Description
My client produces heavy duty networking radio equipment for mining operations. The ‘firmware’ that runs these radios is a custom Linux solution utilizing 3rd party components and in-house software. The firmware requires consistent releases and adaptation to hardware changes for newer hardware models. This all gets compiled into a installer that can run from within the existing system, or from a physical USB stick. In this way fleets can be updated as needed without forcing the mining vehicles back to the shop for maintenance.
Role
My role in this ecosystem was to ensure the firmware build system was stable and reliable. I worked with the very skilled engineers and system-level developers to bring the software together into a deliverable package. Kernel customization and other low-level tweaks were often needed. I automated the whole process to build the custom Linux installer in under 15 minutes. I also created tools to track the state of various elements to determine if they were ready for the next release. Thorough testing was done of the generated installer across a sampling of all supported radio models. My code was used to track the state of this testing on the models. These tools and automations allowed a quarterly release cycle for the Firmware system.“,