Cross functional organisational embedded system development

peer-reviewedEmbedded system development is continuing to grow. Medical, automotive and Internet of Things are just some of the market segments. There is a tight coupling between hardware and software when developing an embedded system, often needing to meet strict performance targets, standards requirements and aggressive schedules. Embedded software developers need to consider hardware requirements in far greater detail as they can have a significant impact on the quality and value of the software to be delivered. Metrics and standards are widely used when evaluating software quality. Embedded software should continue to be measured against traditional software quality criteria derived from standards like ISO 9000 and CMM/CMMI. However in order for software to add value to an embedded system, key factors from other functional areas should also be incorporated. There is no model, which demonstrates the unique factors that impact embedded software. Software can be impacted either directly or indirectly either directly through the software development process or indirectly via the supporting organisation and divisions. The model I have proposed identifies software quality criteria that is unique to embedded software quality and outlines significant areas and factors that impact the success of developing embedded software