Services Overview

Automated Hardware-Software Testing

Our team has developed innovative internal hardware, software, and scripts to leverage test automation, which reduces costs and timelines for verification and validation test efforts. We design test equipment, end-of-line product testers, as well as embedded test software. Collectively we have developed and automated well over 10,000 tests on electronic components for our aerospace, defense, and medical device clients, to include both module testing and hardware software integration testing. These innovative designs have saved these clients hundreds of thousands of dollars and cut months from their traditional test timelines. 

Our internal software scripts automate analysis processes to include data coupling, control coupling, structural coverage, and change impact analysis through DOORS DXL integration. Automation of these activities not only accelerates time and effort but reduces probability of human error. Our team has extensive experience in developing test strategy, architecture, and execution involving requirements-based model testing or "whitebox" testing and hardware-software integration or "blackbox" testing.

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We engage early during requirements generation to ensure testable and suitable requirements. Our integrated teams work lockstep with software development to reduce schedule and prevent systematic software issues from propagating throughout the development lifecycle. Through robust application of root cause failure analysis (RCFA) and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), we leverage our capabilities to identify and resolve complicated issues within software, hardware, and firmware. 

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Embedded Software Development & Verification

We have deep experience creating applications, services, and scripts using a wide array of languages including C, C++, C#, Python, SQL, Node.js, Swift, .NET environment, and Linux application development. Our team has expertise designing both high and low level system requirements, interface control documents, and embedded test software. Our team has developed embedded software that controls the power, actuation, lighting, and control functionality of complex systems and devices in the aerospace, medical, and automotive industries.

Our software engineers develop embedded software using model-based development and hardware based testing. Our teams use MATLAB, Simulink, SCADE, and embedded environments to develop software applications. We employ model based systems engineering (MBSE) to design, model, and develop embedded software and control applications for various products and components. These vary from integrated modular avionics architectures, to electronic hardware, to custom line-replaceable unit federated architecture environments.

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The AoE software team frequently designs and verifies embedded controller software across various industries, which empowers our clients with seamless system control. We also employ model based development to verify and validate embedded software. Using the DXL programming language in DOORS, we produce automated change impact analysis tools. Our team has designed to the full lifecycle for software certifications to include DO-178B and DO-178C.

Custom FPGA, PCB, & IP Core Design

Our hardware engineering team has over 25 years of experience in circuit design. We have extensive capabilities designing custom field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs), which implement the latest real-time high speed signal processing on low-powered embedded devices. We also develop custom low and high speed/performance IP cores using both VHDL and Verilog hardware description languages.

The team possesses deep expertise in mixed analog and digital embedded designs containing microprocessors, FPGAs, systems on a chip (SoCs), full processor-based boards, and firmware across various industries. Our FPGA design team has extensive experience using Xilinx, Microsemi, and Altera devices. Our hardware team also excels in RF, high-power, and motor control circuit development. We are proficient using various PCB development tool suites such as Altium, OrCAD, Mentor Graphics, and excel with integrated developer environment platforms. Our team is also proud to have designed electronic hardware to the DO-254 standard. 

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Electronic Prototyping & Internet of Things

In support of testing automation projects, AoE’s development team designs programmable PCBs that utilize FPGAs or the Arduino platform to help automate test environments for electronic devices. We excel at developing and prototyping electrical systems to include component libraries, schematic captures, and PCB layouts. Our team can develop scripting environments to connect electronic components using JavaScript through serial-USB connections or via connected tower applications.

On the IoT side, our engineers can design customizable carrier boards that utilize Raspberry Pi compute modules to replace expensive and antiquated programmable logic controllers. We can program our balenaFin prototypes to collect data in real time. Using a node.js website, we can readily display this data for a viewer with both viewability and ease of access in mind. Our team can develop application programmable interfaces (APIs) for both embedded hardware and web-based networks.

GPU Computing, Object Detection, & Machine Learning

AoE utilizes graphics processing unit (GPU) computing and parallel processing applications for numerous projects, including specific experience with NVIDIA cards and the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) API. We develop custom neural networks capable of performing image recognition and object detection both over the cloud and on the edge. Our team also leverages machine learning across our projects and internal R&D to help automate and accelerate system testing and design implementation.