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Core hardware

Embedded Firmware Development Services

Embedded C/C++ firmware for connected and real-time products, from board bring-up, BSPs and device drivers to bare-metal or RTOS applications, secure boot, OTA updates and embedded Linux. You receive maintainable source code, build instructions, interfaces and test documentation for long-term ownership.

Quick answer

What we build
Embedded C/C++ firmware: board bring-up, BSPs and device drivers, bare-metal or RTOS applications, embedded Linux, secure boot and OTA updates, delivered as maintainable source with build instructions and tests.
Who it is for
Hardware teams that need firmware for a new board, and product owners who need an existing codebase stabilised, documented or extended.
Typical timeline
4–16 weeks
Typical cost
$2,000–$60,000+ per project: $2,000–$5,000 for bare-metal firmware on a simple sensor with BLE or Wi-Fi, $4,000–$12,000 for an RTOS application and $40,000+ for safety-critical firmware. Source: firmware development cost guide.
Tools and technologies
C/C++, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Embedded Linux

Every project is quoted as a fixed-scope proposal within 3–5 business days of a discovery call. Discuss your product

Specifications

  • ARM Cortex-M/A, RISC-V, ESP32
  • FreeRTOS, Zephyr, embedded Linux
  • Secure boot and OTA

Capabilities

What we deliver

Advanced embedded C/C++ development

Expertly crafted firmware using modern C/C++ practices, optimized for performance, reliability, and maintainability across ARM Cortex-M, RISC-V, and other microcontroller architectures.

Real-time OS integration

RTOS integration with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Eclipse ThreadX and commercial kernels such as embOS, with optimized task scheduling, resource management, and real-time performance.

Wireless protocol stack development

Custom development and optimization of wireless protocol stacks for BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, Sub-GHz, and proprietary RF communications with robust error handling and connection management.

Secure bootloader & OTA updates

Tamper-resistant bootloader implementation with secure firmware update mechanisms, cryptographic signature verification, and failsafe recovery for mission-critical systems.

Ultra-low power optimization

Specialized firmware techniques that dramatically extend battery life through advanced power state management, peripheral optimization, and intelligent wake-up strategies for battery-powered devices.

Device driver development

Custom driver development for sensors, peripherals, communication interfaces, and custom hardware, with comprehensive documentation and test suites for long-term maintainability.

3 more capabilities

Performance profiling & optimization

Advanced analysis and optimization of execution time, memory usage, and interrupt latency, ensuring your firmware meets strict timing requirements and resource constraints.

Advanced debugging & diagnostics

Sophisticated debugging methodologies using logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, and custom diagnostics to rapidly identify and resolve complex firmware issues in development and field deployment.

CI/CD for embedded systems

Implementation of automated testing, continuous integration, and deployment pipelines specifically tailored for embedded firmware development to ensure code quality and reliability.

Capabilities and deliverables

Key areas of focus

  • Architecture design & system partitioning
  • RTOS configuration & task optimization
  • Power profiling & consumption reduction
  • Secure communication & data protection
  • Comprehensive testing & validation

Deliverables

  • Production-ready firmware with version control
  • Test applications and debugging tools
  • Performance benchmarks & optimization reports
  • Detailed technical documentation & API references
  • Build system & configuration management

Process

How we work

  1. Baseline

    Establish a reproducible build and an agreed description of device behaviour on the target board.

    Deliverable: Build instructions and requirements

  2. Architecture

    Choose bare metal, RTOS or embedded Linux against the workload, memory, driver support, update needs and timing.

    Deliverable: Firmware architecture

  3. Implementation

    Drivers, protocols and application logic, including secure boot and OTA with recovery after a failed update.

    Deliverable: Source and configuration under version control

  4. Verification

    Measure timing, memory and power on the target hardware; run driver, protocol and interrupted-update regression tests.

    Deliverable: Test results on the target hardware

  5. Release and handoff

    Document dependencies, open defects and maintenance responsibilities.

    Deliverable: Reproducible source, configuration and binary handoff

Engineering notes

How to scope firmware development, takeover and release

Embedded firmware work should start with a reproducible build and an agreed description of device behavior. New development, a firmware rescue and an embedded Linux BSP port have different dependencies. Define the target board, software baseline and acceptance tests before committing to a release date.

Bare metal, RTOS or embedded Linux?

Choose against the workload, available memory, driver support, update needs and timing constraints. An RTOS provides scheduling mechanisms; installing one does not guarantee application deadlines. Measure interrupt latency, blocking and task execution under the expected load. For Linux work, scope the bootloader, kernel, device tree, drivers and reproducible image build.

Zephyr: scheduling and deadline API limits

Secure boot and OTA need recovery design

Signed firmware and secure boot help control which code is accepted. Define key ownership, update authorization, version policy and recovery after a failed or interrupted update. These controls do not eliminate every runtime vulnerability; validation should cover failure paths as well as a successful update.

NIST: protect, detect and recover firmware

Taking over an existing firmware project

Start with source access, toolchain versions, dependency licenses, programming instructions and a known working board. Reproduce the reported faults before changing the architecture. A takeover assessment should identify what can be retained, what must be repaired and which hardware or missing documentation blocks testing.

Key considerations

  • Reproducible source, configuration and binary handoff
  • Timing, memory and power measurements on the target hardware
  • Driver, protocol and interrupted-update regression tests
  • Documented dependencies, open defects and maintenance responsibilities

Planning

Scope and cost

Start with a non-confidential summary of your product and the milestone you need to reach next.

What to include in an embedded firmware brief

Define the hardware, required behavior, and release criteria before estimating firmware development. For an existing product, describe what works today and what needs to change.

Inputs for your project brief

  • MCU or processor, board revision, schematics, peripherals, and available development hardware.
  • Existing source code and build instructions, RTOS or operating system, and third-party dependencies.
  • Timing and power targets, connectivity protocols, update requirements, and known faults or test results.

Choose the scope for your next milestone

Agree the deliverables and acceptance criteria

Specify a reproducible build, source and configuration handoff, interface documentation, and tests for the agreed behaviors. Identify which hardware and integration dependencies must be available before validation can finish.

Agree confidentiality arrangements before sharing proprietary design files.

Planning guides

Rescuing a Stalled Hardware Project

Warning signs, the files to demand from a previous vendor, how a design audit works, EMC and field-failure triage, and typical audit cost.

Platforms we build firmware on

Each platform page covers the part families, toolchain and design trade-offs for that silicon.

Proof

Related case studies

14 more case studies

Automated Nitric Oxide Therapy System

Connected iNO Delivery for NICU Patients

Medical equipment manufacturer, India

Class C Firmware Design
IEC 62304
Dosing Accuracy (or ±0.5 ppm, whichever is greater)
±10%
Design target
Lower Device Cost vs Imported iNO Systems (BOM estimate)
60%
Design target
Review all case studies

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is firmware development?

Firmware development is the process of creating low-level software that directly controls embedded hardware. Firmware typically runs on microcontrollers or SoCs, managing peripherals, communication protocols, and application logic. Modern firmware development follows practices like MISRA C coding standards, RTOS integration, and CI/CD testing pipelines.

Source: Industry definition. Related terms: RTOS, device drivers, bootloader, HAL.

Working with Rapid Circuitry

How much does a project cost, and how is pricing structured?

Each project is quoted as a fixed-scope proposal: a statement of work with milestones, deliverables and pricing, sent within 3–5 business days of the discovery call. The price depends on the requirements, how mature the design is, technical complexity, the number of prototype iterations and the validation scope. Longer engagements can also run as a retainer or a hybrid of both. For budgeting before you contact us, our hardware development cost benchmarks and the PCB design, firmware and IoT cost guides give indicative ranges with their assumptions stated. They are planning ranges, not quotes.

How long does a project take?

It depends on the scope and on what already exists when we start. As planning ranges from our cost benchmarks: a single PCB layout takes 2–6 weeks per board and embedded firmware 4–16 weeks. A connected (IoT) product takes 3–12 months from concept to a production-ready design, and a regulated medical device 12–24 months to a 510(k) submission-ready package; from idea to mass production, a typical connected product takes 9–18 months. The proposal sets out a dated milestone plan, and you receive weekly progress updates during the project.

Who owns the intellectual property?

You do. Our contracts assign the intellectual property in the project work product (schematics, PCB design files, firmware source code and documentation) to you on payment, and we hand over the source files, not only fabrication outputs or compiled binaries. The exact terms are set out in the signed agreement for each engagement.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes. We sign a mutual NDA before any technical discussion of your project. Send your standard NDA or use ours; we return it signed within one business day.

Can you work with clients in the US, Europe and Japan?

Yes. We are based in Hyderabad, India, and work with product teams in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, the Middle East and other markets. Our office hours are 10:30–19:00 India Standard Time (UTC+5:30), Monday to Saturday, and we schedule design reviews across time zones, typically from US Pacific to Central European time. Japan is 3.5 hours ahead of India, so our first four hours overlap the Japanese afternoon. Prototypes and documentation ship by international courier such as DHL or FedEx. Our hardware outsourcing guide covers what to agree before an international project starts.

Do you hand off to manufacturing, and which contract manufacturers do you work with?

Yes. We prepare the manufacturing release package — fabrication and assembly drawings, the BOM with approved manufacturers, programming files and test specifications — and hand it over to the contract manufacturer (EMS) you choose. If you have not chosen one, we help you evaluate candidates through technical capability assessments and a pilot build. See manufacturing support.

Are you ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 certified?

No. Rapid Circuitry does not hold ISO 9001, ISO 13485 or other certificates. Our processes are aligned with ISO 9001:2015, and we design products to the requirements of the standards that apply to them — for example IEC 60601-1 and IEC 62304 for medical devices (with design documentation structured so your ISO 13485 quality system can absorb it) and IEC 61000 for EMC — and we specify IPC-A-610 workmanship classes for assembly. We prepare the product and its documentation for certification testing at accredited laboratories; the certificate or approval is issued for your product by the laboratory, notified body or regulator.

What do you need from me to start?

A short, non-confidential description of the product and what it must do (sensors, connectivity, on-device processing), the target production volume and unit cost, the markets and regulations it must meet (for example FDA, CE or FCC), your timeline, and what already exists: a concept, a proof of concept, schematics, PCB files or firmware. After the NDA, the next step is a 30-minute discovery call with the engineers who would work on the project, followed by the fixed-scope proposal. Send a project brief to begin.

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