Reprogramming home electronics with C

Thread Starter

akerman90

Joined Mar 29, 2016
2
HI! I'm a system development student , studying java in school and c on my free time.
I've become interested in learning to program embedded systems but haven't found an answer to my questions on the net.
I am wondering if it possible to reprogram for an example a tv remote-controller or a microwave oven using C?
And if it's possible how would I do that?, and what tools do I need?
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
Sure it is possible, but first you have to learn how to program embedded systems at a near expert level. How simple do you think it is to control a microwave oven?

Do yourself a huge favor and invest in a development board with a programmer and a debugger and some decent tutorials. They are not expensive, someone here keeps hawking something TI sells for around ten bucks.

Even a student can earn that in a day collecting bottles.
 

vpoko

Joined Jan 5, 2012
267
HI! I'm a system development student , studying java in school and c on my free time.
I've become interested in learning to program embedded systems but haven't found an answer to my questions on the net.
I am wondering if it possible to reprogram for an example a tv remote-controller or a microwave oven using C?
And if it's possible how would I do that?, and what tools do I need?
A lot of times, reprogramming is going to be impossible since the current programming is on ASICs, which can't be overwritten. You'd have to de-solder chips and attach your own (and good luck with some of the smaller surface mount ones). Better off just building your own devices.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
Usually the answer is no -- unless the device is intended to be able to be updated, the chips used are not reprogrammable. Even if they are, the information needed to do so is often very hard to come by. Plus, you are limited by what the hardware is physically capable of. Furthermore, the type of chip that would be used in the devices you mention are likely to be too resource starved to be amenable to C-based programs -- you are talking assembly language most likely.
 
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