The compiler transforms code while preserving meaning — but forget volatile and it changes the meaning too. See how assembly changes between -O0 and -O2 with objdump, and close out 12 episodes with the ‘conditions for embedded mastery.’
Stop having the CPU send bytes one at a time — let DMA handle everything. By DMA-ifying UART transmission, the CPU is freed to do real work. Episode 10 builds intuition for throughput, latency, and bus contention.
printf in ISR, missing volatile, heavy processing, forgotten flag clear — we deliberately trigger every classic embedded landmine and watch them fail. Applies to Arduino, ESP32, Renesas, PIC — every MCU with interrupts.
The next step after Arduino! Serious embedded programming with the STM32 microcontroller. Addresses, bits, and time — understand the essence of embedded systems step by step, building a solid mental model that applies to any platform.