Embedded Firmware. Engineered for Production.
What is Embedded Systems Development?
Embedded systems development is the design and programming of firmware that runs on microcontrollers — from bare-metal C code on Cortex-M0 to multi-threaded RTOS applications on high-performance MCUs. It encompasses hardware bring-up, driver development, wireless protocol stacks, power optimization, and hardware-level security. For AI-enabled devices, see our Edge AI capabilities.
Your product idea is clear. Your hardware is designed. But firmware is where the product comes alive — and where most embedded projects hit the wall.
Firmware that works on the bench and firmware that survives 5 years in the field are fundamentally different things. We build the second kind.
Inovasense delivers production-grade embedded firmware for companies that need it done right, on time, and compliant — without building an in-house embedded team from scratch.
What We Build
🔧 Complete Products — From Zero
Full embedded product development: requirements → architecture → MCU selection → schematic review → firmware → testing → production. You get a turnkey device ready for manufacturing.
- • IoT sensor nodes & actuators
- • Industrial controllers & gateways
- • Wearables & health monitors
- • Smart city & building devices
💻 Firmware for Existing Hardware
You have the hardware — we write the firmware. BSP development, driver porting, protocol stack integration, and performance optimization for your existing boards.
- • Board support packages (BSP)
- • RTOS migration & optimization
- • Wireless stack integration
- • Legacy firmware modernization
Platforms We Specialize In
We target the three MCU families that dominate modern IoT and embedded — each chosen for specific strengths:
| Platform | Key Chips | Best For | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic Semiconductor | nRF52840, nRF5340, nRF9160, nRF9161 | BLE devices, wearables, ultra-low-power sensors, cellular IoT | BLE 5.4, Thread, Zigbee, LTE-M/NB-IoT |
| Espressif ESP32 | ESP32-S3, ESP32-C6, ESP32-H2 | Wi-Fi connected devices, cost-optimized IoT, edge AI | Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5, Thread/Zigbee, Matter |
| STMicroelectronics | STM32L4, STM32F4, STM32H7, STM32U5 | Industrial control, motor drives, medical, high-performance DSP | Flexible — paired with external radio modules |
How we choose: Nordic when battery life is everything and BLE/cellular is the primary link. ESP32 when Wi-Fi is required and cost pressure is high. STM32 when raw processing power, peripheral richness, or industrial certifications (SIL, ATEX) drive the decision. We help you pick the right platform during assessment — not every project needs the most expensive chip.
Core Capabilities
Firmware Architecture & RTOS
- Bare-metal state-machine-driven firmware for ultra-low-power sensors
- FreeRTOS and Zephyr RTOS for multi-task devices with deterministic scheduling
- nRF Connect SDK (based on Zephyr) for Nordic platforms
- ESP-IDF framework for Espressif devices
- STM32CubeMX + HAL/LL for STMicroelectronics platforms
- MISRA C/C++ compliant code for safety-critical applications
Wireless Protocol Stacks
| Protocol | Range | Power | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4 | ~100 m | Ultra-low | Wearables, beacons, asset tracking |
| Thread / Matter | Mesh (300 m) | Low | Smart home, building automation |
| LoRaWAN | 5–15 km | Ultra-low | Remote sensors, agriculture, utilities |
| LTE-M / NB-IoT | Cellular | Medium | Asset tracking, smart metering, remote monitoring |
| Wi-Fi 6 | ~50 m | Medium-High | Cameras, gateways, high-bandwidth devices |
Power Optimization
Battery-powered devices are our specialty. We routinely achieve <10 µA average current on Nordic and STM32 platforms through:
- Deep sleep mode engineering with RTC wake-up
- Peripheral power gating and clock management
- RF duty cycling and adaptive transmission scheduling
- µA-resolution power profiling with Nordic PPK2 / Otii Arc
- Production-validated battery life predictions (not just datasheet estimates)
Secure Firmware — CRA-Compliant by Default
Every firmware project includes security measures aligned with the EU Cyber Resilience Act:
🔐 Boot & Update Security
- • Hardware-verified secure boot chain
- • Signed & encrypted OTA firmware updates
- • Rollback protection with monotonic counters
- • MCUboot bootloader integration
🔑 Identity & Crypto
- • Hardware secure element integration (ATECC608B, OPTIGA)
- • Per-device unique identity provisioning
- • TLS 1.3 / DTLS mutual authentication
- • Hardware-accelerated AES, SHA, ECC
For full security architecture details, see our Embedded Security & IoT practice.
Testing & Quality
- Hardware-in-the-loop CI/CD — Automated tests running on real target hardware, not just simulators
- Static analysis — MISRA C compliance checking, Coverity, PC-lint
- Unit testing — CeedlingUnity/CMock framework for embedded C
- Power regression testing — Automated current measurement to catch power regressions before release
- EMC pre-compliance — Near-field scanning and conducted emissions testing before formal certification
How We Work
We follow a structured delivery process designed for enterprise clients who need predictability and transparency:
Assessment & Architecture
We analyze your requirements, recommend the optimal MCU platform, define the firmware architecture, and estimate the project timeline. Deliverable: Technical Specification Document.
Development & Integration
Firmware development in 2-week sprints with hardware-in-the-loop testing. Regular demos on real hardware. Full Git history and documentation. Deliverable: Working firmware on target board.
Validation & Production
Environmental testing, power validation, EMC pre-compliance, and manufacturing test development. Deliverable: Production-ready firmware package with programming tools and OTA infrastructure.
Typical timelines:
- Simple sensor node (BLE/LoRa, bare-metal): 6–10 weeks
- Multi-protocol IoT device (BLE + cellular, RTOS): 3–4 months
- Complex industrial product (multi-sensor, edge AI, OTA, certification): 4–6 months
Why Companies Choose Inovasense
| Challenge | Our Answer |
|---|---|
| "We can't hire embedded engineers fast enough" | Full embedded team, ready now — no recruitment lead time |
| "Our prototype works on the bench but fails in the field" | We build for production — power profiling, EMC, environmental testing |
| "We need CRA compliance but don't know where to start" | Security built in from day one — secure boot, OTA, SBOM included |
| "Our previous vendor delivered code we can't maintain" | Clean, documented, MISRA-compliant code with full Git history |
| "We need EU-based development for IP protection" | 100% EU engineering — full IP ownership, GDPR compliant |
Related Capabilities
Our embedded systems development integrates seamlessly with:
- Embedded Security & IoT — Hardware root of trust, secure elements, Java Card applets
- FPGA Design Services — When MCUs aren’t fast enough — custom digital logic in FPGA fabric
- Edge AI — On-device ML inference for anomaly detection, vision, and predictive maintenance
- Industrial Design — Enclosures, thermal management, and DFM for your embedded product
- EU Compliance — CRA, CE marking, RED, and full EU market access
Ready to Build?
From concept to production-ready firmware — tell us about your embedded project and we'll provide a detailed technical assessment and project plan within one week.
Start Your Project →Frequently Asked Questions
What embedded platforms does Inovasense work with?
We specialize in Nordic Semiconductor (nRF52, nRF53, nRF91 series), Espressif (ESP32, ESP32-S3, ESP32-C6), and STMicroelectronics (STM32L4, STM32F4, STM32H7). We select the optimal platform based on your application's power, performance, connectivity, and certification requirements.
Can you develop firmware for hardware we already have?
Yes. We provide firmware development for existing hardware designs — including BSP development, driver porting, protocol stack integration, RTOS migration, and performance optimization. We work with your schematics and documentation to deliver production-quality firmware.
How does Inovasense ensure firmware security and CRA compliance?
Every firmware project includes secure boot, encrypted OTA updates, and hardware-backed key storage by default. We follow the EU Cyber Resilience Act requirements from the architecture stage — including vulnerability management, SBOM generation, and secure development lifecycle documentation.
What is your typical project timeline for a custom embedded product?
A typical embedded product — from concept to production-ready firmware — takes 3–6 months depending on complexity. Simple sensor nodes: 6–10 weeks. Complex multi-protocol devices with BLE + LoRaWAN + edge AI: 4–6 months. We provide detailed project plans with clear milestones.