This book is intended as a highly-practical guide for Hobbyists, Engineers and Scientists wishing to build measurement and control systems to be controlled by a local or remote Personal Computer running the Linux operating system. Both hardware and software aspects of designing typical embedded systems are covered in detail with schematics, code listings and full descriptions. Numerous examples have been designed to show clearly how straightforward it can be to create the interfaces between digital and analog electronics, with programming techniques for creating control software for both local and remote systems. Hardware developers will appreciate the variety of circuits, including a novel, low cost modulated wireless link and will discover how using Matlab® overcomes the need for specialist programming skills.

Software developers will appreciate how a better understanding of circuits plus the freedom offered by Linux to directly control at the register level enables them to optimize related programs. There is no need to buy special equipment or expensive software tools in order to create embedded projects covered in this book. You can build such quality systems quickly using popular low-cost electronic components and free distributed or low-cost software tools. Some knowledge of basic electronics plus the very basics of C programming only is required.

Many projects in this book are developed using Matlab® being a very popular worldwide computational tool for research in engineering and science. The book provides a detailed description of how to combine the power of Matlab® with practical electronics.

With an emphasis on learning by doing, readers are encouraged by examples to program with ease; the book provides clear guidelines as to the appropriate programming techniques “on the fly”. Complete and well-documented source code is provided for all projects.

If you want to learn how to quickly build Linux-based applications able to collect, process and display data on a PC from various analog and digital sensors, how to control circuitry attached to a computer, then even how to pass data via a network or control your embedded system wirelessly and more – then this is the book for you!

Features of this Book

• Use the power, flexibility and control offered only by a Linux operating system on a PC.
• Use a free, distributed downloadable GNU C compiler Use (optional) a low-cost Student Version of Matlab®.
• Use low-cost electronic sub-assemblies for projects.
• Improve your skills in electronics, programming, networking and wireless design.
• A full chapter is dedicated to controlling your sound card for audio input and output purposes.
• Program sound using OSS and ALSA.
• Learn how to combine electronic circuits, software, networks and wireless technologies in the complete embedded system.