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Best-in-class embedded firmware content, resources and best practices
The Ultimate Guide to Modern Embedded Firmware Development
From the smart devices in our homes to life-saving medical equipment, embedded systems are everywhere—and at the heart of each one lies embedded firmware. But as these systems become more powerful and connected, developing efficient, secure, and scalable firmware is more challenging than ever.
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More From the Blog
Where AI Actually Helps in Embedded … and Where It Doesn’t
If you only read headlines, you might think AI is ready to “write all your code.” In web and app development, AI tools already feel close to magic—but embedded firmware
Five Most Common Reasons: “It works on their machine but not on yours!”
One of the most frustrating things during any type of development (be that firmware or software), is to grab a project’s source code and have it not build. No doubt
How to Build a Low-Cost Remotely- Controlled USB Hub (And Probably Void Some Warranties)
Ever wanted to take control of your USB devices more smartly? USB hubs with individually controllable ports can be expensive, often costing hundreds of dollars for four or more ports,
When Build Tech Debt Silently Caps Your Roadmap
Many developers only think about how to write software faster and better, but don’t think about the realities of building an end host environment. The result? Most embedded product organizations
Modern Embedded Firmware Development Practices in the Warehouse Automation Industry
In the fast-paced world of warehouse automation, the development of embedded firmware is a critical aspect that underpins the efficiency and functionality of automated systems. This blog explores the multifaceted
Unit Testing For Embedded Software Development
By: Steve Branam
Unit testing uses small automated tests to drive development of embedded system code. Learn best practices for Test Driven Development (TDD), including writing and implementing successful unit tests to provide fast feedback and confidence in your code.
A Guide to Assessing Security Risk in Embedded & IoT Devices
In 2025, a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2025-24132) was found in the Apple AirPlay SDK. For third-party smart speakers and receivers, this vulnerability allowed proof-of-concept zero-click remote code execution (RCE)
Addressing the CRA SBOM Mandate: How to Achieve Compliance
Written by: Joe Schneider The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) has fundamentally changed embedded software development by mandating proof of a product’s secure operation and ability to remain safe throughout
Addressing the CRA SBOM Mandate: How to Achieve Compliance
Written by: Joe Schneider The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) has fundamentally changed embedded software development by mandating proof of a product’s secure operation and ability to remain safe throughout
Automating Reliability Engineering with CVE Scanning & EmbedOps, Part 3
Parts 1 and 2 of this series showed just how easy it is to automate unit testing and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing with Dojo Five EmbedOps, a build integration and automation
Automating Reliability Engineering with HIL Testing & EmbedOps, Part 2
It is no secret that commercial embedded and IoT systems must operate reliably in the field for years without intervention. For starters, operational failures can amount to costly product recalls,
Automating Reliability Engineering with Unit Testing, HIL Testing & EmbedOps, Part 1
A key challenge for embedded systems developers is ensuring high-reliability operation in products designed for years-long deployments, sometimes in remote locations. A prime example of such a device is a
Embedded Command Line Interfaces and Why You Need Them
Embedded Command Line Interfaces and why you need them Featured Categories Our Engineers Security Embedded CI All Categories Recent Posts By: Joe Perrin During the course of development – from prototyping hardware through manufacturing – it becomes necessary to run test code over and over to verify functionality or perform system-level testing. This…
The Hidden Costs of Legacy Firmware (and Why Modernization Can’t Wait)
Legacy firmware influences more than performance. It slows an organization’s ability to adapt. It shapes productivity, impacts security posture, and affects compliance readiness. In markets where firmware project management or
Turbulence Multiplied: Why 2026 Demands Embedded Modernization Now
The embedded sector is riding out some of the fiercest headwinds in memory. Inflation bites into margins. Tariffs add unpredictability to every supply chain conversation. Sourcing chips can still feel
Bridging the Firmware Talent Gap: A Guide for Embedded Development Leaders
Online forums like Reddit teem with stories from working engineers struggling to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills—one user commented, ‘You either learn everything the hard way,
Navigating Risks in Embedded Firmware Development
The Hidden Costs of Unmanaged Firmware Risks Consider this scenario: Your team has just released a rock-solid new firmware update for your flagship product—until attackers got hold of an unsecured
Test Equipment Automation
Written by: Danielle Thurow, Sr. Firmware Engineer Testing embedded systems is always a difficult issue. Testing on the actual hardware is critical for seeing what the real world product will
CI/CD for Firmware Teams: How to Streamline Your Workflow
In the ever-evolving world of embedded systems, firmware teams are under constant pressure to deliver high-quality products more quickly and more efficiently. However, unlike web or mobile software development, firmware
How to Avoid Pushing In-development Changes to The Production Repository
Once a code base is sophisticated enough to require both a public, customer-facing production environment and private development environment, it becomes vital to prevent potentially breaking development changes from being
Controlled Development Environments
Docker is a great solution for controlled development environments. One of the great things about Docker is specifying an entire environment. You create a list that includes the OS, along
Debugging Step 1 – Check the Datasheet
When setting up something like a new sensor for a project feature, it’s become typical for engineers to grab a development kit for their ease of setup and the speed
Choosing a Continuous Integration (CI) compiler
Choosing the right Continuous Integration (CI) compiler is crucial because it impacts code quality, deployment reliability, and development velocity. A consistent compiler version and configuration ensure that the same source
Automating Reliability Engineering with Unit Testing, HIL Testing & EmbedOps – Part 1
A key challenge for embedded systems developers is ensuring high-reliability operation in products designed for years-long deployments, sometimes in remote locations. A prime example of such a device is a
Firmware Development vs. Software Development: What Sets These Disciplines Apart
Managing firmware projects is fundamentally different from managing traditional software projects. While both disciplines require technical expertise, planning, and coordination, firmware project management introduces unique challenges due to its deep
Be The Cppcheck Ruler
As a static analysis tool, Cppcheck has a set of default rules. However, when you are further into your development and realize that you need to create your own rules
The Git Cherry-pick and Git Rebase Interactive Combo
Version control is necessary, but using it well is an art. Today I am going to give an overview of two Git commands that I found helpful during software development,
IEC-62304 Medical Device Software – Software Life Cycle Processes Primer – Part 1
The IEC-62304 Software Lifecycle Standard requires a lot of self-reflection to scrutinize and document your development processes. There is an endless pursuit of perfection when it comes to heavily regulated
Docker: An Ideal Development Environment
Docker is a revolutionary tool that provides speed and repeatability for an embedded team. While traditionally used in non-firmware environments, there is enormous potential to improve the development efforts of
Cross-Functional Team Collaboration From An Engineer’s Perspective
Due to the complexity of a firmware project, it requires the involvement of teams with diverse expertise. The success of a project is dependent on the interaction between the teams.
Best Tools for Firmware Developers in 2025
This blog post will touch on some of the best and most useful Firmware development tools. Before we begin, there are a few caveats to be aware of. The “Best”
The Role of Version Control in Modern Firmware Development
Version control, also known as source control, is a tool that tracks and manages changes to files in a software project. It has been widely practiced by software teams to
Setting Up Automated Firmware Builds
Developers and managers can trust firmware releases by automating their build process.
How To Protect Your Firmware: 5 Mistakes To Avoid
By: Joe Schneider
You put a massive amount of time, energy, and cost into developing your firmware. As such, protecting your firmware should be a top priority. Avoiding these 5 mistakes will help ensure your firmware stays secure.
Dev Containers
Docker is well-known and is widely used in the software application realm. In recent years, it has made its way into many embedded software projects. In embedded development, it is
Documenting System Architecture With AsciiDoctor
By: Steve Branam
As the adage says, a picture is worth a thousand words. Diagrams provide a high level of information abstraction. Somewhere between zero and too much is the sweet spot for the right amount of documentation for a system, balancing the needs of development, quality, cost, and effort.
Comparing CAN, CAN-FD, and CAN-XL
Intro CAN, or Controller Area Network, is a popular communication standard in the automotive industry that has come a long way since its inception back in the 1980s. It has
Power Optimization Techniques for Firmware
Introduction Power efficiency is a critical factor in the success of modern embedded systems, especially for battery-powered devices. Efficient firmware design can significantly extend battery life, reduce heat, and improve
What is Dojo Five reading in June 2025?
“Dojo” translates to “place of the way” and represents an environment for immersive learning. Here at Dojo 5, we prioritize that learning by encouraging our engineers to always be on
Selecting an RTOS, Which Should I Use?
Introduction So, you’re kicking off a new embedded project, congrats! Whether you’re wrangling sensors, spinning motors, or just trying to blink an LED and talk to the cloud at the
10 Easy Steps to Add Static Analysis to Your Firmware Build
When it comes to embedded system applications, security is one of the most important requirements. In addition to embedded security topics such as Bluetooth encryption, SSH, and TLS, modern firmware
Making Embedded Communication Reliable: A Reusable COBS Library
What is the issue? Embedded systems often communicate over serial connections like UART, SPI, or USB. These communication channels are prone to issues when binary data gets misinterpreted as control
Documentation Done Right: Why Firmware Teams Need Robust Documentation
Why is Documentation so Important? When you are deep in the weeds working on a project, it’s easy to think “There’s no way I could ever forget how this code
Best Practices for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Product Design
Designing products with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology presents unique challenges that can make or break your embedded project. Project managers overseeing BLE implementations need to understand both the technical
How to Align External Firmware Development Teams with your Internal Engineering Process
In today’s fast-paced product development landscape, many companies turn to external firmware development teams to accelerate time-to-market, access specialized expertise, and manage workload fluctuations. However, one of the biggest challenges
Trusting the Docker Images Your Code is Built On
We’ve written before about the benefits of using Docker in your development environments. You don’t have to write every image yourself, though! There are many existing images on Docker Hub
nRF52 DFU and the Missing Service Changed Indication
Even when using Nordic’s pre-packaged SDK files for adding DFU (Device Firmware Update) capabilities, things can get tricky. We learned this as we added buttonless DFU to a customer project
Nanopb Traps and How to Avoid Them
Intro Protobuf is a language-neutral, platform-neutral extensible mechanism for serializing structured data protocol that Google initially created internally in 2001, now on its 3rd release (Proto 3). Since its release,