Practical Multitasking Fundamentals Programming embedded systems is difficult because of resource constraints and limited debugging facilities. Why develop your own Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) as well as your application when the proven FreeRTOS software is freely available? Why not start with a validated foundation? Every software developer knows that you must divide a difficult problem into smaller ones to conquer it. Using separate preemptive tasks and FreeRTOS communication mechanisms, a clean separation of functions is achieved within the entire application. This results in safe and maintainable designs. Practicing engineers and students alike can use this book and the ESP32 Arduino environment to wade into FreeRTOS concepts at a comfortable pace. The well-organized text enables you to master each concept before starting the next chapter. Practical breadboard experiments and schematics are included to bring the lessons home. Experience is the best teacher. Each chapter includes exercises to test your knowledge. The coverage of the FreeRTOS Application Programming Interface (API) is complete for the ESP32 Arduino environment. You can apply what you learn to other FreeRTOS environments, including Espressif’s ESP-IDF. The source code is available from GitHub. All of these resources put you in the driver’s seat when it is time to develop your next uber-cool ESP32 project. What you will learn: How preemptive scheduling works within FreeRTOS The Arduino startup “loopTask” Message queues FreeRTOS timers and the IDLE task The semaphore, mutex, and their differences The mailbox and its application Real-time task priorities and its effect Interrupt interaction and use with FreeRTOS Queue sets Notifying tasks with events Event groups Critical sections Task local storage The gatekeeper task

Lesen (+) (–)

Sound Secrets and Technology What would today’s rock and pop music be without electric lead and bass guitars? These instruments have been setting the tone for more than sixty years. Their underlying sound is determined largely by their electrical components. But, how do they actually work? Almost no one is able to explain this to the true musician with no technical background. This book answers many questions simply, in an easily-understandable manner. For the interested musician (and others), this book unveils, in a simple and well-grounded way, what have, until now, been regarded as manufacturer secrets. The examination explores deep within the guitar, including pickups and electrical environment, so that guitar electronics are no longer considered highly secret. With a few deft interventions, many instruments can be rendered more versatile and made to sound a lot better – in the most cost-effective manner. The author is an experienced electronics professional and active musician. He has thoroughly tested everything described here, in practice.

Lesen (+) (–)

Analogue Electronics and Microcontrollers Projects Hobbyist electronics can be a fun way to learn new skills that can be helpful to your career. Those who understand the basics of electronics can design their own circuits and projects. However, before you run, you need to learn to walk. It all starts with analogue electronics. You should be familiar with the simple components and circuits and understand their basic behaviors and the issues you may encounter. The best way to do this is through real experiments. Theory alone is not enough. This book offers a large number of practical entry-level circuits, with which everyone can gain the basic experience. Through the widespread introduction of microcontrollers, a new chapter in electronics has begun. Microcontrollers are now performing more and more tasks that were originally solved using discrete components and conventional ICs. Starting out has become easier and easier thanks to platforms including Bascom, Arduino, micro:bit. The book introduces numerous manageable microcontroller applications. It’s now a case of less soldering and more programming.

Lesen (+) (–)

All you need to know about good acoustics and sound systems in performance and worship spaces! Everyone knows that the ability to hear music in balance and to understand speech is essential in any space used for performance or worship. Unfortunately, in the early 21st century, we find that buildings with good acoustics are the exception rather than the rule. Much of the fault leading to this result can be traced to the widespread perception that acoustics is a black art. In fact, scientific acoustics as developed in the last century is a well-defined engineering practice that can lead to predictable excellent results. A basic, non-engineering understanding of acoustics will help building owners, theater managers, ministers and teachers of music, performers, and other professionals to achieve their goals of excellent acoustics in venues with which they work. Performers having a basic understanding of acoustics will be able to make the most of the acoustics of the venue in which they perform. This book helps those responsible for providing good acoustics in performance and worship spaces to understand the variables and choices entailed in proper acoustic design for performance and worship. Practicing acoustical consultants will find the book a useful reference as well. The level of presentation is comfortable and straightforward without being simplistic. If correct acoustical principles are incorporated into the design, renovation, and maintenance of performance and worship venues, good acoustics will be the result.

Lesen (+) (–)