c++ programming board

Question

I would like to get into programming in c++ with computer boards. I know there are some educational boards out there that you can hook up to the computer and write simple programs to make lights come on and do simple stuff like that. I was hoping that someone on here could give me some good resources on where i might get these kinds of boards and what kind of boards i should look for. I have tried googling it but i cant seem to find the right keywords. Also any tutorials or information on programming boards would be helpful and also any suggestions or tips you would like to offer would be appreciated.

EDIT: Thanks for the reply to everyone. I want to get into programming hardware so that I can possibly move into a field developing devices and making cool gadgets. I will check out that community that someone suggested. I am just looking to get into it and expand on it and i figured some educational stuff would be worth a look. I wouldnt mind programming in linux. Is c++ the language that is usually used for this type of stuff?

Answer 1

The programming language used on the Arduino ( http://www.arduino.cc/ ) is C++. Not sure if this is what you mean, this is a mix between microcontroller programming and hobby electronics :). Loads of fun though.

Answer 2

If you would like to program microcontrollers, take a look at AVR, TI, or PIC for example.

If you would like to blink some lights using the parallel/serial/... port of the computer, look for port IO tutorials and wiring diagrams.

Answer 3

The beagle board is cheap ($149) but since it is an ARM and can run Linux it might be a little overkill. ;-) You could program it at the bare metal level, of course. http://beagleboard.org/

Much pricier (at $449) is the Altera NEEK. I have one of these. The nice thing about the NEEK is that it uses a softcore processor (the Nios2). You can even change the processor core, which opens up a lot of cool possibilities. http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-cyc3-embedded.html

There are about a bazillion other alternatives available.

Answer 4

Replying to OP's Edited questions.

The field you are interested in is called Embedded Systems or Embedded Programming.

Don't assume anything about operating systems, hosts or processors in Embedded Systems. Not all of them are programmed using Linux or WinCE. There are a bunch of Off The Shelf (OTS) operating systems, like VRTX, Nucleus, Windriver, and ThreadX. Processors are not all Intel Power PC. There as small 8-bit controllers, Digital Signal Processors and systems with more than one processor. The systems can be developed using compilers other than GCC or MS Visual Studio. Some other companies are Greenhills, Metaware and Intel. This also implies that the assembly languages will be different.

Understand both electronics and programming. Be able to switch between C, C++ and assembly languages. Know how to trace a schematic and use Oscilloscopes and Logic Analyzers.

BTW, C++ is not the language usually used on embedded systems. In my experience, C and assembly are used more often than C++. Some systems may use Java, and even compiled BASIC.

Answer 5

Simplest C++ environment for embedded system I've come accross. Five minutes afer startup I had program running. Very capable microcontroller, no software to install, only downside is you have to be online to access tools. See MBED.