1️ C Programming (Very Strong Foundation Required)
Book:
"C in Depth" by Deepali Srivastava
Topics to Master
Core C
Variables, Data types
Pointers (very very important)
Pointer to pointer
Function pointers
Structures
Unions
Enum
Storage classes
Memory layout
Advanced C
Dynamic memory (malloc, calloc, realloc, free)
File operations
Preprocessor & macros
Volatile keyword
Const correctness
Compiler & Build
Static library (.a)
Dynamic library (.so)
Linking process
Cross compilation (important for embedded)
Practice Platforms
LeetCode
HackerRank
Focus on:
Strings
Matrix problems
Structures
Bit masking
Pointers-based problems
2 Data Structures & Algorithms (Important for MNC Interviews)
Sorting
Bubble sort
Insertion sort
Merge sort
Quick sort
Heap sort
Linear Structures
Doubly Linked List
Stack
Queue
Circular Queue
Trees
BST
Tree traversal (DFS, BFS)
Advanced
Heap
Graph (if targeting product companies)
Matrix-based problems
If you want strong MNC chances (Qualcomm, Intel, Nvidia etc.), DSA must be solid.
3 Basic C++
You don’t need very advanced C++ for embedded roles.
Just learn:
OOP concepts
Classes & Objects
Constructor/Destructor
Inheritance
Polymorphism
STL basics
4️ Embedded Systems (VERY IMPORTANT SECTION)
Microcontroller Choice
You can choose:
8051 (for basics)
STM32 (Recommended)
Courses:
Udemy courses:
- https://www.udemy.com/course/microcontroller-embedded-c-programming/
- https://www.udemy.com/course/mastering-microcontroller-with-peripheral-driver-development/
- https://www.udemy.com/course/stm32l4-bare-metal-peripheral-drivers-development/
- https://www.udemy.com/course/microcontroller-programming-stm32-timers-pwm-can-bus-protocol/
Must Learn (Deep Level)
Cortex-M architecture
Registers
Memory map
Stack
Interrupt vector table
Peripherals (Write Drivers Yourself)
UART
SPI
I2C
PWM
Timer/Counter
Interrupt
ISR routine
Programming Style Implement:
Polling method
Interrupt method
Projects (Very Important for Resume)
Build 2–3 projects like:
LCD + Keypad matrix
RTC interface
RFID reader
Sensor-based system
UART communication project
5️ Linux / OS Concepts (Must for MNC)
This is what separates average candidate from strong candidate.
Core Topics
Process
Thread
IPC Mechanisms:
Shared memory
Message queue
Semaphore
Mutex
Spinlock
Scheduler mechanism
MMU
Process management
Virtual memory
Practice on real Linux:
fork()
exec()
pthread
signals
mmap()
6 Socket Programming
- OSI & TCP/IP basics
- TCP/UDP sockets
- Socket Programming
- MQTT or IOT project
7 RTOS (Big Advantage)
Learn:
Courses:
- https://www.udemy.com/course/mastering-rtos-hands-on-with-freertos-arduino-and-stm32fx/
- https://embetronicx.com/tutorials/rtos/freertos/rtos-basic-tutorial-for-beginners/
Topics:
Tasks
Scheduling
Mutex vs Semaphore
Queue
ISR handling
Context switching
Suggested Order (Best Sequence)
- C (3–4 months)
- DSA (parallel practice)
- Build system + Makefile
- Embedded (4–6 months deep work)
- Linux OS concepts
- RTOS
