Project
Reliable embedded system design
Patterns for structuring robust embedded C systems with clear ownership, testable modules, and explicit error handling.
Embedded software is easier to maintain when modules have clear ownership, narrow interfaces, and explicit failure behaviour. I use abstract data types and composition to bring useful object-oriented design ideas into C without hiding resource use or control flow.
Principles
- Encapsulate mutable state behind a small public API
- Represent recoverable failures with explicit error values
- Keep hardware access behind replaceable adapters
- Separate policy from mechanism
- Make initialization and shutdown states unambiguous
- Design for unit tests before hardware is available
Why it matters
In firmware, a vague interface often becomes a hardware debugging problem later. Strong module boundaries reduce coupling and make integration failures easier to localize.