Page 216 - The Art of Designing Embedded Systems

A Standards

Monual

Every day we make a choice: create firmware in a consistent, repeat-
able way, or just crank out code as whim dictates. Though it is possible to
build successful products using chaotic and ill-disciplined methods, two
generations of research shows that ad hoc development ultimately results
in poor code delivered late.
No firmware organization can seriously consider itself “professional”
unless it has a set of standards to which all code is held. Those standards
must be in writing and absolutely clear. Developers must buy into the con-
cept of using standards-or be retrained or replaced. Period. Code inspec-
tions insure every bit of software is audited to the standard.
Use the following standard intact, or modify it to suit your re-
quirements. Feel free to download the machine-readable version from
www.ganssle.com/ades/fsm. html.

Scope

This document defines the standard way all programmers will create
embedded firmware. Every programmer is expected to be intimately fa-
miliar with the Standard, and to understand and accept these requirements.
All consultants and contractors will also adhere to this Standard.
The reason for the Standard is to insure all company-developed
firmware meets minimum levels of readability and maintainability.
Source code has two equally important functions: it must work, and it
must clearly communicate how it works to a future programmer or the

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