STM32 Bare-Metal Interrupt Programming: IR NEC Decoder

Learn STM32 Interrupt Programming by Building a Real Infrared Remote Decoder

Do you understand the basics of STM32 programming but still struggle to apply interrupts and timers in a real embedded application?

This course is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Instead of learning STM32 peripherals through isolated examples, you'll build a complete interrupt-driven NEC infrared remote decoder from scratch using an STM32F4 microcontroller.

Unlike many courses that rely heavily on abstraction layers, we'll work directly with hardware registers so you gain a solid understanding of how the microcontroller really operates. By the end of the course, you'll know not only what to configure, but why each register and peripheral is needed.

By completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Understand how the NEC infrared communication protocol works

• Configure STM32 peripherals directly at the register level

• Design interrupt-driven embedded applications

• Configure and use GPIO, RCC, NVIC, EXTI, and hardware timers

• Measure pulse widths using timer compare functionality

• Read and interpret STM32 peripheral reference manuals with confidence

• Debug and validate firmware running on real hardware

• Build reusable embedded firmware without relying on high-level libraries

Build a Complete Embedded Project

Learning is most effective when you apply it to a real system.

Throughout the course, you'll develop a fully functional NEC infrared protocol decoder capable of receiving commands from a standard TV remote control and using them to control the LEDs on the STM32F4Discovery board.

This practical project demonstrates how interrupts, timers, state machines, and low-level peripheral configuration work together in a real embedded application—skills you'll use repeatedly in professional firmware development.

This course is ideal if you:

• Already know the basics of C programming

• Have some familiarity with STM32 or ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers

• Want to understand interrupt-driven firmware beyond simple LED examples

• Prefer learning through practical projects rather than slides and theory

• Want to strengthen your embedded systems skills for professional development or technical interviews

Development Environment

We'll begin by setting up everything you need to start developing:

• GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain

• ST-LINK programmer

• Development environment configuration

• STM32F4Discovery board overview

You'll be ready to compile, flash, and debug your firmware before writing the first line of code.

Why learn from me?

I'm a Senior Embedded Systems Engineer with more than 12 years of experience developing embedded hardware and firmware for commercial products.

My experience covers the complete product development lifecycle—from PCB design and hardware bring-up to bare-metal firmware architecture, real-time embedded software, wireless communication systems, and system validation.

I created this course to teach embedded systems the way they are developed in industry: by solving real engineering problems while building a deep understanding of the underlying hardware. My goal is not only to show you how to configure STM32 peripherals, but to help you understand the reasoning behind every design decision so you can confidently apply the same techniques in your own projects.