At Qhorus, Inc., embedded software development is our specialty. From device drivers to web user interfaces, from boot software to communications protocols, we have experience across the spectrum of embedded development. The categories listed below are our current specialties; for examples of some of the projects we've done in the past, check out our Projects page. If you think your project could use some help from us, just send an email to info@qhorus.com.
Qhorus, Inc. develops and tests Board Support Packages (BSPs) for embedded Linux, VxWorks, and other operating systems. When your software engineers are ready to begin development on your new prototype board, don't keep them waiting for a BSP that takes too long to deliver; let Qhorus, Inc. get your team up and running on that new hardware as fast as possible.
Qhorus, Inc. develops device drivers for both embedded Linux and VxWorks. We have experience with all types of device interface busses, including PCI and USB. We've written drivers for a variety of device types, including network devices, and we've developed drivers for devices that use DMA.
We have extensive experience designing and implementing communications protocols at the application, network and data link layers. We are well acquainted with the difficulties involved in this sort of development and we've fielded many successful designs in this area. From application-specific high-level protocols to standards-based data link protocols like GVRP and Spanning Tree, we have the experience necessary to tackle the unique challenges of implementing the "plumbing" of computer networks.
Boot software design is one of our favorite specialties here at Qhorus, Inc. The lowly boot loader doesn't get a lot of respect, but no system is complete without one. They're often the last thing that systems designers think about, but a well-designed boot system is crucial for supporting product development and mass production as well as for common features like field software upgrade. We have experience configuring and extending a variety of open boot software packages such as U-Boot and RedBoot as well as designing boot software for VxWorks systems and others.
Much like the boot loader, field software upgrade is a feature that doesn't always get the attention it deserves during system design. If your software engineers are busy working on getting your application working and debugged, there's not always enough time to make sure that the field software upgrade feature is designed well and works correctly every time. Qhorus, Inc. can help you ensure that your field software upgrade design is robust and secure, allowing your software engineers to remain focused on the product-specific features that your project needs to succeed.
Does your product communicate on the CAN bus? Then Qhorus, Inc. can help. We've got the experience with CAN bus interface devices and test tools that can help you meet your delivery date.
There are lots of embedded Linux development companies out there. However, when it comes time to field your product and your contractor tells you that you'll need 256MB of flash to do it, you'll know that you should have talked to Qhorus, Inc. first. We have helped to field many embedded Linux designs running in 32MB or less of flash memory. With today's razor-thin margins, every penny counts and flash memory is often one of the first things on the chopping block when the Bill Of Materials cost needs to come down. We can help you trim your application down to size while maintaining your feature set, and without making your developers' lives difficult.
Here at Qhorus, we love little low cost processors like the ARM7 and ARM9 and we have a lot of experience working with them. What's not to like? They're cheap, they get faster every year, and they're used in lots of great microcontrollers like those from Cirrus or Atmel. We particularly like the development kit boards offered by Technologic Systems, and we use those for our custom product development. If you're thinking of developing a small run of low-power, low-cost embedded systems using boards like these, Qhorus, Inc. has the experience necessary to help you succeed.
Many more products are including web servers to present a convenient, portable interface to users on the network. We have developed embedded web interfaces for a variety of products, and we can help you decide the best approach for your project. We've got experience configuring a variety of embedded web servers including thttpd, mini-httpd, and Apache. A good web interface can really help make your project stand out, and our experience with technologies like AJAX and developing for mobile browsers such as the iPhone can help make the difference.
Need help getting your software team up and running with embedded Linux? Qhorus, Inc. can help. We have plenty of experience setting up revision control, designing build systems, configuring open-source software packages, and all of those other little tasks that can take big chunks of time away from your development project. We can make sure that your developers are able to focus on writing and testing software, not struggling with setting up their development environment.