and offers many advantages over different programming languages. Hands-On Embedded Programming with C++17 will show you how C++ can be used to build robust and concurrent systems that leverage the available hardware resources.
Starting with a primer on embedded programming and the latest features of C++17, the book takes you through various facets of good programming. You'll learn how to use the concurrency, memory management, and functional programming features of C++ to build embedded systems. You will understand how to integrate your systems with external peripherals and efficient ways of working with drivers. This book will also guide you in testing and optimizing code for better performance and implementing useful design patterns. As an additional benefit, you will see how to work with Qt, the popular GUI library used for building embedded systems.
By the end of the book, you will have gained the confidence to use C++ for embedded programming.
What you will learn
- Choose the correct type of embedded platform to use for a project
- Develop drivers for OS-based embedded systems
- Use concurrency and memory management with various microcontroller units (MCUs)
- Debug and test cross-platform code with Linux
- Implement an infotainment system using a Linux-based single board computer
- Extend an existing embedded system with a Qt-based GUI
- Communicate with the FPGA side of a hybrid FPGA/SoC system
Who this book is for
If you want to start developing effective embedded programs in C++, then this book is for you. Good knowledge of C++ language constructs is required to understand the topics covered in the book. No knowledge of embedded systems is assumed.
Table of Contents
- What are embedded systems?
- C++ as an embedded language
- Developing for embedded Linux and similar systems
- Resource-restricted embedded systems
- Example: Soil humidity monitor with WiFi
- Testing OS-based Applications
- Testing Resource-restricted Platforms
- Example: Linux-based infotainment system
- Example: Building monitoring and control
- Developing Embedded Systems with Qt
- Developing for Hybrid SoC/FPGA Systems
- Best Practices
Why Read This Book
You will learn how to apply modern C++17 idioms to embedded development so your firmware is safer, more maintainable, and still resource-efficient. This book emphasizes practical patterns for concurrency, RTOS integration, hardware interfacing, and embedded GUIs so you can ship robust stand-alone and networked devices.
Who Will Benefit
Embedded and firmware engineers (early-career to mid-career) who know basic embedded concepts and want to adopt modern C++ for MCUs, RTOSes, and embedded Linux projects.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Working knowledge of C or C++, basic embedded concepts (GPIO, interrupts, timers, memory), and familiarity with toolchains or basic command-line development.
Key Takeaways
- Apply modern C++17 language features and idioms to write memory-safe, zero-overhead embedded code
- Integrate and design concurrent firmware using RTOS primitives and safe abstractions
- Interface with peripherals and hardware (I2C, SPI, UART, ADC, timers) using robust driver patterns
- Build networked and IoT-capable devices including embedded Linux targets and common protocols
- Create attractive and responsive embedded GUIs and manage limited resources effectively
- Test, debug, and profile firmware using toolchains, unit testing, and CI-friendly workflows
Topics Covered
- 1. Why C++17 for Embedded Systems
- 2. Toolchains, Build Systems, and Testing for Embedded C++
- 3. Core Modern C++17 Techniques for Constrained Devices
- 4. Memory Safety, Resource Management, and Determinism
- 5. Concurrency and RTOS Integration (tasks, queues, mutexes, patterns)
- 6. Hardware Abstraction and Peripheral Driver Design
- 7. Low-level Hardware Interfaces: DMA, Interrupts, and Power Management
- 8. Networking, IoT Protocols, and Connectivity (MQTT, TCP/IP, CoAP)
- 9. Embedded Linux and Hybird MCU/SoC Architectures
- 10. Creating Embedded GUIs and HMI Design
- 11. Debugging, Profiling, and Fault Analysis
- 12. Performance Optimization and Deployment Strategies
- 13. Case Studies and End-to-End Example Projects
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Compared to Elecia White's Making Embedded Systems (which focuses on C and practical embedded design), Posch's book concentrates on modern C++17 idioms, RTOS patterns, and higher-level topics like GUIs and embedded Linux; it also complements older C-focused texts like Barr & Massa's Programming Embedded Systems by bringing contemporary C++ practices to firmware.
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