Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for engineers and technical professionals working close to embedded systems and connected devices:

• Embedded software engineers working with STM32 or similar microcontrollers
• Firmware developers looking to build connected systems
• Electronics engineers moving into IoT development
• Software engineers transitioning into embedded or edge systems
• Technical leads designing IoT or edge-to-cloud architectures

Prerequisites

To get the most from this course, participants should have:

• Experience with C or Embedded C programming
• Basic understanding of microcontrollers and embedded systems
• Familiarity with debugging and development tools
• Some exposure to networking concepts is helpful but not required

Course Objectives

By attending this course, participants will:

• Understand how to design end-to-end IoT architectures
• Develop networking capabilities on STM32 using LwIP
• Implement IoT communication protocols such as MQTT, MQTT-SN, and CoAP
• Apply security principles to embedded IoT systems using MbedTLS
• Integrate microcontroller-based devices with cloud platforms
• Use FreeRTOS to manage real-time IoT workloads
• Build a complete, secure IoT application from device to cloud

Course Content

Day 1 – Foundations of IoT on STM32 (Device & Network Layer)

Introduction to IoT Architecture

• Defining IoT systems and real-world use cases
• Device, network, and cloud layers explained
• Edge vs cloud processing models

STM32 IoT Development Environment

• STM32 platform overview
• Toolchain setup (STM32CubeIDE, HAL, middleware)
• Peripheral interfaces for connectivity (UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, Wi-Fi)

Networking Fundamentals with LwIP

• TCP/IP stack in embedded systems
• Configuring and using LwIP
• Sockets and communication models

Hands-On Lab

• Bring up network stack on STM32
• Establish IP connectivity
• Build basic TCP/UDP communication

Day 2 – IoT Communication Protocols (Messaging Layer)

MQTT and MQTT-SN

• Publish/subscribe architecture
• Broker-based communication
• Topic design and message handling
• MQTT vs MQTT-SN for constrained environments

CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol)

• REST-style communication in embedded systems
• UDP-based messaging
• Resource interaction models

Protocol Selection & Trade-offs

• MQTT vs CoAP vs HTTP
• Performance, power, and bandwidth considerations
• Selecting the right protocol for your system

Hands-On Lab

• Implement MQTT client on STM32
• Connect to broker (local or cloud)
• Publish telemetry and handle incoming commands

Day 3 – Security & Edge-to-Cloud Integration

IoT Security Fundamentals

• Threat landscape and attack vectors
• Device identity and authentication
• Firmware integrity and secure boot concepts

Implementing Security with MbedTLS

• TLS/DTLS fundamentals
• Certificates and encryption
• Securing MQTT/CoAP communication

Edge-to-Cloud Integration

• Connecting STM32 to cloud platforms (Azure IoT / AWS IoT concepts)
• Device provisioning and authentication
• Telemetry and command patterns

RTOS Integration with FreeRTOS

• Task scheduling and concurrency
• Managing communication and processing workloads
• Designing reliable embedded IoT systems

Final Hands-On Project

• Build a secure end-to-end IoT solution:
  • Sensor data acquisition
  • Secure transmission using MQTT + TLS
  • Cloud or broker integration
  • Command/control from cloud to device

What Makes This Course Different

• Hands-on from start to finish using real STM32 hardware
• Focus on practical engineering implementation, not theory
• Covers the full IoT stack from device to cloud
• Security built in, not treated as an afterthought
• Delivered by an expert with 30+ years of embedded systems experience
• Small group sizes (3–12 participants) to maximise interaction and support

Delivery Format

• Duration: 3 days
• Format: Instructor-led (virtual or onsite)
• Group Size: 3–12 participants
• Hands-On: Yes – practical labs throughout
• Hardware: Development kits provided in advance (for virtual delivery)

Technologies Covered

• STM32 microcontrollers
• Embedded C / Firmware development
• LwIP (TCP/IP stack)
• MQTT / MQTT-SN
• CoAP
• FreeRTOS
• MbedTLS
• Edge-to-cloud integration concepts (Azure / AWS IoT)

Outcomes for Your Organisation

After this course, your team will be able to:

• Build secure, connected embedded systems
• Accelerate IoT development with the right protocols and frameworks
• Reduce risk by applying security best practices early
• Design scalable edge-to-cloud architectures
• Improve engineering efficiency in embedded IoT projects

Private Group Delivery

This course is available for private delivery for teams of 3–12 engineers.

We can tailor the content to align with your specific environment, including:

• Your hardware platform or MCU family
• Preferred cloud provider (Azure or AWS)
• Internal security or compliance requirements
• Real-world project scenarios

Next Steps

If you’re exploring IoT development, edge systems, or connected devices:

We’re happy to set up a short call to:

• Talk through your current architecture
• Explore the right approach for your team
• Discuss whether this course or a tailored programme would deliver the most value