IT Link supports you from architecture to industrialization, in compliance with standards and deadlines.
What is meant by high-constraint embedded computing?
In sectors such as aerospace, rail, automotive, space, energy, and medical, software cannot afford to fail. A failure can impact human safety, the availability of essential services, or regulatory compliance.
"High-constraint" refers to the convergence of cumulative requirements: temporal determinism, demonstrable safety, robust cybersecurity, environmental resilience, and lifecycle management. The challenge is not just to "make the system work," but to prove that it functions predictably in all relevant situations.
Functional safety
Integrity levels (SIL/ASIL) guide architecture and verification. Our experts address hazards through analysis (FMEA/FTA), fault tolerance (detection/diagnostics, degraded modes, fail-safe or fail-operational), and independent validation activities. Required evidence is planned from the outset and consolidated into a structured safety case.
Real-time and performance
Latency must be bounded (strict deadlines, WCRT/WCET as required). This requires controlled scheduling, management of critical sections (priorities, inversions), optimization of memory/CPU and I/O (DMA, queues, buffers), and network predictability (e.g., real-time windows, TSN where relevant). Margins are measured and monitored over time.
Cybersecurity
Connected systems require a defense-in-depth approach, incorporating secure boot, secret protection (TPM, SE, HSM), encryption of communications and artifacts, signed OTA updates with rollback mechanisms, as well as software partitioning and a rigorous key management policy.
Security is integrated from the design phase (threat modeling) and validated throughout the lifecycle via testing, code reviews, and continuous operational monitoring.
Compliance and traceability
Requirements are fully traceable, from the initial needs statement to verification activities and associated evidence. Test plans cover all levels (unit, integration, system, and regression) with coverage objectives aligned with the applicable standards (up to MC/DC if required) and include, where necessary, the qualification of tools used. Documentation is produced and maintained continuously to ensure compliance and prepare for audits without surprises.
Robustness and longevity
The product must remain reliable over time and within its operational environment, complying with EMC, shock and vibration, extended temperature range, humidity, and energy requirements. Component selection and design rules (derating, margins, etc.) are focused on durability. Industrialization and operational maintenance incorporate obsolescence management and ensure safety throughout the entire lifecycle.
Have a project in mind?
Our Support
We define objectives and risks, consolidate requirements, and establish a target architecture aligned with your constraints (latency, safety, security, power).
The choice of platforms (MCU/SoC/FPGA), buses (CAN, ARINC 429, AFDX, Ethernet TSN, etc.), and OS/RTOS (Embedded Linux, QNX, VxWorks, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, AUTOSAR) is justified and documented.
Design follows a tool-supported V-model, with functional partitioning and security by design.
We develop low-level layers (drivers, BSP, HAL), middleware, and real-time applications, applying coding standards (MISRA/CERT C) and C/C++/Rust optimization practices tailored to memory/CPU constraints.
Integration of communication stacks and frameworks (AUTOSAR Classic/Adaptive, POSIX) is mastered and bench-tested.
We establish a verification strategy compliant with your standards (SIL/ASIL/DO-178C/EN 50128/IEC 62304), covering unit, integration, system, regression, and HIL/SIL testing.
Coverage (up to MC/DC if required) and requirements-to-tests traceability are managed, and we prepare all necessary documentation for compliance files and audits.
We design secure architectures (threat modeling, hardening), implement secure boot, protect secrets (TEE/TPM/HSM), and provide signed OTA updates with rollback strategies.
Compliance with ISO 21434 and IEC 62443 standards is addressed through SBOM and vulnerability management.
We implement a software factory tailored to constrained environments (CI/CD, reproducible builds, signed artifacts), integrate deterministic testing into the pipeline, and manage operations and long-term maintenance (reverse engineering, obsolescence management, monitoring). Your platform is built to last and be operated effectively.
Methodologies and tools
- Requirements management (DOORS, Polarion), ALM (Jira), Git traceability, CI (GitLab/GitHub), code quality (SonarQube, Coverity).
- Formal reviews, static/dynamic analysis, fuzzing, fault injection.
- Living documentation (Sphinx/Doxygen/Markdown) and automated proof generation.
Our sectors of expertise
Each embedded system is custom-designed and developed to meet your specific technical, regulatory, and operational requirements. The examples below illustrate typical scopes and do not represent the full extent of our expertise.
Aerospace & Defense
- Applications: flight computers, surface controls, GNSS/INS navigation systems, data recorders, avionics gateways, space payloads.
- Constraints: high availability, fault tolerance, partitioning, strong determinism.
- Standards: DO-178C (software), coordination with DO-254 (hardware) and ARP4754A/ARP4761.
Automotive & Mobility
- Applications: powertrain and chassis ECUs, BMS, ADAS, domain/zone controllers, telematics & OTA.
- Constraints: ASIL A→D, bounded latency, power management, end-to-end cybersecurity.
- Standards: ISO 26262 (functional safety), ISO 21434 (automotive cybersecurity), AUTOSAR Classic/Adaptive best practices.
Energy & Industry
- Applications: grid protection, turbine and compressor control, power converters, IIoT edge for monitoring.
- Constraints: environmental robustness, 24/7 availability, obsolescence management.
- Standards: IEC 61508 (functional safety), IEC 62443 (industrial cybersecurity).
Railway
- Applications: signaling, interlocking, RBC, ATP/ETCS, CBTC, onboard remote monitoring.
- Constraints: SIL 0 to SIL 4, functional safety, long-term maintenance.
- Standards: EN 50128/EN 50657 (software), EN 50126/EN 50129 (railway system and safety)
Medical
- Applications: active medical devices, patient monitors, point-of-care diagnostic tools, smart pumps.
- Constraints: patient safety, full traceability, software and clinical risk management.
- Standards: IEC 62304 (software), ISO 14971 (risk), IEC 60601 (electrical safety) – depending on scope.
Let's discuss your needs
Why choose IT Link?
Critical systems expertise
Joint mastery of real-time systems, functional safety, and cybersecurity, from microcontrollers to multiprocessor SoCs.
Regulatory compliance
Ability to orchestrate projects subject to critical standards.
Governance and quality
Documented processes, clear milestones and acceptance criteria, formal reviews, and performance indicators (coverage, debt, defects) shared with full transparency.
Software industrialization
CI/CD factories tailored to constrained environments, reproducible builds, artifact signing, and HIL/SIL integration within the pipeline.
Reusable accelerators
Compliance checklists, test plan templates, safety/security case templates, and capitalized integration libraries (HAL, drivers, comms).
Operational commitment
Fixed-price projects, service centers and secure project hubs, MCO continuity, and skills transfer.
FAQ
An RTOS provides strict predictability (bounded latency) for precise control. Linux is suitable for complex processing (networking, AI) with appropriate hardening. Hybrid architectures are common.
Depending on the sector: DO-178C, ISO 26262, EN 50128/50657, IEC 62304, IEC 61508, ISO 21434, IEC 62443, MISRA… We align our deliverables with these frameworks.
Security-by-design (threats, attack surface), secure boot, SBOM, secure updates, hardening, integrity monitoring, and vulnerability management.
