New silicon doesn't boot itself. We bring it up.

Q: What does platform bring-up involve?

Platform bring-up is the work of making new silicon or a new board actually run - booting the chip, configuring clocks, power, and memory, writing the board support package and drivers, and bringing up an RTOS. It is the foundation every protocol stack and application sits on. needCode delivers it as solid ground for the SDK that follows.

Q: Which RTOS do you port to?

needCode ports and integrates Zephyr, FreeRTOS, and ThreadX, and works bare metal where that fits the product. RTOS portability is treated as standard so the platform can move across silicon generations rather than locking into one. The choice depends on the product's footprint, ecosystem, and lifecycle.

Q: Can you bring up new or custom silicon and boards?

Yes - needCode has completed nine hardware-platform bring-ups across UWB, BLE, and multi-protocol silicon, including custom boards and modules. Bring-up reliability comes from having done it repeatedly across vendors. New silicon and custom hardware are the core of this service.

Q: Do you build BSPs and drivers?

Yes - board support packages and device drivers for the board's peripherals are core deliverables, since they are the layer the OS and protocol stack depend on. needCode builds them to be maintainable and portable, not just functional. This is the unglamorous depth that decides whether everything above it is stable.

Q: Which silicon vendors have you worked with?

needCode has worked across Qorvo, Nordic, NXP, ST, Infineon, Texas Instruments, Silicon Labs, and Espressif, with engineers who shipped at several of them. As a certified Qorvo partner, needCode also maintains the public QM35 SDK. The breadth is what lets a bring-up start from experience rather than a datasheet.

Q: How is bring-up different from SDK development?

Bring-up is the foundation - making the silicon and board run - while SDK development is the protocol stack and APIs built on top of it. needCode separates them because the platform has to be solid before a UWB or BLE SDK lands on it. The two are often delivered together, with bring-up first.

Q: Can you bring up multi-protocol platforms?

Yes - needCode has brought up silicon running BLE, Zigbee, UWB, and Infrared together, including runtime protocol switching, with clean coexistence. Multi-protocol bring-up is harder because the radios and stacks have to share the platform. It is a demonstrated capability, not a theoretical one.

Q: How long does a platform bring-up take?

A platform bring-up is phased against the maturity of the silicon and the complexity of the board, so a well-documented chip on a standard board is faster than brand-new silicon. needCode scopes the bring-up first, with a risk list, rather than promising a date blind. Early scoping is where the realistic timeline comes from.

needCode brings up new silicon and boards - board support packages, drivers, and RTOS porting across Zephyr, FreeRTOS, and ThreadX - the foundation every protocol stack and SDK sits on. Nine hardware-platform bring-ups completed across UWB, BLE, and multi-protocol silicon, by a team that's done it repeatedly rather than once.

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We work with Industry Leaders

Every wireless product starts with silicon that doesn't do anything yet

Below the protocol stack and the application is the part no datasheet does for you: making new silicon actually run - the BSP, the drivers, the RTOS brought up and stabilised, the board peripherals working together. It's slow, exacting, and unforgiving, and a shaky bring-up undermines everything built on top.

Most teams do a bring-up rarely; doing it well is a function of having done it many times. needCode has completed nine hardware-platform bring-ups across UWB, BLE, and multi-protocol silicon. We bring up the platform so the SDK, the stack, and the product have solid ground to stand on.

9 platform bring-ups

Across UWB, BLE, and multi-protocol silicon - repetition is what makes a bring-up reliable.

Protocol-agnostic foundation

BSP, drivers, and RTOS beneath any wireless stack - UWB, BLE, WiFi, or mixed.

RTOS portability

Zephyr, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, bare metal - built to move across silicon generations, not lock in.

What platform bring-up includes

Four layers turn new silicon into a platform you can build on. needCode delivers all four.

Silicon Bring-Up

Getting new silicon to boot, run, and behave - clocks, power domains, memory, and peripherals brought up from nothing. It's the first and least forgiving step, where a problem missed here resurfaces in everything built on top.

Board Support Package & Drivers

BSP and device drivers for the board's peripherals - the layer the OS and protocol stack depend on to talk to the hardware. needCode builds them to be maintainable and portable, because this is the unglamorous code everything above it trusts.

RTOS Porting & Integration

Zephyr, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, or bare metal brought up on the platform, with scheduling, drivers, and power management tuned to the silicon. The RTOS choice shapes the product's footprint and lifecycle, so needCode fits it to the hardware rather than forcing one.

Foundation for the Stack

The bring-up handed over as solid, documented ground for a protocol SDK or application to land on. It's the difference between a stack built on bedrock and one built on a platform that still surprises you.

UWB SDK Development

BLE SDK Development

New silicon or a new board to bring up?

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Where bring-up matters

A bring-up underpins very different programmes. needCode adapts the same depth to each.

New Silicon (Chip Vendors)

Bring-up alongside the chip itself, so the reference platform and SDK land together when the silicon samples. For a vendor, that timing is what lets early customers evaluate on day one instead of waiting.

Semiconductor Manufacturers

New Boards & Modules

Custom hardware brought to life for a product programme - a new board, module, or reference design taken from schematic to working platform. needCode has done this across nine platforms, so a new board starts from experience.

Multi-Protocol Platforms

Silicon running BLE, Zigbee, UWB, or Infrared together, with the coexistence and runtime switching that keep the radios from fighting each other. It's harder than any single-protocol bring-up, and needCode has shipped it in one platform.

Multi-Protocol / Coexistence

Across the ICP

Automotive ECUs, robotics compute, and IoT devices - any platform that has to come alive before the product can. needCode brings the same low-level depth wherever new hardware needs to boot reliably.

Robotics & Humanoids

Automotive & SDV

Why teams bring needCode in for bring-up

Nine bring-ups, across vendors

Bring-up reliability is a function of repetition, and needCode has done it nine times across UWB, BLE, and multi-protocol silicon. A new platform starts from hard-won experience rather than a learning curve you fund.

The team behind the public QM35 SDK

needCode's bring-up work produced the public Qorvo QM35 SDK - an inspectable artefact, not just an internal milestone. A prospect can read real output before the first call instead of taking capability on trust.

RTOS portability as standard

Zephyr, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, bare metal - needCode builds the platform to move across silicon generations rather than lock into one. That portability is what protects the investment when the next chip arrives.

Foundation done right

A shaky bring-up taxes a product for its entire life, in instability that's hard to trace and expensive to fix late. needCode makes the ground solid before the stack lands, so everything above it stays stable.

Four ways to bring needCode in

From a scoping pass to a long-term team. We match the engagement to where the platform is

01 Feasibility & Site Survey

Duration:
2–4 weeks
Best for:
Assessing new silicon or a board and planning the bring-up
Deliverable:
Scope, risk list, bring-up plan

02 RTLS Design & Build

Duration:
Phased
Best for:
New silicon or a new board taken from nothing to a working platform
Deliverable:
Silicon bring-up, BSP, drivers, RTOS, and a working reference

03 Deployment & Scale-Up

Duration:
Phased
Best for:
Porting to a new RTOS, refactoring a BSP, or stabilising an existing platform
Deliverable:
Migrated, stabilised platform

04 Long-Term Partnership

Duration:
Multi-year, retainer-based
Best for:
Vendors who want an embedded platform team across silicon generations
Deliverable:
The 30-FTE Qorvo model - a dedicated team in your cadence

What we ship on

We pick the silicon, RTOS, and toolchain that match your hardware and its lifecycle.

Silicon

Qorvo

Nordic

NXP

STMicroelectronics

Infineon

Texas Instruments

Silicon Labs

Espressif

RTOS

Zephyr

FreeRTOS

ThreadX

bare metal

Languages

C99

C11

C++

Rust

Toolchains

GCC

LLVM / Clang

IAR

Keil

CMake

West

Kconfig

Peripherals

SPI

I²C

UART

USB

SDIO

DMA

low-power domains

Case studies

The proof for a bring-up service is repetition across real silicon.

Qorvo: RF Leadership

Context: Rapid scaling for new chipset bring-up.

Scale: Grew from <10 to 30 FTEs.
Output: Supported bring-up of 9 new hardware platforms (SDKs, Drivers, Stacks).
Retention: Zero-churn core team retained for 5+ years.

Dedicated Development Center for RF Solutions

Bluetooth Mesh Smart Lighting Control System

Smart Lighting: Core R&D Extension

Context: Client needed deep, specialized expertise to pivot from proprietary tech to a new global standard.

Service: Deployed a dedicated squad of embedded engineers to function as the client's core R&D team.
Output: Co-authored official Bluetooth SIG protocols and delivered the world’s first certified BLE Mesh stack.
Value: Enabled the client to secure Series A funding and defined the industry standard for smart buildings.

Creative Werks: Innovation rescue

Context: Hardware obsolescence threatened production shutdown.

Action: Full-stack takeover (PCB redesign + Firmware + Mobile App).
ROI: 1230% ($1.6M value generated).
Speed: Payback period of 2–3 months.

NeedCode-case study - IoT Solution for Boat Lift Modernization - cover2s

PowerPollen: AgTech automation

Context: Lack of internal expertise stalled a critical automation project.

Action: Re-architected system using unified MCU and ISOBUS standards.
ROI: 13.8x ($2.9M value generated).
Impact: Enabled $1.9M increase in harvester value.

Strategic Partnership

needCode is an official business partner of Qorvo, bringing over 8 years of proven expertise and trusted service to the technology sector.

Check our performance

Members of the UWB Alliance

In 2025 we became a member of the UWB Alliance. This strategic step reinforces our commitment to pioneering Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.

Proudly Certified for Excellence and Security

needCode is officially certified for:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security

ISO certifications reflect our focus on delivering reliable IoT solutions, smart product development, and secure technology services.

Testimonials

“I think the key takeaway from needCode is their ability to adapt and understand the customer's requirements. That took away probably a large portion of what could have been a lot of development time and expense for both companies.”

Bob Folkestad

President at Creative Werks

“One aspect that truly sets needCode apart is its profound expertise in firmware development. Their proficiency in various programming languages, embedded systems and hardware architecture is truly impressive. When faced with difficult problems, their strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset shine through, allowing them to overcome obstacles with remarkable ease.”

Semeh Sarhan

CEO at Xtrava

“I worked with needCode while leading the NWTN-Berlin team in 2018. A big chunk for our FW development has been outsourced to them and they had proven to iterate very quickly, following specs and deliver on time. It was great working with them. I recommend working with needCode’s team on any Embedded SW development.”

Marco Salvioli Mariani

CTO at NWTN Berlin GmbH

“needCode Team proved to be one of the best engineers I have ever met. The part I like the most about the team is the more difficult an obstacle seems to be, the more motivated they were to find a solution and a way forward.”

Szymon Słupik

CTO at Silvair

“needCode is an outstanding partner. Their quick follow-up, scalability, and extensive professional network set them apart. Their expertise in wireless technologies has been valuable, supporting us from low-level drivers to architecture discussions.”

Tim Allemeersch

Director at Qorvo, Inc.

“needCode did a great job improving the firmware of the Vai Kai connected toys and developing new features, surpassing our expectations multiple times. I would definitely recommend hiring Bartek and needCode for the embedded software projects!”

Matas Petrikas

CEO & Co-founder at Vai Kai UG

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