Embedded software help when the project is stuck

Got an embedded software project that’s stuck?

Common Sense Embedded helps teams whose firmware will not ship. I work in C and C++ on existing trees, verification, and device firmware — including IEC 62304 Class C practice, not a certification claim.

You work directly with me. We look at what is actually blocking the next build, and we change that.

Stuck firmware

I join a late firmware effort and find what is really stopping the next build — not another status meeting.

Existing codebases

I take an existing C or C++ tree and make the risky parts visible so the team can move again.

Verification support

I help you put tests where they change the next release, not where they look good on a slide.

Device firmware

Medical-device firmware in C and C++, with verification practice rather than a paper claim.

Who I am

I am John Sambrook. I founded Common Sense Systems in 1996 in Kirkland, Washington. The embedded work is medical-device and regulated firmware: ultrasound platforms and defibrillator systems, in C and C++.

Delivery is verification and reproducible builds. I am not your notified body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take over the project?

No. I work with your team on the stuck part. You keep ownership. If the right move is a short review and a written picture, that is enough. If you need someone in the code for a stretch, we set a finish line.

Is this only medical devices?

The deepest scars are there, and that is where the standard of care is highest. The same habit applies to other embedded products that cannot afford a vague answer.

Can you certify us to IEC 62304?

No. I practice the engineering that 62304 expects. I am not your notified body and I will not pretend otherwise.

What happens in the first conversation?

You tell me what is stuck. I tell you whether I think I can help, and if so what a first piece of work would look like. No pitch deck.