Module 04 · Phase 2: Hardware engineering
Embedded Systems & Hardware Interfaces
Choose and debug the link between a sensor or actuator and the computer: UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet, USB. Includes wiring, configuration and reliable driver design.
This overview is open. 7 of 7 guides are written; the others show Coming soon until they are complete and tested.
Questions this module answers
- Which communication interface should I use, and when is CAN better than UART?
- How do I connect a sensor to an onboard computer?
- How do I troubleshoot packet loss and disconnected sensors?
- How do I implement a reliable hardware driver?
What it covers
- Microcontrollers and SoCs (STM32, ESP32, embedded Linux)
- Interrupts, timers, PWM
- UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet, USB, industrial buses
- RTOS and real-time Linux
- Sensor drivers
- Hardware diagnostics
Guides and design decisions
A. Engineering Guides (5)
B. Design & Selection (2)
Diagnostics, tools and challenges
C. Troubleshooting (2)
- Sensor data drops intermittentlyA topic stalls or loses messages at irregular intervals.
- Sensor disconnects intermittentlyA device drops off the bus or the USB/network link resets.
Practical deliverables
- Interface selection table
- Wiring and termination checklist
- Driver reliability checklist
Prerequisites
No existing FixTheRobot lesson covers this topic yet; the module is self-contained.