TekTrain Reviews 7

I came to Tektrain.co.uk through an advert in an amateur electronics magazine. I joined the course because I wanted to learn about PIC microcontrollers, rather than Arduino for use in the field of radio-control model boating which is my main hobby. So, I am a hobbyist, rather than someone looking for work in the field. Barry is an extremely knowledgeable, friendly and easy going mentor and the course is extremely detailed, covering all aspects required to get you proficient in 'C' for microcontrollers. Barry manages to make it look easy. I have never done microcontrollers before and some bits (interrupts and the EUSART etc!), I struggle with, but Barry is always more than willing to explain where the problem is and to help me to get it right. The weekly zoom sessions are useful too and are recorded so you can play them back afterwards, you never know what you may learn by listening to others! It is a complicated field and the course does take effort and you have to put the hours in but Barry is extremely patient and helpful. If you want to learn 'C' for microcontrollers, Tektrain.co.uk is the place to come to. I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars, Thank you very much Barry!
Campbell W

I am currently working through the Vanguard training with Tek Train, and it has been a very productive experience so far. I started the course with the specific goal of moving away from Arduino and similar platforms that rely on pre-built library code, in order to develop a genuine, professional understanding of bare-metal embedded software development.

The transition into the course was smooth, with clear guidance on setting up the hardware and the software environment. The material is well-paced, using a mix of video tutorials and practical exercises that require you to actually engage with the MCU.

The training walks through several key topics in a logical progression:

Fundamentals: Getting the System Clock and GPIO running from scratch.

Peripherals: Working through Timer Interrupts and EUSART/Serial configurations using PPS.

Logic & Data: Implementing Buffers, Schedulers, and Finite State Machines, which are essential for building organized code.

Analog & Memory: Practical modules on ADC/DAC and EEPROM that focus on high-reliability systems.

Commitment and Research:
To get the most out of this training, you have to be prepared to commit the hours and challenge yourself. It isn't a "passive" course; you often need to do your own research to truly grasp the concepts fully. Because each session builds directly upon the previous one, staying consistent is key to making steady progress.

Mentorship & Support:
The level of support is a standout feature. The weekly group sessions provide a consistent opportunity to discuss the exercises and clear up any sticking points. Barry is highly knowledgeable and very responsive to questions via email as well as in the group sessions, often providing technical context and experience that goes beyond the core training materials.

For anyone looking to understand what is actually happening "under the hood" of their microcontroller, this is an effective and well-supported program.

Thanks Barry

I wanted to learn Embedded Software for a project and coudn't find anywhere. They provide all the hardware and post it to you and then go through the material with help along the way when you get stuck. Very clear examples and it was fun.

I can recommend this course. I had a great learning experience with this embedded software mentoring programme! As someone with very rusty programming skills and limited experience with microcontrollers, this programme helps me to bridge the gap between theory and real-world apps. Barry Saunders (your mentor) is incredibly knowledgeable, clearly explaining such complex concepts as interrupts, timers, and serial communication with a very practical approach. His hands-on teaching style, using real project simulations and debugging exercises, made learning much more effective than my just reading documentation. One of the best aspects of this course is this guidance by an expert mentor. The insights on optimising code for performance and for efficiency I gained are invaluable, and give me the confidence to working on embedded systems projects independently.
I highly recommend this programme to anyone looking to gain or to improve their embedded software skills! 🚀

I highly recommend this programme to anyone looking to gain or to improve their embedded software skills! 🚀 I had an great learning experience with this embedded software mentoring programme! As someone with very rusty C programming skills and limited experience with microcontrollers, this programme helps me to bridge the gap between theory and real-world applications. The mentor is incredibly knowledgeable, clearly explaining such complex concepts as interrupts, timers, and serial communication with a very practical approach. His hands-on teaching style, using real project simulations and debugging exercises, made learning much more effective than my just reading documentation. One of the best aspects of this course is this guidance by an expert mentor. The insights on optimising code for performance and for efficiency I gained are invaluable, and give me the confidence to working on embedded systems projects independently. I recommend this course.

Barry is extremely knowledgeable and clear in explanations

Friendly company with very good training materials. I enjoyed the Vanguard course and am embarking on my home projects with the knowledge gained.