Industry Articles

Gary Stringham
Embedded.com (July 7, 2013)

Hardware and firmware engineering design teams often run into problems and conflicts when trying to work together. They come from different development environments, have different tool sets and use different terminology. Often they are in different locations within the same company or work for different companies.

The two teams have to work together, but often have conflicting differences in procedures and methods. Since their resulting hardware and firmware work have to integrate successfully to build a product, it is imperative that the hardware/firmware interface – including people, technical disciplines, tools and technology – be designed properly

This article provides seven principles hardware/firmware codesign that if followed will ensure that such collaborations are a success. They are:

1.     Collaborate on the Design;
2.     Set and Adhere to Standards;
3.     Balance the Load;
4.     Design for Compatibility;
5.     Anticipate the Impacts;
6.     Design for Contingencies; and
7.     Plan Ahead.