Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition - O'Reilly's Latest Release

For Immediate Release
For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with
the authors, contact:
Kathryn Barrett (707) 827-7094 or kathrynb@oreilly.com 

Think Inside the Box with C and GNU Development Tools
O'Reilly Releases "Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition"

Sebastopol, CA--By a conservative estimate, six billion new
microprocessors are manufactured each year, but fewer than two percent of
the units go into PCs. The rest are at the heart of the embedded systems
that underlie nearly all of the electronic devices used today. We take for
granted the scores of products in our homes that contain processors:
televisions, stereos, MP3 players, coffee makers, alarm clocks, DVD
players, microwaves, dishwashers, remote controls, and so on. And those
are just the personal possessions--many more such devices are used at
work. The fact that every one of these items contains not only a
processor, but also software, is the impetus for the new edition of
"Programming Embedded Systems with C and GNU Development Tools" 
(O'Reilly, US $49.99) by Michael Barr and Anthony Massa. 

As consumers demand more intelligent products, the industry needs more
embedded systems people to meet that demand. "Embedded developers must
have a deep understanding of both the programming languages and the
hardware itself," writes Jack Ganssle in his foreword to the book. "No one
can design, code, and test an interrupt service routine, for instance,
without knowing where the interrupts come from, how the hardware
prioritizes them, the tricks behind servicing that hardware, and
machine-level details about saving and preserving the system's context."

"Each embedded system is unique," observe Barr and Massa, "and the
hardware is highly specialized to the application domain. As a result,
embedded systems programming can be a widely varying experience and can
take years to master. However, the one common denominator across almost
all embedded software development is the use of the C programming
language." 

In "Programming Embedded Systems," Barr and Massa teach readers how to use
C in any embedded system. In addition to learning how to use C more
effectively, readers will also benefit from the detailed explanations and
source code associated with common embedded software programs. Advanced
topics covered include memory testing and verification, device driver
design and implementation, real-time operating system internals, and code
optimization techniques. 

Other topics covered include:
-Basic debugging techniques
-Interrupts, and the monitoring and control of on-chip and external
 peripherals
-Determining whether you have real-time requirements, and whether your
 operating system and application can meet those requirements
-Task synchronization with real-time operating systems and embedded Linux
-Optimizing embedded software for size, speed, and power consumption

The techniques and code examples presented in "Programming Embedded
Systems" are directly applicable to real-world embedded software projects
of all kinds. Examples use the free GNU software programming tools, the
eCos and Linux operating systems, and a low-cost hardware platform
specially developed for the book. Together with the book, these provide a
complete environment for exploring embedded systems in depth.

The first edition of "Programming Embedded Systems" taught the subject to
tens of thousands of people and is now considered the bible of embedded
programming. Updated to cover the latest hardware designs and development
methodologies, the new second edition is sure to help a new generation of
programmers develop the skills they need to achieve proficiency with
embedded software.  

Praise for the first edition:

"This lively and readable book is the perfect introduction for those
venturing into embedded systems software development for the first time.
It provides in one place all the important topics necessary to orient
programmers to the embedded development process.
--Lindsey Vereen, Editor-in-Chief, Embedded Systems Programming

Additional Resources:

For more information about the book, including table of contents, index,
author bios, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/embsys2/

For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/embsys2/cover.html

Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition
Michael Barr and Anthony Massa
ISBN: 0-596-00983-6, 326 pages, $49.99 US, $64.99 CA
order@oreilly.com
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1-707-827-7000
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