Firmware Design

Firmware design, engineering for connected, safety-critical and consumer hardware.

Firmware design, engineering for connected, safety-critical and consumer hardware.

Code You Never See

OuterSpace built the firmware running inside Arc by Varivac, a variable vacuum pump for negative pressure wound drainage. It controls the variable vacuum that sets Arc apart, holding each pressure setting steady through treatment. In clinical settings, Firmware that drains batteries or locks up mid-treatment isn't just an inconvenience, it disrupts vital patient care.

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It's everything the code has to survive.

The Hard Part Isn't the Code

Hardware changes late, and requirements shift after the board is already spun. We treat firmware design as architecture first and code second, because it has to absorb that shift without breaking what already works. We choose the platform, bare metal, RTOS or embedded Linux, based on how much of that later change the software will need to take without a rewrite.

For Arc, that meant testing the firmware against the pump hardware at every stage of development, before a single unit reached a patient. The pump went on to win a 2025 Good Design Award in the Engineering Design category, where the Jury praised its holistic approach to patient comfort and flexibility.

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Process

We follow a proven, flexible development process that adapts to each project. From fast-paced consumer products to regulated medical devices.

Starting with clear requirements, feasibility studies and rapid prototyping, we define the ideal platform i.e. bare-metal, RTOS, or Embedded Linux and design scalable, secure architectures with connectivity and OTA updates built-in.

Our iterative firmware development integrates drivers, wireless stacks and IoT frameworks under continuous integration and code review. Each build undergoes rigorous testing, from unit to hardware-in-the-loop verification, ensuring reliability, performance, and compliance.

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In-house capabilities:

Bare-metal systems, real-time control, embedded Linux, device drivers, HALs, BSPs, Linux board bring-up, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Buildroot, Yocto, BLE, Wi-Fi, NFC, cellular IoT, CAN integration, secure OTA updates, bootloaders, battery-life optimisation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, cloud-connected embedded systems

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See it built. Firmware Design Work.

View work examples of our firmware or embedded software projects.
AI Occupancy Sensor (Area Pro)
AI Occupancy Sensor (Area Pro)
Thermal Imaging Camera (1mK Stress Imaging Camera)
Thermal Imaging Camera (1mK Stress Imaging Camera)
Night Mode LED Lighting Kits for LEGO® Sets
Night Mode LED Lighting Kits for LEGO® Sets
Brolga Micro Water Treatment Plant
Brolga Micro Water Treatment Plant
EV docking and charging system
EV docking and charging system
Robust Vehicle Mounted WiFi hotspot
Robust Vehicle Mounted WiFi hotspot
Wearable Personal KinetiGraph
Wearable Personal KinetiGraph
Agricultural produce analyser
Agricultural produce analyser
Smart walking stick
Smart walking stick
TourniCare Blood pressure cuff
TourniCare Blood pressure cuff

Process

With over three decades of experience we're experts in product development, accelerating to production and launch.

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01.
Research
We investigate and analyse the business, market and user dimensions of an idea.
02.
Plan
Based on clear user, market and product requirement inputs, we develop system architectures and a project development path.
03.
Design
We generate aesthetic, engineering and technology concepts for initial evaluation.
04.
Engineer
We refine and engineer all of a product’s technical systems including mechanical, electronic and firmware systems.
05.
Verify
We develop test plans and support verification activities against engineering specifications or undertake fault analysis.
06.
Release
We develop full manufacturing documentation and support vendor qualification and selection to facilitate smooth transfer.

Our Expertise

Our proprietary multidisciplinary process balances creative design and advanced technical capabilities across mechanical, electronic, firmware, and systems engineering.
Electronic engineering
01
Electronic engineering
Firmware Design
02
Firmware Design
Systems Engineering
03
Systems Engineering
Industrial Design
04
Industrial Design
Mechanical Engineering
05
Mechanical Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions

01.
Can you assist with manufacturing support or firmware maintenance?
Yes. We provide ongoing firmware maintenance, feature updates, and support for production, test fixtures, and end-of-line programming.
02.
Do you help with testing and verification?
Yes. We perform unit testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and system tests to verify firmware functionality, reliability, and compliance.
03.
Can you support wireless connectivity and IoT features?
Yes. We regularly implement Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, cellular, and other IoT communication stacks, along with secure over-the-air update and provisioning capabilities.
04.
Do you follow any specific development process or standard?
Our workflow follows structured software development life-cycle processes with full traceability and documentation. For medical or safety-critical products, we align with IEC 62304.
05.
Do you follow any specific development process or standard?
Our workflow follows structured software development life-cycle processes with full traceability and documentation. For medical or safety-critical products, we align with IEC 62304.
06.
Which microcontrollers and platforms do you work with?
We have extensive experience with Nordic, STM32, NXP, Microchip, and other major platforms, including Linux-based SoCs for higher-level embedded systems.
07.
Do you provide production-ready firmware or prototypes only?
We support both. We can rapidly develop proof-of-concept firmware for verification and also deliver production-grade embedded software with version control, documentation, and compliance to relevant standards.
08.
Do you develop firmware for both bare-metal and RTOS-based systems?
Yes. Depending on project requirements, we build firmware on bare-metal architectures, or using real-time operating systems such as Zephyr and FreeRTOS.
09.
What types of firmware development projects do you take on?
We work across a wide range of embedded systems, from low-power IoT and BLE-enabled devices to complex real-time control systems, spanning medical, consumer, and industrial applications.
10.
What is the difference between firmware, embedded software, and software?
Firmware is the low-level code that directly controls hardware. Embedded software includes firmware but extends to more complex logic running within a device's constrained environment. Regular software runs on general-purpose systems like PCs or smartphones, independent of specific hardware.

"Our long association with Outerspace has delivered substantial benefits to our development process. This has resulted in medical products that now receive international attention and are achieving record sales."

Warwick Freeman

Chief Technology Officer, Compumedics

"I have worked with Outerspace for a number of years on quite a few products, and can highly recommend their services. We even managed to win a Worldstar packaging award on the back of one of their designs."

John Sprout-Smith

"Outerspace proved to be the ideal partner working closely with our hardware design, manufacturing and software teams around the world to realise our vision"

Geoffrey Wanless

Chief Technology Officer, Swann Communications

"Our interaction with Outerspace has been truly exceptional. They not only comprehended our requirements but also skilfully transformed our vision into reality. Their unparalleled expertise and competency truly set them apart!"

The 1MILLIKELVIN Team

"...the team at Outerspace Design demonstrate exceptional professional integrity and consistently earn the trust of their collaborators ... I highly recommend Outerspace to anyone who values trust, reliability, and a collaborative approach to professional partnerships."

S Vee

"I had the pleasure of collaborating with the team at Outerspace Design in Melbourne, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. From the outset, their professional and innovative approach to design was evident in every interaction..."

Steve Roche

Ready to discuss your next project. Let's talk.

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