I've developed an interest in electronics, more specifically getting to the very root of how my operating system functions. My goal over the last few years has been to learn as much as I can about how the OS works so that I might one day contribute to an open-source project, or perhaps begin a project of my own. However, over the last few months, I've taken an interest in a more bottom-up approach, and I really want to start getting into the hardware side of things. The problem is that I lack any vocabulary to describe what it is that I'm interested in learning about.
I have quite a bit of experience dealing with microcontrollers from my High School robotics days, but the particular model we used left much to the imagination in regards to more fundamental processes (assembly, dealing with CPU's, etc.) I learned nothing about capacitors, transistors, resistors, etc. My aim is to remedy this.
From my understanding, Arduino would be a good starting point, but based on what I've heard, their philosophy is to obscure the more technical details with the intention of streamlining the developing process. This is of no interest to me. I've also heard of Rasberry Pi, but the OS layer seems like more of an additional obstacle for what I have in mind. Is there some sort of all-in-one solution that will expose me to all the most important concepts, but at the same time allow me to make practical use of my projects?
What is a good starting point for someone in my situation? Is the microcontroller world tangential to my overall goals? If Arduino and Rasberry Pi aren't my best options, are there any no-bullshit alternatives? What about virtual alternatives? General tips are welcome!
