I help device makers turn hardware into shippable, certifiable products on the NXP i.MX RT (Cortex-M7) platform. Below are the four areas I focus on — most engagements combine two or three.
1 · i.MX RT firmware development & board bring-up
The core work: getting a new board alive and a codebase into production shape.
- Board bring-up: clocks, DDR/SDRAM, FlexSPI/QSPI NOR, boot configuration
- Low-level drivers: USDHC (SD/eMMC), FlexPWM, LCD/backlight, I²C/SPI/UART, Ethernet
- Board support packages, debugging, and performance tuning on Cortex-M7
- Migrating bare-metal code onto a real RTOS
2 · Secure boot, provisioning & EU CRA readiness
The premium work — and the one the EU Cyber Resilience Act now makes mandatory for connected products sold in the EU (incident reporting from Sept 2026, full compliance Dec 2027).
- HABv4 secure boot, SRK fusing, and a recoverable production fuse sequence
- BEE/OTFAD encrypted XIP; secure element identity (e.g. ATECC608)
- Signed OTA / firmware-update systems (A/B, rollback protection)
- SBOM generation and a CRA gap assessment for your device
- A two-stage production flow that keeps your signing keys in-house
3 · Firmware architecture & RTOS
For teams whose firmware has outgrown its structure.
- Event-driven architecture with QP/C active objects or FreeRTOS
- Refactoring “big-loop” firmware into testable, maintainable components
- Architecture documentation as code (arc42 / AsciiDoc) your auditors will accept
4 · Prototype → production
For startups who prototyped on a Teensy 4.x (same i.MX RT1062 silicon) and now need a real product.
- From dev board to custom hardware
- Secure boot, real device identity, and production programming
- The path from “it works on my desk” to “it ships and passes certification”
How we can work together
- Fixed-scope package — e.g. a CRA gap assessment or a secure-boot bring-up
- Hourly / day-rate consulting — remote, or on-site in the DACH region
- Architecture review & workshops — a focused deep-dive for your team
Let’s talk: hoa@hoanguyen.de