Book excerpt: Develop the software and hardware you never think about. We're talking about the nitty-gritty behind the buttons on your microwave, inside your thermostat, inside the keyboard used to type this description, and even running the monitor on which you are reading it now. Such stuff is termed embedded systems, and this book shows how to design and develop embedded systems at a professional level. Because yes, many people quietly make a successful career doing just that. Building embedded systems can be both fun and intimidating. Putting together an embedded system requires skill sets from multiple engineering disciplines, from software and hardware in particular. Building Embedded Systems is a book about helping you do things in the right way from the beginning of your first project: Programmers who know software will learn what they need to know about hardware. Engineers with hardware knowledge likewise will learn about the software side. Whatever your background is, Building Embedded Systems is the perfect book to fill in any knowledge gaps and get you started in a career programming for everyday devices. Author Changyi Gu brings more than fifteen years of experience in working his way up the ladder in the field of embedded systems. He brings knowledge of numerous approaches to embedded systems design, including the System on Programmable Chips (SOPC) approach that is currently growing to dominate the field. His knowledge and experience make Building Embedded Systems an excellent book for anyone wanting to enter the field, or even just to do some embedded programming as a side project. What You Will Learn Program embedded systems at the hardware level Learn current industry practices in firmware development Develop practical knowledge of embedded hardware options Create tight integration between software and hardware Practice a work flow leading to successful outcomes Build from transistor level to the system level Make sound choices between performance and cost Who This Book Is For Embedded-system engineers and intermediate electronics enthusiasts who are seeking tighter integration between software and hardware. Those who favor the System on a Programmable Chip (SOPC) approach will in particular benefit from this book. Students in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science can also benefit from this book and the real-life industry practice it provides.