Summary
In this first part of a series on embedded C++ programming, Jason demonstrates how to use modern C++ (C++14/17) on extremely resource-constrained hardware. Using a Texas Instruments MSP430G2231 microcontroller with just 2KB of flash memory and 128 bytes of RAM, he shows how to set up the development environment with TI's Code Composer Studio and replace the default proprietary compiler with GCC 6.2 to gain access to modern C++ features. Jason walks through the process of creating a simple LED blinking program and gradually refactors it from C-style code to C++, demonstrating that features like lambdas work perfectly and generate optimal code through compiler inlining. He highlights the importance of the 'volatile' keyword to prevent unwanted optimization of delay loops and shows how to properly configure the compiler settings to enable C++17 features and important warnings.