Imagine yourself on a curve, a logarithmic graph of sorts, the learning curve between beginner and expert. Where are you now? Where do you want to be? How can you get there in reasonable time? Whatever the subject, you need a plan to ramp up your skills to achieve a goal.
Of course, there is no single learning curve in software development. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to become an expert Web designer, mobile app developer, embedded systems programmer, ebook author, robotics experimenter and (fill in your dream job) all at once? Eh, probably not in one lifetime. Let’s narrow the focus, pick a platform, and build a few simple programs to start. The topic I’ve chosen to explore is embedded software. I have several goals in this blog…to advance my programming abilities, to gain visibility in the contracting world, and to spark an interest in others who might need a hand up. With a background in computer science, hardware interfacing, software packaging and testing, I am somewhere on the curve, just as you are.

Ramping up means acquiring and installing all the necessary tools and becoming familiar with them enough to be productive. I’ve been ramping up for a while, trying various webby things to enable me to pursue the goals mentioned earlier.

It’s been a long haul in the wee hours with Google and YouTube, searching for a viable toolset. The options are many. For Web presentation I’ve settled on Bluehost, WordPress, and perhaps Artisteer in the future. And for hardware I tried Renesas RX62N, considered Arduino, but eventually chose to develop on a TI Launchpad MSP430.

In case you’re wondering why the MSP430, once again, three reasons. It’s super cheap, ultra-low power, and (drum roll, please……) my current work assignment targets a high end version of the MSP430 chip. Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom!

But seriously, the chip is super easy to program via a USB wire. Texas Instruments provides free tools and boatloads of example programs to get you going. Ramp Up!