Embedded Software and Operating System Services
Our experienced engineering staff has been working with operating systems for the PC architecture since the very beginning. We concentrate on those parts that are at the core of the system. Because of our experienced staff we can offer you high quality advice and create an optimal solution together with you. Our dedication to the core of the system improves your time to market and will reduce the overall project cost.
We offer services for the following products
We offer services for a range of products which are mentioned below. If you are not sure if your requirements fit this list please contact us. Most likely we can help you, if this is not the case we will tell you so.
We concentrate on the core of the system, below you can see what we mean with that.
- File System Filter Drivers
- Boot loaders (e.g. for Windows CE)
- Hardware Device Drivers
- Filter Drivers
- Operating System Configuration
- Embedded Software
Which services can we offer you
We are very flexible in adapting our services to your actual requirements. Our actual offering will be determined together with you.
The list below will give you an impression of our offerings.
- Architecture Definition
- Design Review
- Consulting Services
- Custom Driver Development
- Technical Support
How we work
As you will know, by looking at Windows blue screens (which are often caused by bad drivers), quality is first priority when dealing with device drivers. We achieve top notch quality by performing rigorous testing, clear specifications and what we call defensive programming.
Before we start we deliver a "Statement Of Work" so there is a clear understanding of what will be delivered. This will eliminate unpleasant surprises later on in the project.
We use a version control system for all of our projects so we can keep track of the changes and always have a complete overview of the software that has been delivered.
We believe that open communication is essential for a long lasting relationship. Because of that we make sure we know what your requirements are so we can tailor our offerings to that.
When a project start a technical contact will be established. This contact will remain the same throughout the project and it's support phase. It is our policy to have the same contact for follow up projects as well. This will speed up the communication.
We are one of the few design houses with extensive expertise on File System (Filter) Drivers for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista. So if you have any special requirement that could involve the file system we can help you turning your idea into reality.
Some examples of what can be achieved with a file system filter driver:
- Data encryption for specific files (regardless of Windows settings)
- Completely hide files and directories
- Redirect specific files to another location
- Create file duplicates at another location
- Scan file contents in real time (similar to virus scanner)
- Provide access to files regardless of file locks, exclusive opens etc (can be used for file replication and backup).
There are many more possibilities to use this technology, please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
Please have a look at our products for the File System Filter library we are offering.
Boot loaders (e.g. for Windows CE)
We can create boot loaders for the x86 and ARM processors. For the x86 they can be integrated into the BIOS. These boot loaders are required for most embedded operating systems. All ARM based systems require a boot loader while x86 will require this in some cases when running e.g. Windows CE.
We have specialized in creating kernel mode drivers for the various Windows Operating Systems. We concentrate on the NT and CE architectures. The operating systems that are supported are: Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista as well as the embedded operating systems Windows CE 3.0, Windows CE.Net and Windows NT and XP embedded.
Filter drivers are in general written for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista. These drivers sit on top on an existing driver and can change it's behavior. For a disk it could encrypt all data written to this disk, provide software RAID etc. Writing these drivers requires a good knowledge of the NT architecture in order to define the correct approach.
Operating System Configuration
Together with you we can determine the optimal configuration for your system.
We can also identify what is missing and create those parts for you (when required).
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For Windows CE 3.0 up to Window CE.NET we can configure a system and create a BSP and SDK for you. We do this for x86 and ARM based systems.
- For Windows NT 4.0 and XP embedded we can create an image using target designer. We can also package drivers so they can be used with the NT and XP embedded products.
- We can create customized Linux systems for you, based on standard distributions (BlueCat, RedHat). We provide this service for x86 and ARM based systems.
We can develop custom embedded software for a wide range of embedded controllers.
We can define an architecture that is optimal for your solution. We focus on creating a cost effective solution that will also improve your time to market.
Our design review services are an important step in getting a project out on time, and on budget. A thorough design review will substantially reduce the risks of your project. In many cases the cost will be reduced as well.
Common errors we have observed include, incomplete or unclear specifications, underestimating the complexity of device driver development, implementing hardware in a way that custom driver development is required while this can be done in a more efficient way, and not matching the optimal hardware to the application. We can eliminate these pitfalls and make sure you don't run into these unpleasant surprises later.
Some examples of what we can do for you are :
- Reviewing issues in an existing driver.
- Debugging an existing driver.
- Determining performance bottlenecks.
The items above are just a few examples, we can help you with a large variety of items that can't be foreseen and listed here. Just contact us to check if we can help you.
Of course we guarantee the highest level of confidentiality and because we want to build a long term relationship with you we will always seek the optimal and most cost effective solution for the issue involved!
Since we are a small and flexible company we can react very fast when there is
an emergency issue.
We can build custom drivers for your hardware or a filter on top of an existing driver. We are focused on delivering quality kernel mode drivers and have access to state of the art equipment to achieve this.
As you can see on our web-site we do not only develop software but hardware as well. Because of that we will be able to isolate hard- and software issues and will not end up in lengthy arguments.
Our commitment does not stop after we have delivered you the software. We can offer you support contracts to either maintain the driver for you or to support you people when they maintain the drivers.
Within the support agreement we are not limited to the driver we delivered. Our services cover whatever you need as long as it is related to the services we provide. We can even create small support tools without the complexity of starting a new project putting together a contract etc.