microcontrollers

C Programming Tutorial 2: Intro to Variables

The first C programming tutorial gave a quick history of the C language. Then, it talked about how high-level instructions get converted to the 1s and 0s a microcontroller can understand. Finally, we went over some good programming practice.

In this C programming tutorial, we’re going to talk about one of the core concepts of C, or any programming language for that matter. We’re going to talk about variables.

If you have a decent amount of C programming experience you probably know something about variables. You should still read this because, as usual, it will be a good review.

If you’re new to C or programming in general, understanding variables is not an option. You need to read this and know this stuff.

Of course, it’s hard to know who knows what, so we’ll assume you’re just getting started with C programming.

On we march into C programming tutorial 2!

C Programming Tutorial 1: Intro to C

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This C programming tutorial will be the first in a series of C tutorials. The posts in this blog thus far cover both the theoretical and the more practical, but until now none covered programming.

The C programming language is universal. Some readers may be C programming experts (unlike me). Others may be new or maybe haven’t even written one line of code. This series of posts will assume you’re brand new to C programming (and I’m sure I’ll get to scrape some of the rust off my C skills in the process). Those with C experience may find it makes a good review. If you are new to C, this C programming tutorial is a great place to start.

If you’ve worked with PICs or any sort of microcontroller before, there’s a good chance you have some experience in C programming. Arduino sketches are very similar to C, so ditto there.

Video – Arduino vs Naked Microcontroller

Video – Use an Arduino & 2 Push Button Switches to Control an LED

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Programming Arduino & Other Microcontrollers

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For the electronics enthusiast, programming languages have become a tool almost as ubiquitous as the soldering iron. Just as there’s the old trusty iron on most workbenches, not far away lies some sort of compiler or IDE.

Sure, there are useful and cool things that you can produce without the use of a microcontroller, but there’s also a lot of useful and cool things that would be very difficult or impossible to make without a microcontroller.

One problem is — for those new to electronics at least — that learning to program can be daunting, just like learning to solder for can be daunting some.

Getting Naked: Working With Naked Microcontrollers vs Trainers Like Arduino

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Open source electronics “trainer” boards like the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, the BeagleBone and others have been an enormous boon to introducing more people to electronics and science.

This is because they make working with microcontrollers and programming easier by way of abstraction.

The popularity of these boards has exploded over the past 8-10 years or so.

In the past, using a microcontroller in your projects meant working directly with the micro and supporting hardware, programming in C, and a host of other things.

Be that as it may, there are reasons why the hobbyist should consider learning to work directly with the “naked” or stand-alone microcontroller. We’ll talk about some of those reasons in the words that follow, but first we’ll talk about the difference between a trainer and a microcontroller.