“Shifting from IT field to Embedded Systems isn’t starting from scratch.”
This would be an answerable statement to clear the question of “Will my skills be wasted? Do I need to learn from scratch if I get into the embedded domain?” for all the people who are looking to hop into the embedded systems domain.
While there will be new things to learn, such as specific hardware platforms, real-time operating systems, or power management, your background in IT will provide a foundation. You’re not starting from zero.
Remember those lines of code you write in IT? In embedded, we do that too! It’s like switching from writing novels to short stories. Both require good writing skills, just in different ways. You know how computers talk to each other over the internet? In the embedded world, we have tiny devices doing the chit-chat. Your networking know-how will fit right in.
Think of embedded systems as a new playground. You’re not leaving behind what you know from IT; you’re just adding new toys to your collection. And the best part? Your IT background is the ticket to this exciting adventure.
To begin with, you would need to have an understanding of electronics. There are plenty of learning materials available online for this. Few of them would be, “The Art of Electronics” by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill or online platforms like All About Circuits.
Embedded systems primarily interact through the C language, so start your coding journey here. Focus on bit-wise operations, memory management, and low-level data structures. Just go one step ahead and learn assembly as embedded engineers do need assembly.
Select a microcontroller and make your hands dirty. Browse through its hardware architecture, internal block diagrams, port configurations, manipulations and sprinkle them with electronic components of DC motor, keypad, LCD, LED’s on it.
Now to make devices talk to each other, learn some communication protocols such as UART, I2C, SPI.
Not all embedded systems require an OS, but for complex applications, an RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) can be beneficial. Get familiar with popular RTOS options like FreeRTOS or Zephyr. You could refer, “Real-Time Operating Systems for ARM Cortex-M Microcontrollers” by Jonathan Valvano, official RTOS documentation.
The embedded world is vast. As you delve deeper, you might find specific areas more appealing, and specialize based on your interests.
Remember that every expert was once a beginner. Everyone learns and grows with time and experience. You are not discarding your IT skills. You are embedding your skills in the embedded systems.
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An Article by: Yashwanth Naidu Tikkisetty
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