Course Overview

Based on real-world experience from embedded systems projects, this two-day course teaches you how to implement continuous integration specifically for embedded systems. You’ll learn to automate builds, tests, and quality checks while managing the unique challenges of cross-compilation, hardware dependencies, and resource constraints. Perfect for embedded teams looking to accelerate development while maintaining quality.

Unlike generic CI/CD training, this course addresses the realities of embedded development: toolchain licensing, cross-compilation for multiple architectures, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and managing build times that can stretch to hours. Through practical exercises and real project examples, you’ll build CI pipelines that handle everything from 8-bit microcontrollers to complex multi-core SoCs, learning to balance automation benefits with embedded constraints.

Learning Objectives

  • Design CI pipelines for multiple embedded target architectures
  • Create reproducible build environments with containerization
  • Integrate hardware-in-the-loop testing into automated pipelines
  • Optimize build times for large embedded codebases
  • Implement automated testing on host and target platforms
  • Manage binary artifacts and firmware versioning effectively
  • Apply code quality checks and static analysis for embedded C/C++

Topics Covered

  1. Embedded CI Fundamentals - Unique challenges and solutions
  2. Build Environment Setup - Containers and reproducible toolchains
  3. Cross-Compilation Pipelines - Multi-architecture automation
  4. Testing Strategies - Host testing, target testing, and HIL
  5. Build Optimization - Caching, parallelization, and incremental builds
  6. Quality Gates - Static analysis, MISRA, and code metrics
  7. Artifact Management - Binary storage and firmware versioning
  8. Tools and Integration - Jenkins, GitLab CI, and embedded-specific tools

What You Get

  • Hands-on exercises building real embedded CI pipelines
  • Practical strategies for cross-compilation and HIL testing
  • CI pipeline examples for common embedded scenarios
  • Best practices guide for embedded CI/CD implementation
  • Build optimization techniques and performance tuning
  • Certificate of completion