Lesson 1Backup power choices: supercapacitors, UPS, battery-backed RTC — sizing and use casesDetails backup power plans using supercapacitors, UPS units, and battery-backed RTCs, including sizing calculations, charge handling, data-flush timing, and common use cases like safe shutdown and short power cuts.
Use cases for short-term backup powerSupercapacitor choice and sizing calculationsEmbedded UPS units and charger designBattery-backed RTC and timekeepingCoordinating backup with firmware shutdownLesson 2Strong power design: input protection, transient suppression (TVS diodes), filtering, isolation, and bulk capacitanceFocuses on strong power input design, including fusing, reverse polarity and overvoltage protection, transient suppression with TVS diodes, LC and RC filtering, galvanic isolation, and bulk capacitance placement for steady operation.
Input fusing, inrush, and reverse polarityTVS diodes and surge protection choicesLC, RC, and common-mode input filteringIsolation types and safety spacingBulk capacitance sizing and placementLesson 3Industrial I/O and interface hardware: isolated UART/RS-485 transceivers, isolated CAN PHYs, Ethernet PHYs with magnetics, ADC front ends for 4–20mAExamines industrial I/O hardware, including isolated UART and RS-485, isolated CAN PHYs, Ethernet PHYs with magnetics, and 4–20 mA ADC front ends, focusing on isolation, EMC strength, protection, and field wiring limits.
Isolated UART and RS-485 transceiver designIsolated CAN PHYs and bus protectionEthernet PHYs, magnetics, and layout rules4–20 mA current loop input front endsSurge, ESD, and overvoltage protectionLesson 4Memory and persistent storage choices: flash, eMMC, SD cards, wear-leveling, and filesystem options (journaling, log-structured)Explores embedded nonvolatile memory choices, comparing NOR/NAND flash, eMMC, and SD cards, with focus on endurance, wear-leveling, speed, and filesystem choices like journaling and log-structured for dependability.
NOR vs NAND flash featureseMMC structure and reliability modesSD card choice for embedded systemsWear-leveling, endurance, and write patternsJournaling and log-structured filesystemsData integrity, power-fail safe methodsLesson 5Hardware watchdog circuits and supervisory ICs, programmable supervisors, and reset sourcesDescribes hardware watchdogs, supervisor ICs, and reset sources, explaining how to monitor supply lines and system health, set up programmable supervisors, and design reliable reset trees that avoid lockups and unwanted resets.
Internal vs external watchdog plansWindowed watchdogs and fault coverageVoltage supervisors and reset generatorsProgrammable supervisors and sequencingDesigning strong reset distribution treesLesson 6Brown-out detection, reset strategies, and power sequencing best practicesCovers brown-out detection, reset timing, and power sequencing best practices, including threshold choice, hysteresis, controlled ramp-up, and coordination between multiple lines to prevent latch-up, corruption, and undefined states.
Brown-out thresholds and hysteresis designReset timing, delays, and glitch filteringMulti-rail sequencing order and timingPreventing latch-up and undefined statesTesting brown-out and recovery behaviourLesson 7Selecting a main processing platform: microcontroller vs single-board computer — tradeoffs and decision criteriaAnalyses choosing between microcontrollers and single-board computers, comparing speed, power, real-time behaviour, OS support, connectivity, protection, and lifecycle, and defining decision criteria for industrial and embedded products.
Speed, memory, and real-time limitsPower budget, thermal limits, and form factorOperating system, drivers, and ecosystemConnectivity, multimedia, and expansion needsProtection, safety, and certification aspectsCost, lifecycle, and supply chain risksLesson 8PCB layout and hardware practices for noisy environments: grounding, star grounds, signal routing, common-mode chokes, and decouplingCovers PCB layout plans for noisy and industrial environments, focusing on grounding schemes, star grounds, controlled signal routing, common-mode chokes, and decoupling networks to reduce EMI, crosstalk, and ground bounce issues.
Ground planes, splits, and star ground patternsHigh-speed and sensitive signal routing rulesPlacement of decoupling and bulk capacitorsUse of common-mode chokes and ferrite beadsGuard traces, stitching vias, and return paths
