Building Operating Systems

Overview

Hardware-Software Co-Design

Integrating electrical engineering with operating system development

The Complete Stack — Powered by ForgeOS

Building a modern embedded operating system requires deep integration between hardware and software. ForgeOS is the core build system — a developer-first tool unifying application builds, package management, and embedded Linux image generation. It uses a Ninja backend for fast builds and YAML-based configuration.

ForgeOS employs a layered monorepo architecture (core → BSP → distro → vendor → product layers) with cross-compilation support for ARM, x86, and RISC-V. A single config file and a single command — forge build / forge system — is all you need.

Hardware abstraction layer design
Custom peripheral drivers
Power management integration
Real-time signal processing
Sensor fusion architectures
Ninja-powered parallel builds with YAML config
Cross-compilation: ARM, x86, RISC-V

Hardware

Electrical Engineering Interfaces

Bridging the physical and digital worlds

GPIO & Digital I/O

General-purpose input/output design for sensor integration, actuator control, and external device communication.

Communication Buses

I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, and other bus protocols for reliable data transfer between components.

Analog Signal Processing

ADC/DAC integration, signal conditioning, and real-world sensor interfaces.

Design

CAD Schematic Design

Professional hardware design methodology

Design Process

Our CAD-based approach ensures reliable, manufacturable hardware designs that integrate seamlessly with our operating system software.

Schematic capture and circuit design
PCB layout and routing
Signal integrity analysis
EMC compliance design
Thermal management
Design for manufacturability (DFM)

Platforms

Open Source Linux & RTOS

Leveraging proven foundations for innovation

ForgeOS Architecture Stack

Product Layer (Applications & User Space)

Vendor Layer (OEM Customizations)

Distro Layer (Linux Kernel / RTOS Core)

BSP Layer (Board Support Package & HAL)

Core Layer (ForgeOS Build System & Toolchains)

Hardware Platform — E-Bootloader (Staged Boot: Stage-0 HW Init → Stage-1 A/B Slot Manager)

Comparison

Linux vs RTOS: Choosing the Right Foundation

Understanding when to use each approach

Criteria	Embedded Linux	RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)
Real-time Performance	Soft real-time (with RT patch)	Hard real-time guaranteed
Memory Footprint	Larger (MB+)	Minimal (KB)
Boot Time	Seconds	Milliseconds
Ecosystem	Vast libraries & tools	Growing, focused
Networking	Full TCP/IP stack	Lightweight options
Best For	Complex applications, HMI	Safety-critical, low power

Guidelines

Best Practices & What to Avoid

Lessons learned from embedded OS development

Do: Prioritize Modularity

Design with separation of concerns. Keep hardware abstraction layers clean and well-documented to enable portability.

Avoid: Monolithic Designs

Tightly coupled code becomes unmaintainable. Avoid mixing hardware-specific code with application logic.

Do: Test Continuously

Implement unit testing, hardware-in-loop testing, and automated CI/CD pipelines for embedded systems.

Avoid: Ignoring Power

Power management must be designed from the start, not added later. Plan sleep states and power domains early.

Do: Document Everything

Comprehensive documentation of interfaces, protocols, and design decisions enables collaboration.

Avoid: Premature Optimization

Profile first, optimize later. Focus on correct functionality before micro-optimizations.