Embedded Systems & Product Development Consultancy · London, UK
Embedded architecture and technical advisory
The costly embedded mistakes are made early. A senior review of your architecture, platform or design takes days; the same problem found after a board spin can cost months. We give your team an experienced second opinion, or a technical lead, at the point where it counts.
Cheap to change now, expensive to change later
Early in a project, a different processor, radio or operating system costs a meeting. After the first production run, it costs a redesign.
- A processor chosen for the demo that can’t meet the power budget, the security requirements or the target cost.
- A choice between an RTOS and embedded Linux made by habit rather than by requirements.
- A connectivity decision that ties the product to one module, one network or one supplier.
- Safety, hazardous-area or radio certification considered only after the design is fixed.
- A large hardware or tooling commitment made without an independent review.
A few days of senior review at the right moment is the cheapest risk reduction an embedded product can get.
See how we workHow we can help
Firmware, hardware or the space between them. We go where the evidence points.
System architecture
Partitioning between hardware, firmware, apps and cloud, with the interfaces defined before detailed design starts.
Platform and processor selection
Microcontroller or Linux SoC, with or without an NPU, weighed on power, cost, supply, security and toolchain.Schematic and PCB review
An independent check of your design for power, EMC, manufacturability and firmware needs before it goes to layout or to the factory.Firmware architecture and code review
Structure, RTOS design, update strategy and code quality, with findings your team can act on.Connectivity and cloud architecture
Radio, network and cloud choices, device identity and update paths, planned for the product’s whole life.Edge AI and robotics feasibility
Whether a model or an autonomy stack can run on embedded hardware, what it needs from the platform and how to prove it quickly.Safety and certification planning
IEC 61508, ATEX and CE requirements built into the architecture rather than retrofitted.Technology evaluation
Sensors, radios and key components evaluated with prototypes and measurements when the datasheet isn’t enough.Technical leadership
A senior engineer to lead your hardware and firmware teams through a project or a phase, with design reviews, mentoring and a working process.
How an advisory engagement works
Short, focused and written down. You get a clear recommendation, not a list of options to sort through.
- A first conversation. We talk through the product, the constraints and the decision in front of you, at no cost.
- Review what exists. Requirements, block diagrams, schematics, code or test results, whatever stage you’re at.
- Investigate where needed. Measurements, a quick prototype or a conversation with the supplier when the documents don’t answer the question.
- A written recommendation. Findings ranked by risk, the options we considered and the one we recommend, with the reasons.
- Stay involved if it helps. Follow-up reviews at each milestone, or a technical lead role through to production.
Where our advice comes from
Products: wearable medical devices, industrial and energy monitoring, a consumer safety device built at over a million units, marine electronics, payment and security hardware
Platforms: STM32, NXP i.MX and i.MX RT, Nordic nRF, ESP32, Silicon Labs EFR32, NPU-equipped microcontrollers, ROS 2 systems
Standards: IEC 61508, IEC 60079-11 (ATEX), CE and FCC
Process: design reviews, Agile and Scrum, Git and CI/CD, UML design documentation, mentoring engineering teams
Architecture in shipped products
Client names stay private. The engineering doesn’t.
Detection algorithms and safety-critical firmware for a device built at over a million units
A six-month evaluation of software, hardware and sensor technology with a large cross-functional team, before the design was committed.
Read the case study
An air-quality monitor for power stations, and its redesign
Technical lead and design reviewer for the hardware and firmware teams, from system architecture to acceptance at a regulated power-generation site.
Read the case studyMore debugging work
Firmware faults at −25 °C in environmental testing, upload errors on a marine VHF baseband chip, message timing outside an industry standard and more.
View case studiesFrequently asked advisory questions
Is a design review worth it if our team is experienced?
Often more so. An outside reviewer has no attachment to earlier decisions and has seen the same problems in other products. Most reviews take a few days and catch issues that would otherwise surface after the board spin.
What does a design review cover?
Whatever stage you’re at: requirements and architecture, schematics and layout, firmware structure and code, or test and production plans. We agree the scope before we start.
Can you help us choose between a microcontroller and embedded Linux?
Yes. We compare power, boot time, real-time behaviour, security, cost and your team’s skills, and give you a recommendation with the reasoning behind it.
Can you act as our technical lead?
Yes. Akif Turker can lead your hardware and firmware engineers for a project or a phase, combining design reviews and mentoring with hands-on work.
Can you advise on Edge AI or robotics before we commit?
Yes. We assess whether the model or the autonomy you have in mind can run on embedded hardware, what it needs from the platform and how to prototype it quickly. See, Edge AI and Robotics & ROS2
Will you sign an NDA before we share our design?
Yes. We sign NDAs as a matter of course, and our case studies never name clients or their products.
Related services: Embedded software & firmware · Electronics & PCB design · Hardware/software integration · Debugging & troubleshooting · Product development
Related expertise: Edge AI · Robotics & autonomous systems · Embedded Linux · Functional safety & ATEX · Wireless & IoT · Sensors & embedded algorithms
Facing a decision you’d like a second opinion on?
Send a few lines about the product and the platform it runs on.
Share your project with us, and we’ll get back to you within one business day.
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