Services · Embedded Software
The code is the smallest part
Firmware that runs is quick to write these days. The real work lies in making it robust, taking it through regulatory approval and keeping it maintainable over its service life. We build bare-metal firmware, RTOS applications and embedded Linux systems for long-lived devices.
semf
Get there faster with our semf <safety> framework
The groundwork is done
Bootloader, firmware update, communication, data storage, signal processing. Development starts with your function; the basic mechanics are already in place.
Built and tested for safety applications
The components are designed for use in safety-related devices and proven in them.
The same structure in every project
We build every device to the same standards and on the same groundwork. So even a change years after the release to series production meets an architecture we know and that is easy to maintain.
What we develop
You know what runs on every device
A device comes back from the field after four years. We restore exactly the software version that was shipped on it.
Connectivity and cloud
We connect your device to the cloud and choose the technologies with you. Connection to your own systems or to qdCloud.
Cyber security
Data and storage encryption, secure boot, certification. In open systems this is decided in the architecture.
Algorithms
From measuring physical quantities and signal processing, for example of audio data, to medical therapy algorithms.
As much testing as the device needs
Unit tests, SiL and HiL tests on the target hardware, a test station at the end of the production line with qdTest. Which stages your device needs depends on the requirements and the budget. We build the combination that meets both.
User interfaces
From the small IoT device without an operating system to the Qt application on embedded Linux. It should not slow the operator down and still look the part. In medical technology it is created alongside the usability file.
Your sales keep running. So does our software.
Safety and evidence
Safety levels
Functional safety up to SIL 3 under IEC 61508 and up to PL e under ISO 13849. For medical devices, we support classes I, IIa and IIb under the MDR.
Which rules apply to your device
Cyber Resilience Act, Radio Equipment Directive with EN 18031, IEC 62443. We establish at the outset which of these affect your product and plan the measures into the architecture.
MISRA C++ and static analysis
We write to MISRA C++ and check every version with static analysis. Every deviation is justified and documented.
Support through to the certificate
We compile the documentation package and support the assessment by the notified body. You know your product; we know the normative requirements.
CVE monitoring
We keep an eye on the libraries and components in your device and report new vulnerabilities to you. Without that monitoring the 24-hour deadline of the Cyber Resilience Act cannot be met.
The obligations do not end with approval
Discontinued components, re-testing after changes, security updates throughout the service life. We keep the device compliant for as long as it is on the market.
- IEC 61508
- ISO 13849
- IEC 62304
- ISO 13485
- IEC 62443
- Cyber Resilience Act
From enquiry to operation
On request as a fixed-price contract.
Planning
Requirements, functional and protection goals, risks and system boundaries. If the scope is still open, we begin with a concept phase.
Architecture
System and software architecture are created together: components and their interfaces, states, data flows. User interface and application logic stay separate, so that one can change without touching the other. Test points are planned in at the same time.
Development
Every commit passes through build, tests and review. Working builds go onto your own hardware early, so you can test while changes are still cheap. Where required, to MISRA C++.
Test
Unit tests, SiL and HiL tests on the target hardware, all automated in the pipeline. The resulting reports double as the evidence for the audit.
Handover
Source code, documentation and build environment are transferred to you by contract. For regulatory approval, we supply the documentation package.
Operation in the field
Fault patterns from the field, security updates, replacements for discontinued components, re-testing after changes. For as long as the device is on the market.
How you can see the project status at any time
Access from day one
Source code, design files and release versions are open to you from the start of the project.
Requirements and tests in one system
Requirements and tests are written, reviewed, released and versioned, so what was ordered can always be looked up.
Regular alignment
A short meeting every one to two weeks: project status, open technical questions, organisational matters.
Products that save time in the project
IoT platformViewqdCloud
Operation, monitoring and OTA updates for device fleets. Hosted in Europe or on your own infrastructure.
View
Operating systemViewqdCoreX
Buildroot-based Linux with a mainline LTS kernel, ready to run on the platform modules of the qdHardware Platform. Your team starts from a base that already runs.
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Production testViewqdTest
Programming and testing at the end of the production line. Configured for your device and delivered ready to run, so you do not need to build your own test station.
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What we work with
Controllers & SoCs
- STM
- NXP
- Espressif
- TI
- Microchip
- Nordic
Operating systems
- Embedded Linux / Buildroot
- FreeRTOS
- Zephyr
- Bare-metal
Languages
- C
- C++
- Python
- Qt/QML
- JavaScript
Wireless communication
- BLE
- Wi-Fi
- LoRa
- LTE
- 5G
Industrial buses
- CANopen
- EtherCAT
- Modbus
- IO-Link
Cloud communication
- MQTT
- OPC UA
Transparency from the start
Who owns the source code and the development data?
What we develop for you is transferred to you: design, software and manufacturing data, as set out in the development contract. Our own platform modules remain our product. Their documentation is held in escrow with an independent party, so you can carry on should we ever drop out.
Where is the work done?
In Offenburg, and nowhere else. We work with our own people. Whoever writes your firmware sits in the same building as the person who developed the hardware and the person who tests both.
What does open source mean for our product?
With embedded Linux there is no way around open source. We record which licence applies to which component and, before anything is selected, tell you what follows from it: which source code has to be released with the device and which does not. We integrate your own application so that it remains unaffected.
Do you work at a fixed price?
Yes, when the scope is clear, as a contract with defined acceptance milestones. If the scope is still open, we start with a concept phase and then quote a fixed price for the implementation.
Do you work with AI?
Yes, systematically. Anything a tool contributes goes through the same checks as every other line of code: static analysis, review, test. We build our AI system ourselves, so we know what it does, and we keep improving it.
Tell us about your next project.
Tell us about your product and your schedule. We will tell you how we would approach the project and whether we see any major risks. The assessment, up to an indicative price, is free of charge.
