Standard Texts on EE Subfields.

[jim5192]

Anyone know standard texts for the following subfields that would be suitable at all for self-study?

1) Digital Signal Processing
2) Control Systems
3) Circuit Design
4) Communications (Digital & Analog, Wired & Wireless)
3) Probability & Statistics for EE.
5) Power Systems & Machines
6) Embedded Systems
7) Robotics

The higher the number, the more I'd like to know of standard texts in that area. I'm interested in books from all levels, from introductory undergraduate to capstone graduate texts!

Thanks!

[Soeren]

Hi,

Anyone know standard texts for the following subfields that would be suitable at all for self-study?
[...]
I'm interested in books from all levels, from introductory undergraduate to capstone graduate texts!

For your lowest priority, try http://www.dspguide.com/

For the rest, you need to be more specific, as most are very wide areas and quite frankly... If you're a beginner, you need to stick to beginners level texts, with some structure on how you're going to take it on, as with random selection, you'll end up with crucial foundation missing. If you're already well trained in some of the areas, beginners level stuff will just be plain boring OTOH.

Since you want info on just about everything and don't mention what (if anything) you've done to get any of them, or plans of any structure, I'll refer you to Google and Google Scholar.

[jim5192]

By the time I graduate in spring, I will have completed 2-3 undegraduate classes in the first three categories of the lowest priority. In all of the others, I'm basically in the dark.

Particularly at the moment, I'm really looking for a good embedded systems book. My only digital hardware training was basic, and we went up to finite state machines at the end. But I'm beginning to think there is no general theory on embedded systems , since every book I look at tends to be a case study on one particular microprocessor, like the 8051 or the AVR, and I don't know what those mean. Is there a good book that starts would aid me in designing my own chips, building them, and programming them in C? Or is that not even how the field of embedded systems works?

[Gertlex]

I can't help explicitly since it's not my field, but an approach I would take is to see what textbooks the courses covering your subjects of interest use.  You can then check on Amazon for these books, read the reviews, see similar books and determine which book on a given subject would be the best to buy.

[Soeren]

Hi,

[...] But I'm beginning to think there is no general theory on embedded systems , since every book I look at tends to be a case study on one particular microprocessor, like the 8051 or the AVR, and I don't know what those mean. Is there a good book that starts would aid me in designing my own chips, building them, and programming them in C? Or is that not even how the field of embedded systems works?

The reason most books will focus on a single processor/controller is fairly straightforward...
You need to write examples etc. towards something that exists (or it would have no meaning) and despite the differences among them, their basic/main functionality will be the same, but minor things differ.

It's like writing a beginners book on how a car works. To give the reader a chance for some hands on, you have to go with a specific make/model, or he might be searching in vain for the clutch pedal on an automatic and such... But they all go forward when you engage and floor it and with a little luck, they all respond to the steering wheel - little differences and large similarities.
Learning the first car (or micro) is the hardest, the next one is much easier and after that, it quickly becomes second nature.

Start off with one of the most widely used controllers (they're cheaper and there's more tutorials to find) and learn it well before taking on another type.

Stay off the 8051 for now. While it's an old core with many current "members", you should consider either the Atmel AVR or the Microchip PIC.
The PIC is the core you'll meet most often in professional settings, but for hobby use, it's about half and half, so either could be your entry.

Get a development system (a board with a controller some LEDs/display/buttons etc.), as learning need to be followed up by hands-on for each chapter you read, or it will quickly evaporate.

If you start there, you should have plenty to keep you occupied for some time and you can put off some of the other subjects for a while.

[waltr]

Søren is spot on with Good advice.

[Daanii]

I agree with Soren's advice too.

To learn about embedded systems, you may want to buy an Arduino Uno. It has an Atmel AVR chip. There is a nice development environment that goes with it. You can program the Uno in C through a USB cable. You can pick many projects online or make one of your own.

If you are new to electronics, you can pick up an Arduino kit that comes with a breadboard and some parts that come in handy to try tutorials (things like LEDs, resistors, jumper wires, etc.). Adafruit has a nice kit that my brother bought. www.adafruit.com/products/170 I bought one from Earthshine in the UK. www.earthshineelectronics.com/10-arduino-starter-kit.html

I think learning about embedded systems from a book would be a poor use of your time. Get one and start building instead. That's the best way to learn.