The software that runs on the hardware.
Services / Embedded Firmware
Embedded firmware is the code that makes hardware behave. It is the layer between a circuit board and a useful product — and it is where most hardware projects underestimate complexity. Timing issues, power management edge cases, protocol edge cases, watchdog failures, bootloader corruption. These are firmware problems that look like hardware problems until you know where to look.
We write firmware that is lean, auditable, and built to run for years without human intervention. No unnecessary dependencies. No libraries included because they were convenient. Every line of code that runs on a device we ship is code we understand and can defend.
You have a hardware design and need firmware written for it. You have existing firmware that is unstable in the field — crashes, memory leaks, watchdog resets — and needs a professional review and rewrite. You are moving from a prototype running on a dev kit to custom hardware and need the firmware ported and hardened.
Firmware development runs in parallel with hardware development for best results. The earlier firmware engineering sees the schematic, the better the pin assignments, interrupt routing, and power sequencing decisions become.
We do not write firmware for safety-critical systems requiring IEC 61508 or ISO 26262 certification (automotive, medical implants, industrial safety systems). We do not take on firmware-only engagements where we have no visibility into the hardware design — firmware written blind to the hardware it runs on is always a liability.
We prefer engagements where we own or have full visibility into the schematic. If your hardware was designed elsewhere and you need firmware for it, we will need the full design files before scoping.
Yes. For compute-heavy products running embedded Linux (Raspberry Pi CM4, i.MX8, RK3568 and similar), we write application-layer software, device drivers, and system services. See our software development service for the full scope.
Yes, with caveats. We will review the existing code before committing to a scope. If it is structurally sound but needs features or hardening, we can extend it. If it is fundamentally unstable, we will tell you and recommend a rewrite with a clear rationale.
Full source code, version controlled, with documentation. You own the code. We do not deliver firmware as a black box.
Secure boot, encrypted OTA, minimal attack surface, no default credentials, no unnecessary network services. Security is designed in, not added after. For products with specific security requirements, we scope a threat model review as part of the engagement.
The Hydroponics Farming System case study covers our embedded firmware approach — bare metal on a resource-constrained compute unit, 20MB disk footprint, zero cloud dependency, running autonomously in a live hospitality environment. Read the case study →
Consumer electronics architects. End-to-end.