Chapter 4

1. Firmware programming, especially for MCUs, is extremely low-level, meaning it is very close to the hardware. There are often hardware-specific features that firmware engineers must be familiar with to get the best performance out of an MCU.
2. False.
3. Hardware peripherals.
4. Rapid prototyping, pre-existing hardware, community, consistent high-level APIs across different MCUs.
5. Evaluation boards often showcase a product's main differentiating qualities. They are also designed to be as complete as possible, providing easy access to all aspects of a device.
6. Sleep current, wake-up time, power efficiency (uA/MHz), the functionality of low-power modes, and power supply voltage.
7. To make it accessible for the widest number of readers – so make sure to get one and work through the exercises on some real hardware!