Our Firmware Development Process
The Pegmatis team is both passionate about and proficient in firmware development, with a roster of successful firmware projects under our belt. Whether it’s in IoT devices, medical equipment, security and defense devices, or industrial machinery, we understand the unique challenges that firmware development presents. Our firmware architects are incredible problem solvers, ensuring that both firmware design and integration are aligned with the goal of each project. We have experience working with most operating systems and integrate various hardware modules, sensors and devices at all levels.
Our firmware development process is structured in such a way that we address client goals, minimize downtime, and maximize efficiency. Here’s how we do it:
1. Understanding the Firmware Development Project Requirements
We begin each project the same way we complete it: with client communication. Our team works closely with our clients to understand the product’s goals, hardware specifications, and performance criteria. Our team works with yours to define our benchmarks. We love starting with clear, measurable goals that lay the foundation for the firmware development journey.
2. System Design and Architecture
With a clear understanding of the project requirements, our firmware architects move into designing a comprehensive system structure to achieve the project’s specified goals. This phase ensures that the development team can build on a strong foundation that balances functionality and efficiency, while also planning for future scalability and updates. Our firmware architects work closely with our hardware architects to select components that meet key criteria such as cost, availability, lifecycle, supportability, and development efficiency, while ensuring compliance with necessary regulatory requirements. By gaining an early understanding of compliance requirements, we can strategically plan and even build tools for compliance testing during the initial stages. Integrating testing early in the process helps identify and address potential issues sooner, preventing late-stage surprises that could jeopardize the entire project if compliance testing is only considered as an afterthought.
During this phase, our architects also identify any areas of technical or solution risk that must be addressed. Prototypes are developed specifically to resolve these risks, ensuring a robust and reliable design. Additionally, we maintain a strong focus on resource optimization and data security throughout the process.
An often-overlooked yet essential consideration during system design is the legal and intellectual property (IP) implications of using specific firmware components or operating systems. While leveraging third-part components can accelerate development, clients must be aware of license obligations that could restrict their ability to protect their IP. Pegmatis ensures our clients are informed of these potential issues and adopts design strategies that balance development efficiency with IP protection.
3. Firmware Development
The next step is where we get to let all of our prep work come to fruition. Our engineers follow rigorous coding standards to provide you with the best possible end result. We develop using a wide array of industry-standard programming languages. Through this portion of the process, we are constantly communicating with clients to update them on our progress and give them insights into the final product.
4. Testing and Quality Assurance
Quality assurance is a core component of our firmware development process. We conduct extensive testing throughout development to identify and address potential issues as early as possible, including debugging and optimization. Because some of the devices we develop can be very expensive to test, it is essential to consider testing methods early in the process. More often than not, we need to design and build custom tools for testing. This upfront test planning is critical to the success of the project.
5. Security Audits
Today’s world calls for extremely secure firmware solutions, especially in certain industries, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and more. We want all data to be handled according to best practices, so we work with each client to do so.
6. Deployment and Post-Launch Support
When development and testing are complete, we work with the client to deploy the firmware in their production environment. The Pegmatis team assists with post launch support, including documentation and client training and support. We understand that firmware isn’t a static product and often requires addressing functionality upgrades as time passes, so our team is always here to support in addressing that.
With a strategic, collaborative road map, the Pegmatis team is able to navigate highly complex firmware development challenges and deliver top-of-the-line firmware solutions to our clients. We take pride in our firmware development process and its ability to bring highly competitive products to market. If you’re ready to bring your firmware product to life, our team would love to meet with you – get in touch with us today.
