The motivations for learning microcontrollers can be categorized into four types: firstly, learning for personal interest; secondly, learning for a major; thirdly, learning for a job; and fourthly, learning out of necessity at work. Regardless of the motivation, different individuals may require different learning methods based on their major and the depth of their electronic foundation. Based on my personal learning experience and the experiences of teaching apprentices, I propose my learning methods and steps.
Step 1: Learning Basic Theoretical KnowledgeBasic theoretical knowledge includes analog circuits, digital circuits, and C language knowledge. Analog and digital circuits are abstract subjects that require significant effort to master. Before you start learning microcontrollers, if you feel your foundation in analog and digital circuits is weak, do not rush into learning microcontrollers; instead, review what you have learned about analog and digital circuits to strengthen your foundation for microcontroller learning.Otherwise, your journey in learning microcontrollers will not only be difficult and long, but you may also give up halfway. I firmly believe that a solid foundation in electronic technology is key to mastering microcontrollers, directly influencing the speed at which you can begin learning them.Some students find microcontrollers very difficult, becoming more complex as they learn, ultimately leading to a halt in their studies. Others may seem to understand while reading, but when it comes to practical application, they struggle. The root cause is often a weak foundation in electronic technology, where superficial knowledge confuses them.Microcontrollers belong to digital circuits; their concepts, terminology, hardware structure, and principles originate from digital circuits. If you have a solid foundation in digital circuits, you will find it easier to understand the complex hardware structure and principles of microcontrollers, allowing you to confidently take the first step in your studies.Conversely, if your foundation is poor, you will find it hard to understand various concepts, leading to increasing confusion and a lack of confidence. If you find microcontrollers difficult, you should set aside the microcontroller textbooks and revisit digital circuits, clarifying theoretical knowledge such as flip-flops, registers, logic gates, CMOS circuits, timing logic, timing diagrams, and base conversions. After understanding these concepts, you will have a clearer view of microcontroller structures and principles, boosting your confidence significantly.Analog circuits are the most fundamental subject in electronic technology, teaching you about resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, field-effect transistors, amplifiers, and their working principles and roles in circuits. This foundational knowledge is essential for learning electronic technology.Typically, one learns analog circuits before moving on to digital circuits. A solid foundation in analog circuits not only helps you understand others’ circuit designs better but also makes your designs more reliable, enhancing product quality.C language knowledge is not difficult; anyone with no programming background can learn it. In my view, middle school students, high school students, vocational students, and college students can all master it. Of course, those with a good math foundation and logical thinking will find it relatively easier.The knowledge required for C language includes three conditional statements, three loop statements, three jump statements, and one switch statement. Don’t underestimate these ten statements; the logic formed by combining them can be very complex. You should learn each statement individually and apply them as you go. Once you have learned and applied these key statements, I believe you will have established a solid foundation in C.Once your foundation is strong, you will find microcontrollers no longer difficult, and you will become increasingly enthusiastic as you learn. When microcontrollers execute instructions according to your logical thinking and algorithms, achieving the expected control effects, the sense of accomplishment will fill you with confidence, allowing you to immerse yourself in the world of microcontrollers day and night. It can be said that a solid foundation in electronic technology and C language enhances your confidence in learning microcontrollers and enables you to master microcontroller technology more quickly.Step 2: Microcontroller PracticeThis is the true process of learning microcontrollers, which can be both exciting and exhausting, frustrating yet rewarding, lonely yet fulfilling, infuriating yet gratifying, and filled with both disappointment and achievement.The bittersweet experiences can only be deeply understood by those who have gone through it. You must have the determination to study hard, possess a complete set of learning and development tools, and emphasize the combination of theory and practice in software.1. Have the Determination to Study HardFirst, clarify your learning objectives. Seriously answer two questions: What do I want to achieve by learning microcontrollers? How long do I need to learn it? This is your motivation for studying microcontrollers. Without motivation, I believe you will not be able to persist for long.Second, adopt the right learning attitude. The process of learning microcontrollers can be tedious, lonely, and isolating. Remember, there are no shortcuts to acquiring knowledge; only a gradual, step-by-step approach will lead to genuine mastery.Next, engage both your mind and hands. Learning microcontrollers is highly practical; it is a technical subject that emphasizes hands-on experience. You cannot learn microcontrollers without practical application. Finally, be open to communication. During the learning process, everyone will encounter countless unsolvable problems, and you need to humbly seek advice from experienced individuals. Otherwise, blindly trying to figure things out on your own will lead to many detours and wasted time.2. Have a Complete Set of Learning and Development ToolsLearning microcontrollers comes with costs. You must have a computer, a microcontroller development board (and if the board cannot directly download program code, you will need a programmer), a set of video tutorials, a microcontroller textbook, and a C language textbook.The computer is used for writing and compiling programs and downloading the program code to the microcontroller; the development board is used to run the microcontroller program and verify the actual effects; the video tutorials provide hands-on guidance for using the microcontroller development environment, programming, and debugging.For beginners in microcontrollers, it is essential to watch the video tutorials; otherwise, even after reading the textbooks several times, you may still not know how to get started, especially with textbooks used in institutions, which may leave you helpless when facing a real microcontroller. The microcontroller and C language textbooks serve as theoretical learning materials for reference. Do not try to save costs by avoiding the development board and solely using Protur software for simulation and debugging; this is akin to talking about war without having fought in one.3. Emphasize the Combination of Theory and PracticeThe theoretical knowledge of programming microcontrollers in C language is not profound; you can understand it just by reading. However, actual programming is not that simple. A program’s formation requires not only knowledge of C language but also the integration of your personal programming thoughts and algorithms.Programming thoughts and algorithms determine the quality of a program and are a significant issue in microcontroller programming. You will only gain deep insights into this when you actually write code. Whether a program runs according to your wishes depends on whether your thoughts and algorithms are correct and reasonable.If the program does not run correctly, you must repeatedly debug it (check and modify your thoughts and algorithms) until successful. This process is time-consuming, mentally taxing, and exhausting; those with weak willpower often give up halfway.To learn programming effectively, follow this process: first, try to conceive your programming ideas when you see an example problem, then refer to the code in textbooks or video tutorials to study others’ programming thoughts and note the differences from your own. Next, replicate their approach and write the program yourself, understanding the function of each statement. For any unclear areas, attempt to modify the program according to your thoughts, compare the program’s running effects, and grasp the nuances.If you persist in learning each example according to this process, you will quickly find your programming rhythm, refining the good and discarding the bad, and gradually form your unique programming philosophy. Of course, at the beginning, reading others’ source code might feel like deciphering a foreign language; just push through it, and when you encounter unfamiliar keywords and statements, look them up in books for clarification. As long as you can persist, your learning will yield great results.During practice, not only should you learn from others’ examples, but you should also improve and expand upon their programs to create more powerful functionalities. Additionally, you should understand how to verify the reliability of others’ examples by consulting the chip’s datasheet regarding command and data read/write timing; if you find an example unreliable, modify it to make it your own program.Moreover, you should regularly seek out projects to work on to consolidate what you have learned and accumulate more experience.Step 3: Microcontroller Hardware DesignWhen you can effortlessly write your programs and identify issues in others’ programs, it indicates that your microcontroller programming skills are quite proficient. Next, you should study hardware. Hardware design includes circuit schematic design and PCB design. Learning to create hardware is more complicated than learning software, with higher costs and longer timeframes.However, the ultimate goal of learning microcontrollers is product development—integrating software and hardware to form a complete control system. Thus, hardware design is also a necessary part of learning microcontroller technology.Circuit schematic design involves the application of various chips, and the design of peripheral circuits, typical application circuits, and connections to the microcontroller can all be found in the chip datasheet, provided you can understand the fully English datasheet.Otherwise, blindly copying others’ designs will always leave you behind, and your products will lack creativity. First-hand materials in the field of electronic technology (datasheets) are all in English, and the knowledge you gain from these first-hand materials may not be found in textbooks, online documents, or extracurricular readings.While some materials are based on datasheets, they may not be comprehensive and can even contain translation omissions and errors. Of course, reading datasheets requires a certain level of English reading ability, which is also a stumbling block for microcontroller learners. Good English reading skills will allow you to navigate freely in the vast ocean of microcontroller technical knowledge.Designing PCBs is relatively straightforward. As long as you know how to use Protel or Altium Designer software, you will be fine. However, creating a well-laid-out and reasonably routed board will take some effort.With proficient microcontroller C language programming skills, the ability to use Protel or Altium Designer for PCB design, and a certain level of English reading ability, you will become a formidable microcontroller expert.