Book excerpt: This book is intended for a first course on microprocessor-based systems design for engineering and computer science students. It starts with an introduction of the fundamental concepts, followed by a practical path that guides readers to developing a basic microprocessor example, using a step-by-step problem-solving approach. Then, a second microprocessor is presented, and readers are guided to the implementation and programming of microcomputer systems based on it. The numerous worked examples and solved exercises allow a better understanding and a more effective learning. All the examples and exercises were developed on Deeds (Digital Electronics Education and Design Suite), which is freely available online on a website developed and maintained by the authors. The discussed examples can be simulated by using Deeds and the solutions to all exercises and examples can be found on that website. Further, in the last part of this book, different microprocessor-based systems, which have been specifically thought for educational purposes, are extensively developed, simulated and implemented on FPGA-based platforms. This textbook draws on the authors’ extensive experience in teaching and developing learning materials for bachelor’s and master’s engineering courses. It can be used for self-study as well, and even independently from the simulator. Thanks to the learning-by-doing approach and the plentiful examples, no prior knowledge in computer programming is required.