Review of Open-Source Robotics and Process Control Cookbook: Designing and Building Robust, Dependable Real-time Systems (Paperback)

Edwards does the reader a great service by going into why decisions are made. For example, Edwards leads you through the choice of which PC motherboard he was going to use for the project. His decisions and considerations were very insightful to me. Although the board(s) selected are now out of date according to the manufacturers, using his process will enable you to find motherboards to be able to handle the tasks in the book. Next, Edwards leads you through setting up Linux using BusyBox and how to divide the system up using a compact harddrive and a CompactFlash. All in all, while I consider myself an expert linux user, I found his coverage of material very interesting. Another keeper for my robotics bookshelf.

Product Description
In this practical reference, popular author Lewin Edwards shows how to develop robust, dependable real-time systems for robotics and other control applications, using open-source tools. It demonstrates efficient and low-cost embedded hardware and software design techniques, based on Linux as the development platform and operating system and the Atmel AVR as the primary microcontroller. The book provides comprehensive examples of sensor, actuator and control applications and circuits, along with source code for a number of projects. It walks the reader through the process of setting up the Linux-based controller, from creating a custom kernel to customizing the BIOS, to implementing graphical control interfaces.

Including detailed design information on:
·ESBUS PC-host interface
·Host-module communications protocol
·A speed-controlled DC motor with tach feedback and thermal cut-off
·A stepper motor controller
·A two-axis attitude sensor using a MEMS accelerometer
·Infrared remote control in Linux using LIRC
·Machine vision using Video4Linux

The Accompanying CD-ROM contains a wealth of design materials, including:
·Full schematics and source code for the projects described
·Ready-made disk images for the miniature Linux distribution uses as the basis for the PC-side software
·Distribution archives of source code for all GNU software used, along with application-specific patches where appropriate
·A free version of the schematic capture and PCB CAD software used
·Atmel AVR Studio

* The first-ever book on using open source technology for robotics design!

* Immensely valuable source code and design tools provided on the CD-ROM

* Covers hot topics such as GPS navigation, 3-D sensing, and machine vision, all using a Linux platform!

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Review of Embedded System Design on a Shoestring: Achieving High Performance with a Limited Budget (Embedded Technology) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book.I bought it sight-unseen and have been very pleased.The book takes you step-by-step through bringup of an inexpensive ARM7 evaluation board, first using assembly and then using C language with the Newlib embedded C library.The freely available GNU tool chain is used, so you can get up and running without investing in big-ticket commercial development tools.

The book is based on the Atmel EB40 evaluation board.The pricing sweet spot no longer favors this board, so I bought the EB40A instead.I had to figure out differences in the memory map, PIO addresses for the LEDs, and USART clock enable, but this was straightforward after Google searches for the EB40A.

I highly recommend this book.The technical content is accurate, and it is well-written.It appears to be written by an embedded developer, for embedded developers.Other embedded books I have read recently seem organized around marketing objectives, and are over generalized.Those books are interesting but not very useful in the practical sense.

Edwards' book is useful in the practical sense.I hope he continues to write.I'm ready with my credit card when his next book is published.

Product Description
In this practical guide, experienced embedded engineer Lewin Edwards demonstrates faster, lower-cost methods for developing high-end embedded systems. With today's tight schedules and lower budgets, embedded designers are under greater pressure to deliver prototypes and system designs faster and cheaper. Edwards demonstrates how the use of the right tools and operating systems can make seemingly impossible deadlines possible.

Designer's Guide to Embedded Systems Development shares many advanced, "in-the-trenches" design secrets to help engineers achieve better performance on the job. In particular, it covers many of the newer design tools supported by the GPL (GNU Public License) system. Code examples are given to provide concrete illustrations of tasks described in the text. The general procedures are applicable to many possible projects based on any 16/32-bit microcontroller. The book covers choosing the right architecture and development hardware to fit the project; choosing an operating system and developing a toolchain; evaluating software licenses and how they affect a project; step-by-step building instructions for gcc, binutils, gdb and newlib for the ARM7 core used in the case study project; prototyping techniques using a custom printed circuit board; debugging tips; and portability considerations. The accompanying CD-ROM contains all the code used in the design examples as well as useful open-source tools for embedded design.

·A wealth of practical tips, tricks and techniques

·Design better, faster and more cost-effectively

·Accompanying CD-ROM includes useful open-source tools for embedded design

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