Embedded software development: solutions without operating system, solutions with operating systems, integration of the operating system into the device, low-level software development and testing, drivers, FPGA (CPLD) design, digital signal processing algorithms development, data processing algorithms, testing software and methodics design.
Software development - server, client, user interface, mobile applications - development of architecture, semantic core, software structural and functional modules, software modules and systems integration, entire software package testing.
Low level, high level software development, test software for manufacture, user interfaces, mobile applications.
Depending on the requirements of the software development project, our engineers design low level software, tests for functional testing, production test software, high level software, user interfaces and menus, mobile applications, system or server software according to the technical specification requirements (software architecture, functionality, performance requirements, etc.).
Standard tasks during the software development phase, including software for FPGA / CPLD:
The result of this stage of the software design works for the customer, depending on the requirements of the contract and the technical specification, are software modules, algorithms, low and high level software, test software for functional testing of devices in manufacturing, mobile applications and software documentation for all software transferred to the customer.
Toolset: C/C++ (incl STL/ATL), TCL, CDL, Java (J2ME), MatLab, Mathematica, VHDL/Verilog, ASM, XML, XAML.
Hardware platforms: ARM, SuperH, x86, TI DSP, ADI Blackfin, ADI DSP, AVR32, MSP430, XMOS, i51, PIC.
For sure, nowadays, everyone uses various mobile and desktop applications almost on daily basis. But, what if you need to control large machinery, is it possible with a home desktop or your cell phone? In this case, you may require embedded software development that is quite peculiar so here’s the article that explains everything.
The embedded system software development is the process of creating an operating program for particular hardware or a chain of machines whose work influences and controls others. By the way, software development for embedded systems is tightly related to IoT which is now really popular.
The main characteristic of the embedded software is the precision, speed, and stability that can’t be achieved by human control but by the machine’s only. There is a huge variety of the functions the embedded software can perform including the simplest ones such as light controlling with kilobytes of memory and the most sophisticated ones like in planes, spacecraft engineering, etc.
The embedded software doesn’t necessarily require any of the available operating systems. Still, in some cases, there can be a combination of both. The most common is a real-time operating system that allows processing data that constantly comes in without any delay. The code for those is usually written in C++, C, Python, Javascript, and other high-level programming languages. In case of specific projects such as military or aviation ones, Ada language is highly appreciated.
Desktop and mobile application can be installed whenever the consumer wants and it usually doesn't require a connection with third-party devices. Meanwhile, the embedded software implies numerous restrictions on the firmware it works with and its properties. Moreover, such software is specially designed for operating particular machinery, so it’s tough to customize and add other devices to be operated on-the-go.
Web or mobile applications are rarely used as an embedded software interface. However, some of the common file types such as XML can be displayed on the screen so humans can read all the current exponents.
The embedded software design means that all the tiny details should be considered before the development process is started. In addition, all the chips and hardware that are going to be used for this task should also be chosen carefully since none of these couldn’t or are almost impossible to be changed later.
In other words, embedded system software design is a thorough planning job where all the input data should be taken into account. The professionals with appropriate expertise will need to check and analyze the schematic, and according to the task the system is going to compute, they find the best solutions for a particular case. For instance, there may be specific recommendations of what platform should be there or what components can be integrated for a particular purpose.
Here are some of the regularly used units for embedded systems:
However, this set is not strict — the quantity of mentioned-above components can be multiplied or complemented with auxiliary units that influence the final result. Of course, it works only on the designing stage only and they undergo testing before they are implemented.
The logical circuit boards with triggers and the simplest microcontrollers are predecessors of the embedded system. The Assembler language was the main method to build the software that operated them. that was, actually, the prototypes of Operational Systems.
Luckily, creating individual OS from scratch for every new project was interrupted when the Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) became more popular. Its visible advantage is the ability to operate the machinery based on the current input and output data without any delay in response. Till now, they are often used especially in the areas where stability and reliability are obligatory, e.g. surgery devices, safety systems, etc. Besides, despite the fact that such systems are written in low-level languages, they are quite expensive and may be mandatory in certain cases. A vivid example of that is the auto-pilot system in air jets or manufacturing industries where human safety is a priority.
Nowadays, the majority of embedded software development companies switched to the C language in conjunction with Linux. Its strong point is its user-friendly interface and ability to be launched on smaller devices that are now more powerful than huge units were 10-15 years ago. This fact has a promise of appearing such an operating system on Java or Android.
The low-energy devices that are used in IoT also become more popular. Code for them is also written in C or Assembler but using a set of tools specially designed for Micrium Wallet real-time systems. Thanks to Azure IoT Hub and other alternatives, such software can be deployed on Raspberry Pi or Arduino devices.
Believe it or not, but the most challenging task is not how to build the software but to find a reliable company that can provide you with the custom embedded software development from scratch. First of all, you should check how long the company works in a specific area. The best way to do that is to examine the showcases or accomplished projects. Besides, you can also ask their customers to share reviews on working with a particular company, and how good the development services are. Finally, you can send a test task to evaluate it. But, since you are on Axonim company’s website, don’t hesitate to ask us all the questions you want.
