Structure and Principles of Arm Architecture for System Software Development - Part 1 Author's Direct Lecture (2024 Version)

System software fundamentals of fundamentals,
the core of the latest Arm architecture!

0. 30% discount coupon issued for breaking 300 students milestone

To commemorate reaching 300 students (Parts 1 & 2), we are issuing a 30% discount coupon. Thank you. Limited to the first 100 people.

• Coupon link: https://inf.run/NspbX

1. 2024 Latest Course Renewal

We've discovered the latest Arm architecture features and valuable content that can be directly applied to real-world projects, and have added the following courses.

• TRACE32 Program Debugging Content: You can download the educational TRACE32 simulator program from the 'Inflearn lecture materials'. You can directly use the TRACE32 simulator program to follow along with the debugging process (including assembly instructions) explained in the lecture and perform debugging yourself.
• Added debugging practice lectures: Register practice (50 minutes), Assembly instructions (60 minutes), Operation modes and exception levels (60 minutes)

The course will continue to be renewed.

2. Complete Author's Direct Lecture Roadmap for Arm Architecture

This lecture is included in the roadmap'Arm for System Software Developers - basic course'.

For those who want to systematically learn Arm architecture (Armv8-A, Armv7-A), it would be good to utilize the roadmap (30% discount on all courses). For reference, the Arm architecture roadmap (complete author-taught courses) consists of two parts: Basic Course and Advanced Course.

System semiconductors, automotive field, etc.
If you're a system software developer,
you must know the Arm architecture.

Not only smartphones, but also AI SoC system semiconductors, electric vehicle Automotive (autonomous driving, infotainment), and Arm processors used in cloud servers and MacBooks are all Armv8-A based 64-bit Cortex-A processors (Cortex-A53, Cortex-A57, Cortex-A72, etc...). Currently, the content that requires the most essential foundational knowledge in the system software industry can be considered the Armv8-A architecture.

However, did the latest Arm architectures, Armv8-A and Armv7-A, feel too difficult to you?.

Attention System Software Developers and Embedded System (BSP) Programmers!

Many aspiring Linux embedded developers learn computer architecture and operating systems. They also study CS theory to some extent. Developers of system semiconductors and electric vehicle system software, which are emerging recently, analyze Linux device drivers, RTOS, or bootloaders. However, they feel that this alone is somehow insufficient. They know that understanding Arm architecture is essential to become a professional system software developer, but the moment they open the Arm specification documents, they realize it's not an easy path and that self-study would be difficult.

We explain the core of Arm architecture
in an easy-to-understand way!

It's no exaggeration to say that the core of system software development is CPU and computer architecture. We've made it easy to understand the core theories of the latest Arm architecture (Armv8-A, Armv7-A), which are the CPU processors most needed in the IT industry!

The reason Arm architecture is difficult is because Arm architecture is only learned from a hardware processor perspective. This course explains how the components that make up Arm architecture are actually used through code analysis and concrete case studies. This course will play a pivotal role in helping you become a skilled system software developer.

TRACE32 simulator program (educational) provided

What's the shortcut to learning Arm architecture? It's practicing by debugging directly hands-on.

When you take this course, you can download the educational TRACE32 simulator program from 'Inflearn Course Materials' and directly use the TRACE32 simulator program to follow along and debug the debugging processes (including assembly instructions) explained in the course. The related debugging courses in the curriculum are as follows:

• TRACE32 - Register Practice (2024 version)
• TRACE32 - Operation Mode Debugging Practice (2024 version)
• TRACE32 - Assembly Instruction Debugging Practice (2024 version)
• TRACE32 - Exception Level Debugging Practice (2024 version)

Additionally, you can also follow along with debugging related to operation modes and exception levels.

Direct instruction from the author! Even content not in the book
is explained in detail.

This book "Structure and Principles of Arm Architecture" not only covers the content but also provides concrete explanations of debugging practices and various cases related to Arm architecture that are not covered in the book.

• ✅ 40%: Core content of the book
• ✅ 40%: Major case studies and code reviews related to Arm architecture
• ✅ 20%: Debugging Practice - TRACE32

This course introduces the Arm processor and Arm architecture along with the process of developing system semiconductors. It explains the profiles and families of Arm processors.

This introduces the registers of the Armv7-A architecture and explains the characteristics of each.

This covers banked registers among the general-purpose registers (Armv7-A) in detail. It provides a detailed explanation of the major fields that make up the CPSR register, which contains process state information.

This provides an easy-to-understand and detailed explanation of the registers defined in the Armv8-A architecture.

We debug registers using the TRACE32 program. We explain the operating principles of registers in detail by directly changing the values of registers defined in the Armv7-A and Armv8-A architectures. Of course, we explain it so that students can follow along and debug directly themselves.

Explains the basic structure of assembly instructions and describes each assembly instruction in detail.

It goes beyond just explaining the grammar of assembly instructions and provides detailed explanations of how assembly instructions are actually utilized in real projects.

This course explains assembly instructions through direct debugging using the TRACE32 program. It covers everything from arithmetic instructions (examples: MOV, ADD, SUB) to branch instructions, bit operation instructions, and logical instructions (AND, ORR, EOR), with explanations that allow students to follow along with the debugging process.

This introduces the operating modes that form the foundation of Armv7-A and provides detailed explanations of each mode's characteristics. It explains what software runs in each operating mode.

This explains the privilege levels related to operating modes and provides a detailed analysis of the CPSR register's bit fields that indicate the operating mode.

We will directly debug the commands that change the operating mode using the TRACE32 program. We will also directly execute commands that trigger exceptions and explain the process of how exceptions are triggered through direct debugging. We will explain it so that students can follow along and debug together.

This provides an easy and detailed explanation of the concept of exception levels, one of the core features of the Armv8-A architecture.

Through specification document analysis, we provide a detailed review of exception levels and explain the software stack that executes at each exception level.

We will conduct a hands-on exercise to read exception levels using the TRACE32 program. We will also directly execute SVC and HVC instructions to explain the process of exception level changes through direct debugging. Students can download the TRACE32 program and follow along with the debugging exercises.

Based on book writing/lecture experience
Deeper and more detailed than anyone else!

In the domestic system software field, this is an unprecedented! author who wrote books on 'Arm Architecture (Armv8-A, Armv7-A)' and 'Linux Kernel' (both books were selected as excellent books by the Korean Academy), and is a global author who was the first in Korea to write the book "Reverse Engineering Armv8-A Systems" (in English) through an overseas publisher (Packt). Above all, they are a working developer who best understands the latest system software trends (electric vehicles, system semiconductors - system software). They are also an educator who is most actively engaged in knowledge dissemination activities in the system software field.

• Reverse Engineering Armv8-A Systems: A practical guide to Kernel, Firmware, and TrustZone analysis (Packt Publisher: English) - Published in 2025
• 'Structure and Principles of Arm Architecture for System Software Development' (2024 Korea Academy Outstanding Book Award) Author
• 'Learning Linux Kernel Structure and Principles Through Debugging' (2021 Korea Academy Outstanding Book Award) Author
• 'Programmers Dev Course: Linux System and Kernel Expert' Main Instructor
• June 2022, Korea Computer Congress (KCC2022) - Tutorial Presentation [Conquering the Linux Kernel Using ftrace]
• LG Electronics 'Linux Kernel' and 'Armv8 Architecture' In-house Instructor (including domestic and overseas developers) - (2020~2024)

I can confidently say that I am an educator who can explain the key features that make up the Arm architecture (Armv8-A, Armv7-A) better than anyone else in Korea.

Vivid course reviews left by learners

Q&A 💬