Executive Development Programme in Concurrent Programming with FreeRTOS

This course is designed for mid-to-senior level software engineers and IT executives aiming to enhance their understanding of concurrent programming and FreeRTOS. Participants will gain skills in developing efficient, real-time systems using FreeRTOS, improving their ability to manage complex, concurrent tasks and processes.

Upon completion, attendees will be proficient in applying FreeRTOS to various applications, optimizing performance, and debugging concurrent systems. The course also equips them with strategies for leadership and management in the context of highly concurrent software development, fostering a deeper understanding of the technical and organizational challenges involved.

1. 1. Introduction to Concurrent Programming: Learners will study the basics of concurrent programming, including threads, processes, and synchronization concepts. They will gain foundational knowledge necessary for understanding how multiple tasks can run simultaneously in an operating system.
2. 2. Understanding FreeRTOS: This module introduces FreeRTOS, a popular real-time operating system kernel, focusing on its architecture and key features. Learners will understand how to effectively use FreeRTOS for managing tasks and scheduling in embedded systems.
3. 3. Task Management in FreeRTOS: Learners will delve into task creation, management, and termination in FreeRTOS. They will learn how to write efficient code for managing tasks, including task priorities and stack management.
4. 4. Synchronization Primitives: This module covers synchronization mechanisms such as semaphores, mutexes, and queues. Learners will understand how to use these primitives to ensure proper coordination between tasks in concurrent environments.
5. 5. Interrupt Handling with FreeRTOS: Learners will learn about interrupt handling in embedded systems and how to integrate interrupts with FreeRTOS tasks. They will gain skills in writing interrupt service routines and managing their interactions with FreeRTOS tasks.
6. 6. Memory Management in FreeRTOS: This module focuses on memory management strategies in FreeRTOS, including heap management and dynamic memory allocation. Learners will understand how to allocate and free memory efficiently while working with multiple tasks.
7. 7. Task Communication with Queues: Learners will explore the use of queues for inter-task communication in FreeRTOS. They will learn how to implement and use queues to pass data between tasks, ensuring data integrity and efficient task interaction.
8. 8. Advanced Scheduling Techniques: This module covers advanced scheduling algorithms and techniques in FreeRTOS, including round-robin, priority inheritance, and cooperative scheduling. Learners will learn how to optimize task scheduling for performance and real-time constraints.
9. 9. Debugging Concurrent Programs: Learners will learn various techniques and tools for debugging concurrent programs, including race conditions, deadlocks, and priority inversion. They will gain practical skills in identifying and resolving concurrency issues.
10. 10. Project Development with FreeRTOS: In this capstone module, learners will apply their knowledge by developing a project that involves concurrent programming with FreeRTOS. They will integrate all the concepts learned throughout the programme to create a robust and efficient embedded system.