“The hardware is ready. The software isn’t.”
We bring the board to life: first boot, drivers, operating system and a working product, with your hardware team in the loop.
Layers 02–04
Embedded software for connected products
We build every layer
We build every layer
of your connected product.
From the first board on the bench to secure software in the field. One partner for the whole stack — so the parts fit, the product ships, and it is ready for the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
4 librariesreleased in 2026, open to audit
0MISRA C:2012 violations
100 %line and branch coverage
CRA-readysecure lifecycle from day one
Teams we work with:
- Industrial IoT
- Automotive
- Medical devices
- Robotics
- Consumer electronics
- Energy & metering
What we solve
Does one of these sound familiar?
“The CRA deadline is coming and we don’t know where we stand.”
A fixed-scope review shows the gaps in your firmware. Then we close them: secure boot, signed updates, threat model.
Layer 07“We’re locked into one supplier’s parts.”
We make alternative hardware speak the same protocol, so your existing software and tools keep working unchanged.
Layers 05–06“It works, but nobody dares to touch the code.”
Code and architecture review, MISRA and static analysis, then a plan to make the codebase maintainable for years.
Layer 07
Why “from scratch”
Every connected product has the same seven layers.
A sensor node, a medical pump or a vehicle controller: the layers are the same. Most suppliers own one of them and leave you with the gaps in between. We work through all seven.
LAYER 01
Hardware & mechanics
We choose proven, available parts with you, so your product is not tied to one expensive supplier.
Where we have done it
Component choice and second sourcing for gateways, motor drives and sensor nodes, with our partner hardware engineers.
- Component selection
- Second sourcing
- Partner hardware design
Service: Hardware design with partner engineersNeed this layer? →
LAYER 02
Electronics bring-up
The first power-on of a new board is where schedules slip. We take it from first boot to a working system.
Where we have done it
STM32 motor-control boards and Microchip SmartFusion2 SoC FPGA controllers, from first boot to validation.
- STM32
- SmartFusion2
- First boot
- Validation
Service: Hardware Bring-up & IntegrationNeed this layer? →
LAYER 03
Drivers & FPGA
Board support packages, bootloaders and drivers that make your hardware usable and keep timing exact.
Where we have done it
Zephyr drivers, MCUboot bootloaders and FPGA logic for time-critical I/O.
- BSP
- MCUboot
- Zephyr drivers
- Linux kernel
- FPGA
Service: BSP & Device DriversNeed this layer? →
LAYER 04
Operating system
A maintained, secure foundation — Zephyr, FreeRTOS or Embedded Linux — instead of home-grown code that only one person understands.
Where we have done it
Zephyr ports and modules, FreeRTOS, Yocto and Buildroot images with reproducible builds.
- Zephyr
- FreeRTOS
- Yocto
- Buildroot
Service: RTOS & Embedded LinuxNeed this layer? →
LAYER 05
Protocols & interfaces
Your devices talk to each other reliably — CAN, RS-485, UART, USB — even when the hardware underneath changes.
Where we have done it
CAN with ISO-TP for automotive diagnostics, RS-485 for industrial buses, DYNAMIXEL for robotics.
- CAN
- ISO-TP
- RS-485
- UART
- SPI
- I²C
Service: Embedded Software DevelopmentNeed this layer? →
LAYER 06
System integration
Everything works together end to end, and can be tested on a laptop before the hardware exists.
Where we have done it
Firmware run against simulated hardware in CI; device, gateway and PC software tested together.
- Software-in-the-loop
- Docker
- CI/CD
- ROS 2
Service: System integrationNeed this layer? →
LAYER 07
Quality, security & CRA
Code that passes audits and the EU Cyber Resilience Act — secure boot, signed updates, MISRA — built in, not patched on.
Where we have done it
MISRA C:2012 gates, 100 % coverage in CI, signed firmware with MCUboot, CRA gap reviews.
- MISRA C:2012
- Secure boot
- Threat modelling
- CRA
Service: Cybersecurity, CRA & ComplianceNeed this layer? →
EU Cyber Resilience Act
Selling connected products in the EU? The CRA already applies to you.
We review your current firmware, show you where the gaps are and help you close them before the deadline.
Ask for a CRA gap review11 Sep 2026Vulnerability reporting obligations apply — now in force
11 Dec 2027Full CRA requirements apply
Gap reviewFixed-scope review of your firmware
Secure lifecycleSecure boot, integrity, threat model, SDL
Evidence, not promises
All projects
The standard you get, published in the open.
Each library ships with its MISRA report, test coverage and a PDF manual. Your engineers can check our work before we start.
Baton-C ↗
Several microcontrollers on one wire, and no message is ever lost.
ISOTP-C ↗
Long messages over CAN for vehicle diagnostics and firmware updates.
DXL2-C ↗
Build your own actuators that speak the DYNAMIXEL servo protocol.
Stepper-C ↗
Precise motor control that notices a stalled motor without extra sensors.
Selected work
All articles
One robot, taken apart. And the same engineering everywhere else.
Each write-up comes with code that rebuilds every number it quotes.
Rendered from CAD7 layers
Featured case study · Robotics
Runs in simulation
A robot arm, every layer built from scratch.
Robot software written for premium servos now runs — unchanged — on low-cost motors and a 3D-printed arm. Take it apart layer by layer, follow one command from the operator’s click to the motor, and compare three ways to wire it.
7layers, one team 0lines changed in the robot software 3architectures compared Explore the robotOne wire, many microcontrollers, no lost messages
Deterministic messaging for several boards on one shared line, running on Zephyr. For machines, sensor networks and building automation.
Explore the article ↗Diagnostics and firmware updates over CAN
ISO-TP transport for UDS diagnostics, OBD and CAN bootloaders, tested against an independent reference.
Explore ISOTP-C ↗From motor model to real metal
Motor control tested on a PC model before it touches hardware. For pumps, valves, positioning stages and printers.
Explore the article ↗
About
Engineering from the first principle.
SystemFromScratch® was founded by Anton Vynohradov, an embedded systems engineer based in Poland. Anton leads the engineering; specialist partners join for hardware design and other areas when your project needs them.
We work with industrial IoT, automotive, robotics, medical and consumer electronics teams who need a partner for the whole software stack — firmware, operating system, security and the regulations that govern them.
Have a project in mind?
Start with a short call or a fixed-scope code, MISRA or CRA review of your current firmware.
Email us avynohradov@systemfromscratch.com