Using C++ in Embedded Systems - Applying C++11/C++14

There are no specific requirements needed to attend this course.

This training intends to introduce C++ as the common extension of C when applying object-oriented embedded system development. Since C++ encloses C, this training takes us from C to C++ in a natural way, and looks under the hood of how C++ is implemented. This is especially valuable to comprehend when applying C++ in an embedded resource limited environment.  The C++ standard has recently been undergoing a major revision, a.k.a. as C++11, and a new one is on its way, C++14. This course addresses subjects brought in with these revisions that are especially useful like high performance memory management, concurrency making use of a multicore environment, and bare-metal close to the hardware programming.

GOAL/BENEFITS

The major objective of this class is that you shall be able to use C++ in a “correct way”.

• Introduce C++ as an object oriented language alternative in an embedded system context
• Show the similarities ‑ and differences ‑ with the C language
• Comprehend different memory management strategies – especially the move semantics introduced with C++11
• Look under the hood and understand what different paradigms in C++ leads to in machine code
• Use templates to achieve type safe high order abstractions for bare-metal close to the hardware programming – memory mapped I/O as well as interrupts – especially the variadic templates introduced with C++11
• Provide some useful design patterns especially applicable in an embedded context
• A few exercises in order to practice some concepts

AUDIENCE/PARTICIPANTS

This training is aimed C++- programmers who intend to start using C++ in an embedded system context.

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE

The course requires basic knowledge in C++ programming, corresponding to our trainings ”C++ – Level 1” and ”C++ Level 2 – Introducing C++11”.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES

During the training you will practice the presented concepts in a number of exercises. We will use the open and free integrated development environment from Eclipse

• What’s an Embedded System?
  • Simple Definition
  • Some Milestones
  • Characteristics
  • Why using C++?
• Comparison with C
  • C: A subset of C++ – almost
  • Performance
  • Added “Free” Functionality
  • Why not using C++?
• Classes
  • Member Variables
    • Instance variables
    • Class variables
  • Member Functions
    • Instance functions
    • Class functions
  • Implicit Methods
    • Constructor
      • Initialization
      • Delegation
    • Destructor
    • Copy assignment operator
  • Move Semantics – avoiding unnecessary deep copy
  • struct in C++
  • Package/Namespace
• Inheritance
  • Introduction
  • Realization
  • Performance
  • Multiple Inheritance
  • Virtual Inheritance
• Polymorphism
  • Introduction
  • Virtual Function
  • Virtual Destructor
  • Implementation
  • Runtime Type Information, RTTI
  • Performance
• Templates
  • Introduction
  • Function Template
  • Class Template
    • Variadic Templates
  • Code Bloat
  • Implementation Strategies
  • Template Meta Programming
  • Template versus Inheritance?
• Error Handling
  • Exception Handling
  • Performance Issues
  • Implementation
• Inline Code
  • When to Use?
  • Strategies
• Start-up
  • System Start-up
  • The C Part
  • The C++ Part
• Standard Library
  • Standard Template Library, STL
  • iostream Library
  • Major extensions made on STL due to C++11:
    • Move semantics
    • Variadic Templates
    • Concurrency
• Memory Management
  • The C++ Memory Model
    • The stdint-types
    • Atomic types and their operations
  • Strategies
  • Variables
  • Placement new
  • User Defined Memory Management
• Interoperation between C and C++
  • Name Mangling
  • Static Initialization
  • Dynamic Memory
  • struct Contents
    • POD – Plain Old Data type
• Design Patterns
  • RAII – Resource Acquisition Is Initialization
  • Memory-mapped I/O
  • Interrupt
  • Initialization of Static Objects