FW-201 · Program
Firmware Development
Go beyond blinking LEDs. This program teaches how firmware is structured, tested and shipped in real product companies, from driver layers and RTOS design to bootloaders and field updates.
10 weeksApprox. 150 hoursIntermediateClassroom + lab
Who this is for
- Students who already know basic C and microcontrollers
- Graduates of our Embedded Systems program
- Embedded engineers who want stronger RTOS and architecture skills
What you'll be able to do
- Design layered firmware with clean driver interfaces
- Build multi-task applications on FreeRTOS
- Write a bootloader and ship over-the-air updates
- Cut power consumption for battery devices
- Test firmware with unit tests and static analysis
Syllabus
9 modules. Every module has lab sessions on real boards or tools.
M01Firmware architecture
- Super-loop vs RTOS designs
- Layered drivers and hardware abstraction
- State machines and event-driven design
M02Driver development
- Register-level drivers from datasheets
- Ring buffers and interrupt-safe code
- Writing reusable driver APIs
M03FreeRTOS in practice
- Tasks, priorities and scheduling
- Queues, semaphores and mutexes
- Priority inversion, stack sizing and debugging
M04Memory and performance
- Stack, heap and linker scripts
- Startup code and vector tables
- Measuring and optimising timing
M05Bootloaders and OTA
- Flash layout and dual-bank updates
- CRC checks and rollback
- OTA updates on ESP32
- Secure boot basics
M06Low-power design
- Sleep modes and wake sources
- Estimating battery life
- Measuring current in the lab
M07Testing and code quality
- Unit tests with Unity / Ceedling
- Static analysis and MISRA C overview
- Code reviews
M08Version control and release
- Git branching and pull requests
- Versioning and release notes
- CI basics for firmware
M09Capstone project
- Battery-powered connected device with OTA
- Design review and demo
Projects you can build
Battery sensor node
Low-power node with sleep scheduling and OTA updates.
RTOS data acquisition
Multiple sensors, queues and logging on FreeRTOS.
Custom UART bootloader
Update firmware safely with CRC checks and rollback.
Tools and technologies
- FreeRTOS
- Drivers
- Bootloader
- OTA
- Unit testing
- Git
Every program includes
- Mock technical and HR interviews with working engineers
- Resume, LinkedIn and GitHub review
- Course completion certificate after the final assessment
- Referrals to our hiring network
Questions
Is this suitable for beginners?
It suits learners who already know C and basic microcontroller programming. If you are new, start with Embedded Systems Engineering.
Will I work on real RTOS projects?
Yes. Most lab sessions run on FreeRTOS, and the capstone is a complete multi-task device.