Need Guidance (not-spoon-feeding) on self-Learning Embedded System development to get a Job

[mack38]

1) Already learn basic electronics, difference between microprocessor and microcontroller, I am already expert in C, C++, knows little bit Assembly (but not full), all type of the protocol – UART, i2C, SPI, CAN.

2) Now, I don’t know what should be my next step ? (do I simply use keil MDK-ARM to write some code accomplishing certain functionality but then question is on which processor or microcontroller. And I can’t buy any board so is there any simulator of entire processor/microcontroller/board based on which I can write a code in C or C++ and that I can show in an interview to get a job ?.

3) Also I need to show at least 1-year experience in embedded development on top of my 10 years non-embedded development so to justify that I need any industry-specific knowledge which means those product and technology (microprocessor/microcontroller) which are actually used by companies so that on an interview I can justify them that I have the knowledge what they are looking as getting a job, being a fresher is impossible in India where currently I am staying so I have to show some experience.

4) Maybe 1 or 2 industry-specific real-world projects will help me in this aspect, but I don’t know where I can get these projects. As only blinking a LED on board or controlling a motor speed won’t get me a job.


Please help me by guiding what next, I should learn, any specific microcontroller, microprocessor, any specific area which is more in demand e.g. Automobile, home appliance, printer, laptop, TV, washing machine, Smartphone.

 

[Martaine2005]

Hi mack38.
Given your expertise in C, C++ etc, getting a job should be a pinch. Now, I have zero knowledge of programming but just bought some PICkit programmers to study myself.
But looking into the future of electronics, robotics, automation and anything ‘smart’ come to mind.
But you ultimately have to decide what direction in life you want to go. Sounds like you can already write programs for computing and networking. That is a well paid industry and until microcontrollers can write their own code, you are still required!.
I’ll let somebody who knows about programming steer you further.
Good luck in whatever you choose.

Martin

 

[Nanren888]

Areas for embedded design? IOT - opencv images, cameras. Add python. Learn to connect to the cloud and cloud services. Add experience with woreless commns. Cloud services can be cheap: not so bad to get experience.
IOT is still on a roll. Edge processing is starting a comeback, promoting things embedded again.
Arduino seems the answer to everything these days. When it isn't the answer, the answer is raspberry pi.
Embedded Linux?
The price of the smaller development boards is not so high. Often things you might attach are modular, so you can buy as you need.
The modularity that has been helping the proliferation of cheap hardware into the hands of novices has been working in software as well. There are many packages/libraries of sophisticated algorithms available open-source.
.
Where I work, we deal a lot with little start-ups. That's at the high-risk, possible-return end of the employment scale, but some many are connecting sensors to things, sometimes local control, but almost always, messages back to the web & cloud. Some are localised, sensors --> MQTT --> embedded servers.
Bluetooth, BLE is common. LORA and sigfox figure often.
This is very engineer-oriented. Quite understand if you see yourself more the software-only developer.
.
Some work has been making existing control systems smarter.
.
I remember a while back there used to be a few sites that allowed projects to be proposed and people could express interest in doing them. Some clearly simply development contracts such as freelancer. Even if you are not interested in paid development. you could scan the topics to get an idea of what is in demand. Also check out sites that advertise vacancies. Look for keywords.
.
Maybe you could share a few more details of what stage you are and your circumstances that make buying boards impractical?.

 

[mack38]

Thanks, Nanren888 for replying to me.

My Current Situation (important to explain related to my question) :-

My age is 38 from India and spend 13 years working in IT Service-based companies as a contractor with lots of employment gap due to nature of contractor, also tried to get a stable permanent employment but I think I am the unluckiest person on the planet.


Currently I am involved in “ERP integration Development using SOA (Oracle SOA Suite)”, before that Business Analyst, before that Software Test lead.


That is the reason I decided to learn “Embedded System” and get a job in Product based company rather than the service-based company as I believe a product-based company have ethics and moral, they also emphasize talented and sincere employee and give good salary with stability in employment. (at least when compared with service-based companies)


In my life I did huge amount of study (having – B.Com, M.Com, PGDCA, M.Sc (CS) and MCA) (from non-famous college) and during job also learn many things (9 software testing tools, SOA Development tools, lots of languages java, c, c++, c#). Worked with top companies as a contractor (Cisco, Avaya, NetApp, etc…).


But today I am still out of job from months. Please don’t misunderstand that, I spend short-short time on different technology that is the reason I am not getting a job. Reality is I spend a good amount to time in each area but due to recession and worse Indian employment market I had to adopt different areas just to get a job. And today even if I am showing in my resume all 10 year in one technology then also not getting any job as day by day in India IT/Software job are less and difficult to get a job (in the recruitment process also lots of politics happen) [but I believe all this happen more in Service-based Software companies (Who outsource there service of developing software) ]


Why I can’t make any intense effort to gain knowledge in a new area :-

Due to worst things happen with my life (regard so much knowledge but still un-employed/unstable career), now I am exhausted and have no curiosity/will-power to make any intense effort to gain knowledge in a new area for career as I have fear that again my efforts will be wastage in case if I am not getting any employment.


From past 2 months I am self-learning Embedded system development (YouTu**, and articles) and today I need guidance from expert on few things :- I am already expert in ‘C’ Programming, and understood an overview of 8086, diff between microprocessor and microcontroller, how transistor work, and communication protocols i2C, UART, SPI, CAN (CAN appear to be complicated), what are interrupts, what is RTOS. I am not from an electronic background but very good in Coding/Programming.


My question are :-


1) Already learn basic electronics, the difference between microprocessor and microcontroller, I am already expert in C, C++, knows little bit Assembly (but not full), all type of protocol – UART, i2C, SPI, CAN.

2) Now, I don’t know what should be my next step? (do I simply use keil MDK-ARM to write some code accomplishing certain functionality but then the question is on which processor or microcontroller. And I can’t buy any board so is there any simulator of the entire processor/microcontroller/board based on which I can write a code in C or C++ and that I can show in an interview to get a job ?.

3) Also I need to show at least 1 year experience in embedded development on top of my 10 years non-embedded development so to justify that I need any industry specific knowledge which means those product and technology (microprocessor/microcontroller) which are actually used by companies so that on the interview, I can justify them that I have the knowledge what they are looking as getting a job, being a fresher is impossible in India where currently I am staying so I have to show some experience.

4) Maybe 1 or 2 industry-specific real-world projects will help me in this aspect, but I don’t know where I can get these projects. As only blinking a LED on board or controlling a motor speed won’t get me a job.


Please help me by guiding what next, I should learn, any specific microcontroller, microprocessor, any specific area which is more in demand e.g. Automobile, home appliance, printer, laptop, TV, washing machine, Smartphone.