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.’
“RAM is full!” “A variable is changing on its own…” The answer is in the map file. This episode covers what .text/.data/.bss really are, how to read a linker script, how to stop stack overflows — and what the 512,000-line Claude Code leak teaches us about map file hygiene.
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.
Why does polling fail when you need to ‘do something every 1ms’? Understand the vector table, NVIC, and context saving — then implement a 1ms periodic event with TIM2 interrupts.
How many CPU cycles does ‘wait 1 second’ actually consume? Learn to measure execution time in µs using DWT CYCCNT, and internalize the embedded engineer’s iron rule: ‘you can’t discuss it without measuring it.’
NULL dereference, dangling pointers, out-of-bounds array access, undefined behavior — we deliberately trigger the classic pointer land mines of embedded development and observe them under the debugger. Knowing how things break is the most powerful way to learn.
Demystify C’s most feared concept — pointers — from the core principle of ’typed addresses.’ What casts mean, how memory-mapped I/O connects to pointers, and what CMSIS headers are actually doing. Stop fearing pointers and start using them as a weapon.
Embedded programming looks hard because it requires awareness of ‘place’ (memory) and ’time’ (execution timing). What does it mean to operate hardware directly without an OS protecting you? This article explains the core mental model.
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.