Course Overview

This intensive two-day course teaches embedded developers how to apply Test-Driven Development in resource-constrained environments. You’ll learn to write firmware without hardware, mock hardware dependencies effectively, and build embedded systems with confidence through comprehensive test coverage.

Unlike traditional embedded development where testing happens late (if at all), TDD for embedded systems enables you to develop and test firmware before hardware is available. You’ll master the art of creating testable architectures, learn to use both host and target testing effectively, and discover how TDD actually speeds up embedded development by catching bugs early and enabling fearless refactoring. Through hands-on exercises with real embedded code, you’ll experience the rhythm of test-first development in C/C++.

Learning Objectives

  • Master TDD principles adapted for embedded systems constraints
  • Write testable embedded C/C++ code with proper hardware abstraction
  • Implement the Red-Green-Refactor cycle for firmware development
  • Create effective hardware mocks and test doubles for peripherals
  • Develop dual-target tests that run on both host and embedded platforms
  • Apply TDD to embedded-specific code patterns and real-time systems
  • Integrate TDD into embedded CI/CD pipelines and development workflows

Topics Covered

  1. Embedded TDD Fundamentals - Red-Green-Refactor for firmware
  2. Hardware Abstraction Patterns - Creating testable interfaces
  3. Dual-Target Testing - Host and embedded platform strategies
  4. Mocking Hardware - Test doubles for peripherals and registers
  5. Test Frameworks - Unity, CppUTest, and embedded tools
  6. Advanced Testing - Embedded patterns and real-time code
  7. Legacy Code - Adding tests to existing firmware
  8. CI/CD Integration - Automated testing in embedded pipelines

What You Get

  • Hands-on exercises applying TDD to real embedded C/C++ code
  • Experience with test frameworks
  • Hardware abstraction patterns and mocking techniques
  • Code examples for common embedded testing scenarios
  • Templates for integrating TDD into your workflow
  • Certificate of completion