About Persides > Capabilities > Technology & Systems Engineering > Embedded Electronics
and Software Engineering

Persides expertise in electronics and software engineering is focussed on the design and development of high performance, low power embedded systems to meet customers’ requirements or as part of Persides’ internal product portfolio development.  Our own product VEEcam® is demonstrable evidence of our ability to translate an original Persides idea into fully developed manufacturable product for the defence, security and commercial markets.

The systems that we develop are either standalone products or form part of a higher-level integrated system, but all have in common the rigorous application of the complete systems engineering processes, tailored as appropriate, as described here.

Persides skills span the complete lifecycle from rapid prototyping, to generate a technology demonstrator, through to volume production and into post-delivery support. 

The  scope of Persides’ technology development skills includes:
  • Original idea development with proof of concept by the use of modelling in MATLAB and/or demonstration systems.
  • System architecture design using UML and where necessary modelling in MATLAB
  • Electronic hardware design and development ranging from circuit design through to the supply of a populated and tested printed circuit board.
  • Software architecture definition using UML and real-time operating systems
  • Software coding in Assembler, C, C++, Java, HTML and VB
  • Trade-off and selection of COTS hardware
  • Control software using commercial RTOS/OS
  • Protocol software using commercial stacks
  • Integration of hardware and software
  • Design and build of Automatic Test Equipment to support volume production testing

In support of our focus on embedded systems Persides has significant skills in delivering DSP and FPGA solutions which can add specialist processing capability to augment general purpose microprocessors.  Persides has a major skill in the development of combined hardware & software FPGA based systems using the Altera NIOS and Xilinx Microblaze systems.

We have in-depth knowledge with all the major design tools and associated processes, including:
  • CAD – Altium Designer (Protel DXP)
  • FPGA tools – Altera Quartus, Xilinx XPS & ISE, Mentor Graphics HDL Designer, ModelSim
  • Simulation - MATLAB
  • Real Time OS – VxWorks, eLinux, Nucleus
  • Modeling – UML, Yourdon, HOOD, SSADM

For mechanical design, PCB manufacture/assembly and final high volume assembly Persides has a number of preferred partners which can be applied to provide a total end-to-end product solution.

 

Persides domain expertise is within the C4ISR area, centred around the following:

  • Embedded video/stills processing
  • Communications systems – tactical radio, SATCOM, mobile telecoms, video over IP and low bit-rate bearers
  • Cryptography solutions – HAIPE, LEF and legacy (BID1650)
  • Electronic warfare – Comms ESM and Non-Comms ESM
  • Situational awareness including Blue and Red Force tracking
  • Remote Sensors for Ground Dismounted and Mounted Close Combat
  • Logistics information gathering and processing
Examples of our technology development experience include the following:
  • VEEcam® - Video for Extreme Environments, an internal R&D programme that delivered a unique ruggedised image processing system for extreme environments.
  • CHIM(P) - is a hardware and software development programme to deliver the next generation multipurpose high grade crypto device to the UK MoD.  Persides role for Harris Systems included hardware and software development for Legacy crypto interoperability.