Hire expert freelance firmware programmers and developers for your company

Hire the best Firmware Developers with Cad Crowd's Recruitment Services

When it comes to firmware development, hiring the right developer is a critical factor for success. At Cad Crowd, we specialize in matching clients with skilled freelance developers who are ready to start at any time and any day.   

Is It software or firmware?

Software and firmware developers are two terms that may cause some confusion as both appear to be working on the same thing, but they are not. The biggest comparison between the two types of developers is the environment where they are used.

In a PC game, which is considered a type of software, you have to click on the shortcut to play it and press quit to unload it from the system. Your GPU, on the other hand, comes with firmware. It remains turned on when the laptop switch is pressed and will only turn off when you shut it down. A website browser and word-processing program are also software, but your printer has embedded firmware.

Another difference is that firmware has control over how the hardware behaves, which software is unable to do. Every electronic product needs a firmware as it contains all the features and functions. Everyday household items like your washing machine, TV, microwave oven, coffee maker all have firmware embedded in their hardware.

What is an embedded system?

An embedded system is an independent program designed to perform a series of specific functions within a much larger system. It is a combination of hardware and software, with an integrated circuit at its core for real-time operations.

For example, the embedded firmware of a washing machine controls how every wash cycle does its job. Once a user selects and starts a cycle, the firmware triggers the sequence of actions to regulate the water level, open and close the shut-off valve, perform the actual washing process, and so on. Most embedded systems have a microcontroller, which functions as the brain, to execute all commands and manage the operations. 

What skills do firmware engineers need?

All those differences are relevant to how firmware and software developers do their jobs. Most typical firmware engineers are good enough at crafting functional software, but at the same time, they need to have a working knowledge of electronics. Electronic hardware components have their limitations, so it's the job of firmware engineers to create an embedded system that can manage hardware resources as efficiently as possible. To be able to do that, a firmware engineer needs expertise in the following subjects:

A firmware developer’s day-to-day activities

Collaboration is written all over a typical firmware developer's work. Even in a relatively straightforward project of hardware/firmware integration, the developer often has to work together with an electrical engineer and prototype maker to run multiple tests including verification.  

A project starts with a discussion between the product designer and firmware developer. Here, they discuss the hardware specification, the vision of the product, and whether all ideas are technically feasible. The next part is coding the firmware based on the hardware design, which takes a lot of the developer’s time coding. Depending on the how complex the firmware is, the coding itself may take a month or more.

Most PCBs, with the firmware already integrated into them, will need a tweak or twice before they're ready. No PCB came out right the first time, even for electronic products developed by a big company. In fact, that's the main reason why large companies always plan for a lengthy debugging schedule. Testing and debugging are the most challenging parts of a firmware development project, with plenty of revisions until the developer gets it right. This is usually the point wherein their involvement in a project ends.

You may need them again when you need to update the firmware, but this is usually for products that have to work with other complex systems, for instance, computer GPUs and some digital cameras. If the products are simple enough, such as washing machines and refrigerators, there is usually no update at all.

What you do determines what you need

Cad Crowd’s method of finding the right talent for your company is pretty simple: some firmware developers focus on just one or two specific types of services, so we will ask about what kind of projects you do, and then we match them with the developers specializing in those areas of expertise.

Firmware development projects can be divided into a few categories, including:

• RTOS: firmware made for real-time operating systems such as LiteOS, Zephyr, RTEMS, FreeRTOS, ThreadX. They are built to prioritize real-time responses because the system has strict time constraints.
• ROS: tools and libraries designed for robotics and automation applications. Our database of firmware developers have hands-on experience in the Robot Operating System.
• Cortex-based: there are many versions of Cortex microcontrollers, such as the Cortex-M family, which includes everything from M0 (2004) to M52 (2023), and the Cortex-R family. Some developers are more comfortable working with one Cortex family over the other.
• AOSP: it is true Android is mostly developed by Google, but the operating system itself is open-source and based on Linux. Cad Crowd can help you connect with firmware developers with Android customization know-how.
• HAL: the development of reusable firmware. Most of our network is filled with developers with proven track records in creating hardware-independent firmware.
• DSP: if your project involves firmware capable of digital signal processing, we have just the right developers for you. Well, we can actually do better; a good number of developers in our network have done various projects where they augmented DPS solutions with machine learning, either locally or cloud-based.
• Firmware migration: each time you need to migrate firmware from one microcontroller to another while keeping features/functions intact, Cad Crowd already has a selection of candidates to make it a seamless process. Furthermore, they have the skills to change the PCB layout if you need it and build a portable design as well.
• Bare metal: the firmware runs directly on the hardware without any intermediary operating system. It is also the most common type of firmware used in home appliances. We have mentioned some examples earlier such as coffee makers and washing machines.

We know that sometimes, you may need a developer who isn’t directly involved in the project but as a tester. In many cases, having the firmware evaluated by an independent reviewer can benefit you. 

So, what projects do you do?

Just because you say you need some firmware developers; it does not mean we will simply send dozens of resumes from candidates with that credential. We need to know what projects you do, and that is only the very first step. Cad Crowd has been in the business for more than a decade that we have come to realize every project is unique. Even when two companies seem to be doing the same things, there must be some differences in their approaches and cultures.

Rest assured that the candidates we send to your doorsteps have been pre-screened to match the job qualification, in terms of hard skills and soft skills as well. Reach out to Cad Crowd at your convenience and we will be happy to give you a tour of how our method is among the most effective you will come across today.