Learn MBED-CPP with Real Code Examples

Mbed OS enables developers to write C++ code for microcontrollers with access to RTOS features, drivers, and middleware.

It provides abstractions for hardware peripherals, sensors, communication protocols, and networking stacks.

Ideal for professional embedded development, IoT devices, and performance-critical applications.

Runs on ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers

Preemptive RTOS with threads and mutexes

Filesystem support for onboard storage

Peripheral drivers for GPIO, ADC, PWM, UART, I2C, SPI

Networking and IoT protocols integrated

Thread and RTOS task management

Digital and analog I/O

Timers, interrupts, and event queues

Peripheral drivers and abstraction layers

Networking protocols (MQTT, HTTP, BLE, LoRa, Ethernet)

main.cpp - entry point of application

mbed_app.json - configuration file

drivers/ - peripheral drivers

rtos/ - threads and event handling

lib/ - additional libraries and modules

Setup Mbed OS project

Write application logic in C++

Include drivers for sensors, actuators, and connectivity

Compile and flash firmware

Debug using serial, SWD, or IDE debugging tools

Beginner: blink LED using GPIO

Intermediate: sensor reading with interrupts

Advanced: multi-threaded IoT device

Expert: industrial IoT gateway with connectivity

Enterprise: scalable embedded system with low-power optimization

Mbed C++ is lower-level than MicroPython/CircuitPython

Better suited for professional-grade embedded applications

RTOS support and multi-threading not available in Python-based variants

Higher memory footprint but more performance

Production-ready with advanced connectivity and security

2009 – Mbed platform initiated by ARM

2012 – Mbed OS 2 released with peripheral drivers

2015 – Mbed OS 5 released with RTOS and networking

2018–2022 – Expansion of connectivity modules and IoT support

2025 – Mature ecosystem with multi-threading, RTOS, and production-ready features

main.cpp - application entry point

mbed_app.json - configuration file

Thread - RTOS thread object

EventQueue - RTOS event scheduling

NetworkInterface - networking abstraction API