HARDWARE, FIRMWARE,AND SOFTWARE—UNIFIED.
From first silicon to factory floor, we make every layer work in concert.
Systems integration is where product concepts become manufacturable, shippable reality. Ankh's engineers manage board bring-up, peripheral driver validation, hardware-software interface definition, and system-level qualification across EMC, thermal, and environmental stress domains — bridging validated subsystems to a yield-optimized product through manufacturing test fixtures, factory programming infrastructure, and structured FMEA that catches failure modes before they reach customers.
What We Integrate
Board Bring-Up & Peripheral Validation
Structured bring-up starting with power-rail verification, clock integrity, and reset sequencing — every I2C, SPI, UART, USB, SDIO, and PCIe peripheral validated against its register map with logic-analyzer captures documenting timing margins, interrupt latency, and DMA transfer stress.
Manufacturing Test Fixture Design
Bed-of-nails ICT fixtures, flying-probe programs, and functional test stations — pogo-pin placement for 100% net coverage, spring-loaded alignment, pneumatic clamping, and programs in Keysight, Teradyne, and Spea formats.
Factory Programming Infrastructure
Bootloader flashing via JTAG/SWD, firmware via ISP or USB DFU, and secure provisioning of device certificates and encryption keys — with MES integration via REST or MQTT APIs and per-unit cycle time under 30 seconds.
System-Level Qualification Testing
Qualification testing aligned to IEC, MIL-STD, and customer-specific standards: temperature cycling (−40°C to +85°C), thermal shock, vibration (random and swept sine), humidity/condensation, and ingress protection — with HALT to discover design margin and HASS to screen production units for latent defects.
EMC & Signal Integrity at System Level
System-level EMC pre-compliance using near-field probes and LISN-equipped bench setups — correlating failures to specific switching nodes, clock harmonics, or cable antenna modes — plus ESD and surge immunity testing (IEC 61000-4-2/5) at integration milestones.
Firmware-to-Cloud API Integration
MQTT, CoAP, REST, and WebSocket over TLS 1.2/1.3 — mTLS, OTA orchestration, telemetry serialization (Protocol Buffers, CBOR, MessagePack), and graceful reconnection validated with mock cloud endpoints and network impairment emulators.
FMEA & Failure Mode Risk Analysis
DFMEA and PFMEA workshops with SOD scores in AIAG-aligned spreadsheets linked to DVP&R matrices — every identified risk has a corresponding validation activity and closure criterion.
Golden Unit & Reference Procedures
Formal golden-unit programs with storage protocols, re-qualification schedules, and deviation tracking — documenting firmware revision, hardware revision, and test configuration that defined the acceptance baseline.
Production Yield Optimization
FPY Pareto analysis and SPC across ICT, functional test, and final QC — root-cause investigation via boundary-scan, X-ray BGA/QFN inspection, and cross-section feeding back into DFM guidelines, solder paste profiles, and reflow recipes.
How We Work
Integration Planning
Hardware subsystems, firmware modules, and software components are mapped into a dependency graph that drives the integration sequence — peripheral drivers validated before higher-level stacks depend on them. HSIDs, entry/exit criteria, and mitigations for risk items like first-spin errata are established before integration begins.
Board Bring-Up
Power sequencing verification — every rail under load transients, XTAL startup, PLL lock — precedes any firmware load. Each peripheral is brought up in isolation with register read-back confirming identity; errata and workarounds are documented in a bring-up log that becomes a permanent engineering artifact.
Driver & Middleware Validation
Every driver is validated at boundary bus speeds, under error injection (NACK, CRC corruption, buffer overflow), and through 72-hour soaks to surface intermittent failures. Coverage via gcov and LLVM sanitizers confirms completeness; results are archived for regulatory reference.
System-Level Testing
Complete use-case flows run against documented acceptance criteria using Python, Robot Framework, or LabVIEW harnesses for repeatable regression after every firmware release. HALT testing stress-tests integrated system design margin; ESD and conducted-immunity tests validate robustness of the full assembly including enclosure, cables, and connectors.
Manufacturing Test Development
ICT programs, functional test software, and operator work instructions are developed in parallel with product validation. Test station software combines barcode scanning, serial-number provisioning, firmware flashing, and calibration upload into a single guided workflow targeting >95% ICT net coverage.
Production Transition & Yield Ramp
Pilot build and NPI ramp support includes on-site first-article inspection, process qualification, and daily FPY trend analysis with rapid ECO issuance on yield excursions. A formal production readiness review closes the engagement with documented yield baselines, FMEA closure status, and test infrastructure hand-off.
Integration From Silicon to Cloud
Boundary Scan & In-Circuit Test Strategy
JTAG boundary scan (IEEE 1149.1) reaches interconnects bed-of-nails fixtures can't — particularly dense BGA and fine-pitch QFN — combined with ICT and flying-probe on mixed-scan boards for maximum fault coverage. Coverage reports quantify defects by fault class (open, short, wrong-value, wrong-polarity) to inform fixture investment decisions.
Manufacturing ReadinessHardware-Software Interface & API Contracts
The HSID specifies register maps, interrupt routing, DMA assignments, GPIO multiplexing, and power-state sequences for parallel hardware and firmware development, feeding directly into CubeMX or Zephyr devicetree driver skeletons. Protocol buffer or JSON schemas govern firmware-to-cloud message formats with backward-compatibility contracts that survive OTA updates.
Firmware DevelopmentEMC Integration & Pre-Compliance Strategy
EMC failures cost $15,000–$50,000 per re-test cycle. Pre-compliance near-field probes map emission hotspots and LISN-based sweeps validate power-line filters before the chamber; system-level integration then validates enclosure shielding, cable common-mode filtering, and PCB-to-chassis bonding against CISPR 32, FCC Part 15B, and EN 55032.
Regulatory & Certification
From first silicon to factory floor, we make every layer work in concert.
Systems Integration Across Ankh's Product Range
Integration complexity varies enormously by product category — a medical device demands IEC 60601 isolation validation while an industrial gateway requires multi-protocol fieldbus bring-up and harsh-environment qualification. Our engineers adapt methodology to each domain.
Medical Devices
IEC 60601-1 creepage/clearance validation, alarm system integration, and clinical network (HL7/FHIR) API bring-up
View ProductIndustrial Equipment Monitoring
PROFIBUS, Modbus RTU/TCP, and EtherNet/IP protocol stack validation under electrical fast transient (EFT) conditions
View ProductAI Vision Systems
Camera ISP pipeline bring-up, MIPI CSI-2 signal integrity validation, and NPU/DSP memory-bandwidth optimization
View ProductWireless Communication Devices
Multi-radio co-existence testing (Wi-Fi + BLE + cellular), antenna switching validation, and RF front-end calibration
View ProductRuggedized Devices
MIL-STD-810H environmental qualification, IP67/IP68 seal integrity testing, and conformal-coating process validation
View ProductWearable Electronics
Flex-PCB connector reliability testing, skin-contact sensor calibration, and ultra-low-power state-machine validation
View ProductCold-Chain Monitoring
Sensor calibration pipeline, NIST-traceable temperature reference validation, and cellular/BLE hand-off testing
View ProductData Loggers
Flash filesystem stress testing, RTC accuracy over temperature, and factory calibration data provisioning automation
View ProductPOS & Kiosk Hardware
Peripheral hub bring-up (card reader, printer, camera), PCI-PTS testing, and tamper-response circuit validation
View ProductSmart Home Automation
Matter/Thread commissioning flow integration, zero-cross detection timing validation, and relay debounce characterization
View ProductPower Monitoring
Metrology IC calibration integration, Rogowski coil phase-error compensation, and ANSI C12.20 accuracy class validation
View ProductStructural Monitoring
Accelerometer and strain-gauge signal chain validation, multi-node timestamping, and long-term soak testing
View ProductSingle Team Owns Hardware, Firmware, and Software Integration
Integration failures happen at seams between teams — hardware assuming firmware will handle timing, firmware assuming the cloud tolerates message reordering. A single team owning all three layers resolves cross-discipline issues in hours rather than escalating across organizational boundaries over weeks.
Manufacturing Test Infrastructure Built in Parallel, Not After
Test fixtures take 8–12 weeks to fabricate after design freeze — a common NPI slip. Fixture design begins during DVT in parallel with validation: sizing frames, mapping pogo-pin locations, sourcing long-lead pneumatics — so fabrication is underway at design freeze and compresses readiness timelines by 6–10 weeks.
Structured FMEA Process Catches Failures Before Customers Do
DFMEA workshops at concept, design review, and freeze link directly to DVP&R so every S9/S10 failure mode has a validation test with a defined sample size. PFMEA during process qualification surfaces 3–7 critical design changes that would otherwise reach the field.
Deliverables
Hardware-Software Interface Document (HSID)
Register maps, GPIO assignments, interrupt routing, DMA allocations, and power-state diagrams — reviewed and signed off before driver development begins.
Board Bring-Up Log
Oscilloscope captures and register read-backs documenting power rail voltages, clock frequencies, and peripheral initialization for every hardware revision.
Manufacturing Test Fixture Package
Mechanical drawings, pogo-pin placement files, harness schematics, ICT program source code, and operator setup instructions — with first-article inspection report and coverage metrics.
Factory Programming Specification
Programming station setup guide, firmware image management procedures, tool configuration files, and MES integration API documentation for serial-number provisioning and traceability.
System Qualification Test Report
HALT/HASS session results, EMC pre-compliance data, environmental stress results, and functional test outcomes — with deviation log and corrective action status.
FMEA Documentation Package
DFMEA and PFMEA worksheets in AIAG format with SOD scores, RPN rankings, recommended actions, and closure evidence for S9–S10 failure modes.
Golden Unit Definition & Storage Protocol
Procedures defining hardware and firmware revision, storage conditions, re-qualification schedule, and chain-of-custody records.
Yield Analysis Report & Improvement Roadmap
Pareto charts of pilot build defect categories, SPC charts for critical process parameters, root-cause summaries, and prioritized DFM improvement actions.
All integration deliverables are version-controlled and formatted for inclusion in regulatory technical files, investor due-diligence packages, or CM hand-off documentation.
Often Paired With Systems Integration
Firmware Development
Bring-up exposes driver coverage gaps and peripheral initialization issues; our firmware team resolves them in the same sprint.
ExploreManufacturing Readiness
Test fixture design and factory programming infrastructure from integration feed directly into the manufacturing readiness engagement.
ExploreRegulatory & Certification
EMC pre-compliance and environmental qualification data from integration feed directly into FCC, CE, and product-specific regulatory campaigns.
ExploreElectronics Design
Integration findings — errata workarounds, power-rail anomalies, signal integrity margins — drive schematic and layout changes executed by our electronics team without handoff overhead.
ExploreWork That Demonstrates the Standard
Industrial Gateway: 12-Protocol Bring-Up in 6 Weeks
Simultaneous bring-up of 12 protocol stacks (Modbus RTU/TCP, PROFIBUS DP, EtherNet/IP, BACnet/IP, HART, DNP3, IEC 61850, OPC-UA, MQTT, LTE-M, Wi-Fi 6) on an i.MX 8M Plus surfaced 4 PCB layout issues and yielded an HSM-backed PKI pipeline at 28 s/unit. Pilot build hit 94.7% FPY; all failures traced to a solder-paste excursion fixed by reflow profile adjustment.
Read the Case StudyMedical Wearable: IEC 60601-1 System Integration & HALT Campaign
Bring-up of a CGM's analog front-end, BLE SoC, NFC tag, haptic driver, and BMS uncovered a ground-plane discontinuity causing 14 dB excess BLE emissions, resolved by PCB revision before HALT. Pre-compliance EMC was within 6 dB of FCC Part 15 limits and IEC 60601-1 testing passed on first submission.
Read the Case StudyReady to Unify Your Hardware, Firmware, and Software?Integration done right—before the factory, not after.
Ankh's integration engineers are available to review your integration plan, identify risk areas, and scope an engagement that fits your milestone schedule.