CSA Engineering AG | Blog articles

Microcontrollers Instead of FPGAs

Matthias Renner, 21. July 2026

Does this system really need an FPGA, or is a microcontroller sufficient? This question comes up more often than you might think. Three real-world projects show why the answer today is often different from what it was just a few years ago.

Titelbild Blogbeitrag Erfolgsfaktoren im Embedded Testing

Success factors in embedded testing

Martin Kuhn, 16. June 2026

Learn how clear requirements, early testing, and a solid infrastructure ensure software quality and reliability in safety-critical embedded systems.

NTP & NTS - Why Time Without Trust is Worthless in Distributed Systems

Nicolas Andres, 19. May 2026

Why time without trust is worthless in distributed systems: Learn how Network Time Security (NTS) prevents time manipulation and protects digital identity.

Titelbild Blogbeitrag Effiziente Embedded GUIs STM32 mit TouchGFX und GPU Optimierung DE

Efficient Embedded GUIs: STM32 with TouchGFX and GPU Optimization

Embedded Team CSA, 21. April 2026

Smartphone UX for Embedded Devices: Learn how CSA Engineering uses TouchGFX and MIPI DSI to create smooth GUIs on STM32 microcontrollers.

PKI & CMP - Why Secure Systems Don't Scale Without Automated Certificate Management

Nicolas Andres, 24. March 2026

Secure systems don't scale without automated certificate management. Learn how PKI & CMP minimize operational risks and meet Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) requirements.

Observability & OpenTelemetry in.NET-Enviroment

Patrick Heiniger, 24. February 2026

Boost your .NET system reliability with Observability and OpenTelemetry. Expert insights by CSA Engineering on metrics, logs, traces, and OTEL collectors

ISO 9001: 2015 - Audit passed

Marc Sägesser, 10. February 2026

ISO audit for certification of the management system according to ISO 9001:2015 passed.

Rotating LED Globe – Where Precision and Innovation Merge

Michael Lüthy, 27. January 2026

CSA's Rotating LED Globe: Discover how persistence-of-vision, STM32H7, and expert embedded engineering create stunning, floating 3D images and animations.

Why C++ is Far From Dead - Despite Rust

Nicola Jaggi, 09. December 2025

Modernes C++ bietet starke Features wie RAII, constexpr und Smart Pointer und bleibt trotz Rust eine der wichtigsten Sprachen in Embedded Systemen. Der Beitrag zeigt praxisnahe Beispiele und erklärt, warum C++ weiterhin relevant bleibt.

Experience Technology: Future Day 2025 at CSA

Oliver Neuhaus, 27. November 2025

Future Day 2025 at CSA: Kids explore technology up close through soldering, coding and hands on insights into electronics development. A day full of curiosity, creativity and inspiration.

Architectures in Comparison: Onion or Vertical Slice?

Patrick Heiniger, 28. October 2025

Comparison of Onion and Vertical Slice Architecture: Learn which software architecture works best for complex, modular, or agile projects – with practical insights and recommendations.

Functional Safety according to IEC61508

Mathieu Bourquin, 23. September 2025

Introduction to functional safety according to IEC61508 with examples, methods like risk graph and FMEA, and implementation of safety functions.

Modern Automation Needs Both: PLC and Embedded Systems

Oliver Neuhaus, 26. August 2025

Learn how PLCs and embedded systems complement modern automation and when custom solutions deliver real advantages.

Cyber Resilience Act: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now

Matthias Renner, 22. July 2025

The Cyber Resilience Act introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for digital products. Learn which products are affected, what developers must do, and how CSA supports your path to compliance.

Successfully Implementing Qi Charging: Developer Guide

Adrian Sallaz, 17. June 2025

Successfully implement Qi Wireless Charging: 3 critical success factors, certification roadmap, and proven strategies.

CSA at Swiss Testing Day 2025

Martin Kuhn & Marc Sägesser, 20. May 2025

CSA at Swiss Testing Day 2025. Key insights on AI-powered testing, quality culture, and organizational test practices.

Embedded devices with artificial intelligence: keyword spotting with TinyML and Cortex-M4

Mathieu Bourquin, 22. April 2025

Learn how to implement an AI model on an embedded device. Including FlatBuffer usage, sliding-window approach, and keyword spotting example.

Testing non-functional requirements, a contradiction?

Urs Ryf, 25. March 2025

In practice, there are always discussions about what are functional and what are non-functional requirements for a system. Could a suitable structuring of the requirements according to the right topics make the discussion superfluous? How do you prove that all requirements have been met? In this blog post, we describe a possible solution.

AI in embedded systems - how it works!

Lukas Frei, 04. March 2025

This article highlights the processes that take place in AI systems and how these are implemented on embedded devices. The advantages and disadvantages as well as the associated challenges are presented.

System-/Integration-Tests von Embedded Devices: Wann ist eine Automatisierung sinnvoll?

Nicola Jaggi, 28. January 2025

Verifying the functionality of a comprehensive product is a vital part of the development process. For products combining hardware and software, this verification is often done manually. Automated systems and integration tests with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) can significantly reduce the workload and are a key component of the Testing Trophy.

2024 and still Doxygen - time for alternatives?

Pascal Hari, 26. November 2024

Doxygen will remain the standard for documenting C++ code in 2024, but are there any viable alternatives? This article highlights the pros and cons as well as possible options for developers.

Future Day 2024 at CSA

Julian Veser, 20. November 2024

National Future Day is not a normal career taster day. On Future Day, the focus is on changing sides: girls and boys are given practical insights into professions and areas of work in which their gender is underrepresented.

The Right Tools in Requirements Engineering: What Really Matters

Daniel Niggli, 22. October 2024

In product development, requirements are crucial to a project's success. In this post, we highlight the key features that a suitable requirements engineering tool should offer.

Ninja vs Make

Pascal Hari, 24. September 2024

This article compares the Ninja and GNU Make build systems. Find out what advantages Ninja offers in terms of speed and parallelism and why GNU Make remains a popular choice despite its complexity.

From idea to finished product: requirements engineering sets the direction

Daniel Niggli, 20. August 2024

You can only produce the right product and plan how to do so effectively if you are fully aware of the key requirements of the system to be developed.

From theory to practice: unit testing for embedded software

Michael Bernhard, 23. July 2024

Unit testing is a well-understood concept; corresponding frameworks and extensive technical literature exist for every programming language.

The new EN 50716 rules for project organisation

Michael Schuler, 25. June 2024

Despite the revision of the standard SN EN 50716:2023, the requirements regarding the separation of roles and the competencies of the staff involved are extensive and must be carefully considered when assembling a development team.

Projects at CSA – our process for your added value

Matthias Witschi, 23. May 2024

Today’s world is fast-paced and shaped by constant changes. Digitalisation and ongoing globalisation, among other things, are the driving force for this, resulting in international competition with rapid technological developments.

New standard EN 50716:2023 «Requirements for software development» Part 2

Urs Ryf, 22. April 2024

In November 2023, CENELEC issued the new EN 50716:2023 «Railway Applications – Requirements for software development» (DAV: 17 November 2023).

Antenna matching – a simple explanation of the procedure

Benjamin Wieland, 18. March 2024

Optimising antennas with an impedance matching network is crucial for efficient signal transmission in the IoT. Precise design, evaluation and optimisation can significantly improve the performance and range of the antennas.

New standard EN 50716:2023 «Requirements for software development» Part 1

Urs Ryf, 27. February 2024

In November 2023, CENELEC issued the new EN 50716:2023 «Railway Applications – Requirements for software development» (DAV: 2023-11-17). This replaces the previous standard EN 50128.

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) with Helm charts and Argo CD

Nicola Fricker, 16. January 2024

Efficient and automated deployment of web applications across multiple environments is essential for focussing on implementing customer-specific requirements.

Medical grade bootloader for ARM microcontrollers (UPDATE)

Matthias Renner, 11. December 2023

It has already been more than six months since we published our first blog post on the subject of bootloaders. A lot has happened since then.

The void between vision and specification: the challenge in software development that is often forgotten

Adrian Annaheim, 27. November 2023

The customer’s vision, driven by ambition and desire for innovation, and the dry specifications of the development team are often worlds apart.

Experience: Future Day at CSA Engineering AG

Oliver Neuhaus, 14. November 2023

Every year, November presents CSA Engineering AG with a special opportunity to give the next generation a greater understanding of the world of technology and innovation.

Our toolbox for embedded development

Pascal Hari, 24. October 2023

Having the right tools at your fingertips increases efficiency and quality. It focuses your mind on your craftsmanship, making your work enjoyable.

C++ Framework for embedded Applications

Matthias Witschi, 12. September 2023

A framework provides the developer with tried-and-tested concepts and a clear structure, enabling them to find solutions efficiently. The developer can concentrate on finding solutions in terms of content.

Successful development and integration of an SIL4 protocol stack for the rail industry

Daniel Niggli, 16. August 2023

The successful development and integration of the SIL4 protocol stack for the railway industry underscores CSA’s expertise and experience.

Microservices with Dapr

Patrick Heiniger, 11. July 2023

Dapr stands for “Distributed Application Runtime” and is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) project.

Coinless – A retrofit kit for enabling cashless payments on coin-operated vending machines

Matthias Witschi, 14. June 2023

Coinless, a retrofit system for cashless payments for “outdated” coin payment systems such as those found in children’s carousels, car wash facilities and many other places. We have now implemented this system in the form of a minimum viable product (MVP).

Certified with pride: how CSA takes staff qualifications to the next level

Oliver Neuhaus, 13. June 2023

Our staff are our superpower. We listen to them, take their needs seriously and are there to give them a helping hand. Our pledge? To support them in developing their skills and help bring them up to speed through continuous further training. For us, there's always room for learning and growth!

OPC UA server on an ARM microcontroller with different RTOS

Matthias Witschi, 16. May 2023

The rapid advance of connectivity and automation in production facilities and factories is increasing the demands placed on secure and reliable data transport. One possible solution to these challenges is OPC UA.

QR codes on ARM microcontrollers

Nicolas Andres, 27. March 2023

QR codes have become hugely popular in recent years and are now used almost everywhere. They make it possible to display a large amount of information in a very compact form factor.

Sales reinforcement with Oliver Neuhaus

CSA media release, 14. March 2023

CSA Engineering strengthens sales with Oliver Neuhaus.

LoRaWAN with the STM32WL55

Michel Rüegger, 28. February 2023

During Boostcamp 2022, we gained more in-depth knowledge of several technologies. This article gives an insight into ST’s STM32WL55 controller, which combines a dual-core general-purpose microcontroller with a sub-GHz radio chip.

Straightforward development of displays and touchscreens – including in embedded systems

Mathieu Bourquin, 06. February 2023

Graphical user interfaces are all around us. Displays and touchscreens are also increasingly being used in embedded systems.

Medical grade bootloader for ARM microcontrollers

Matthias Renner, 24. January 2023

The process of installing firmware updates in the field is challenging for many products, especially medical devices. Our CSA bootloader saves a lot of development time during embedded projects, creating added value in terms of performing secure (remote) updates in the field.

Growth and more space

Hugo Ziegler, 19. December 2022

In recent years, we have grown gently but steadily.

Thinking, learning, implementing, laughing – the CSA Boostcamp

Matthias Witschi, 24. November 2022

Two days of brainstorming, implementation and laughter – that was our “Boostcamp” 2022.

Investing in the future

Michael Bernhard, 22. November 2022

At CSA, our employees' children can spend the day getting a sneak peek into the world of development.

Get to know us: Michael Bernhard

Michael Bernhard, 21. November 2022

Get to know the people behind CSA Engineering.

Working at CSA pays off: for you as a customer and for our employees.

Matthias Witschi, 27. September 2022

Our employees are our greatest potential. We take their concerns seriously and support them in this. Promoting their skills through continuous training is an important aspect for us.

Professional support in the development of new, innovative medical devices

Jiri Petr, 29. July 2022

Developing small, energy-efficient medical devices is demanding and challenging, both technically and from the point of view of development processes. Our staff find innovative solutions for you and can provide you with expert support.

Science fiction or reality?

Jiri Petr, 17. May 2022

CSA supports the film evening presented by the DIN Solothurn Chapter on the topic of "Science Fiction or Reality".

Developing IoT applications with stringent safety requirements

Jiri Petr, 29. April 2022

In safety- and security-critical areas such as passenger transport, more stringent requirements with regard to fault resistance and reliability of communication software for IoT applications must be met. This also has a major impact on the development process.

ECC - Embedded Computing Conference 2022

Marco Rubitschun, 27. April 2022

The annual Embedded Computing Conference has become an important meeting point for the industry. Experts gather information on the latest developments at the numerous presentations.

Azure RTOS – A brand new look for Express Logic’s ThreadX

Michael Bernhard, 05. April 2022

Microsoft’s Azure RTOS is marketing the well-established ThreadX under a new licence model and name. Instead of high licensing costs, the company is now opting for hardware licenses, which are included directly with the purchase of a microcontroller from selected chip manufacturers.

CSA Engineering is RUAG’s partner in innovation

Pressestelle, 25. February 2022

As part of RUAG’s Innovation Accelerator Programme, we are one of five start-ups and small companies that support the projects that make up the technology group’s “Digitalisation of the Armed Forces” initiative.

Get to know us! Five questions for Matthias Witschi

Matthias Witschi, 18. January 2022

5 questions for Matthias Witschi

Better in Switzerland

Hugo Ziegler, 26. November 2021

In the case of complex development tasks, it is worthwhile not to wander into the distance.

How the approval of medical devices succeeds

Edgar Gmür, 22. October 2021

Requirements- and risk-based software development not only helps to reduce risks due to malfunctions or incorrect handling. Consistently implemented and appropriately documented, it also meets the requirements of regulatory authorities.

Verification for safety-related applications

Michael Schuler, 27. September 2021

The term “verification” often pops up when we’re developing safety-related systems for the rail sector. But what exactly does verification entail? Who’s responsible for it? When and where is verification required? We’ll shed some light on these issues and take a look at how verification works by creating a security requirement specification.

Where will Swiss ICT be in 25 years?

Hugo Ziegler, 03. September 2021

Hugo Ziegler outlines his future vision in the Computerworld Top 500.

Management platform for passenger information

Jiri Petr, 25. August 2021

Management platform for passenger information - that's how it works.

Get to know us: Urs Ryf

Urs Ryf, 17. August 2021

Five questions for Urs Ryf.

LED cube goes IoT

Michael Bernhard, 23. June 2021

The demonstrator we implemented for the LED cube features all the aspects and functions of an IoT product.

Get to know us: Patrick Heiniger.

Patrick Heiniger, 17. June 2021

Five questions for Patrick Heiniger.

Resource-friendly development of IoT systems

Jiri Petr, 26. May 2021

The Internet of Things is on everyone’s lips. However, questions remain as to how new the concept is, and whether we can learn from the past. After all, jumping feet-first into using modern technology can lead to oversized, unstable or slow systems.

How do you actually build a generic test system?

Urs Ryf, 09. March 2021

In a nutshell, the task was: “Build a generic test system”. As simple as the task may seem, it gives rise to many different questions.

CSA Engineering's partnership with .NET nanoFramework

press, 03. March 2021

Reduced development work and quicker market readiness for embedded systems.

On a coffee with...

Hugo Ziegler, 23. February 2021

Interview with Hugo Ziegler in Computerworld 1-2/2021

Optimising the taxiway at Sydney Airport thanks to IoT and data science

Marco Rubitschun, 20. January 2021

Collect, store and process aircraft movements.

Using C# on embedded devices too – we show how it works

Matthias Witschi, 15. December 2020

Using C# on embedded devices too – we show how it works and the benefits with nanoFramework.

Family-friendly employer

Marco Rubitschun, 18. November 2020

A good balance between work and family life is important for us.

Efficient tracing on target

Pascal Hari, 10. November 2020

Logging frameworks are standard on PCs. However, a configurable real-time tracer on an embedded system would be really helpful!

Impressions Apéro Culturel

Marco Rubitschun, 28. October 2020

Impressions from 2015 to 2018

Collecting data and putting them to good use

Sascha Nussbaumer, 17. March 2020

IoT (Internet of things) refers to the seamless integration of objects equipped with sensors. Although people no longer directly notice these objects, they’re everywhere. When data from these sensors are combined, the result can be unexpected applications.

Big Data

Philipp Rebsamen, 21. October 2019

Big Data is not just a synonym for lots of data, it is more a concept of finding insights through leveraging existing or newly generated data sources. Part one of this small series of blog posts will cover the basics of every Big Data project: what data do I have?

Data Science done right

Philipp Rebsamen, 12. February 2019

As I have recently passed my MCSA in Machine Learning, Data Science and Analytics with Microsoft R and Azure ML, I decided to share some thoughts on the topic of Data Science here at CSA Engineering.

Cross Platform Development

Pierre-Yves Schütz, 15. November 2018

Development of mobile applications running on different platforms is always a matter of tradeoff. An obvious approach is to design a native application for each desired platform.

Collectors Smart Terminal

Philipp Rebsamen, 13. September 2018

We developed a prototype for a smart drop-off station as part of a voluntary mandate for the Collective Association which operates Collectors in Solothurn.

IoT prototyping in eight hours

Sascha Nussbaumer, 08. January 2018

The Azure IoT Suite is ideal for rapid prototyping in the IoT environment. Azure IoT is also flexible and scalable so that more devices can be connected when the prototype is successfully validated.

Boost IoT at the Boostcamp

Sascha Nussbaumer, 28. November 2017

Last week, our IoT Boostcamp took place on the Weissenstein. We developed prototypes to provide technical support for Collectors, the social delivery service by bicycle in Solothurn.

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Read our blog articles here

Microcontrollers Instead of FPGAs

Success factors in embedded testing

NTP & NTS - Why Time Without Trust is Worthless in Distributed Systems

Efficient Embedded GUIs: STM32 with TouchGFX and GPU Optimization

PKI & CMP - Why Secure Systems Don't Scale Without Automated Certificate Management

Observability & OpenTelemetry in.NET-Enviroment

ISO 9001: 2015 - Audit passed

Rotating LED Globe – Where Precision and Innovation Merge

Why C++ is Far From Dead - Despite Rust

Experience Technology: Future Day 2025 at CSA

Architectures in Comparison: Onion or Vertical Slice?

Functional Safety according to IEC61508

Modern Automation Needs Both: PLC and Embedded Systems

Cyber Resilience Act: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now

Successfully Implementing Qi Charging: Developer Guide

CSA at Swiss Testing Day 2025

Embedded devices with artificial intelligence: keyword spotting with TinyML and Cortex-M4

Testing non-functional requirements, a contradiction?

AI in embedded systems - how it works!

System-/Integration-Tests von Embedded Devices: Wann ist eine Automatisierung sinnvoll?

2024 and still Doxygen - time for alternatives?

Future Day 2024 at CSA

The Right Tools in Requirements Engineering: What Really Matters

Ninja vs Make

From idea to finished product: requirements engineering sets the direction

From theory to practice: unit testing for embedded software

The new EN 50716 rules for project organisation

Projects at CSA – our process for your added value

New standard EN 50716:2023 «Requirements for software development» Part 2

Antenna matching – a simple explanation of the procedure

New standard EN 50716:2023 «Requirements for software development» Part 1

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) with Helm charts and Argo CD

Medical grade bootloader for ARM microcontrollers (UPDATE)

The void between vision and specification: the challenge in software development that is often forgotten

Experience: Future Day at CSA Engineering AG

Our toolbox for embedded development

C++ Framework for embedded Applications

Successful development and integration of an SIL4 protocol stack for the rail industry

Microservices with Dapr

Coinless – A retrofit kit for enabling cashless payments on coin-operated vending machines

Certified with pride: how CSA takes staff qualifications to the next level

OPC UA server on an ARM microcontroller with different RTOS

QR codes on ARM microcontrollers

Sales reinforcement with Oliver Neuhaus

LoRaWAN with the STM32WL55

Straightforward development of displays and touchscreens – including in embedded systems

Medical grade bootloader for ARM microcontrollers

Growth and more space

Thinking, learning, implementing, laughing – the CSA Boostcamp

Investing in the future

Get to know us: Michael Bernhard

Working at CSA pays off: for you as a customer and for our employees.

Professional support in the development of new, innovative medical devices

Science fiction or reality?

Developing IoT applications with stringent safety requirements

ECC - Embedded Computing Conference 2022

Azure RTOS – A brand new look for Express Logic’s ThreadX

CSA Engineering is RUAG’s partner in innovation

Get to know us! Five questions for Matthias Witschi

Better in Switzerland

How the approval of medical devices succeeds

Verification for safety-related applications

Where will Swiss ICT be in 25 years?

Management platform for passenger information

Get to know us: Urs Ryf

LED cube goes IoT

Get to know us: Patrick Heiniger.

Resource-friendly development of IoT systems

How do you actually build a generic test system?

CSA Engineering's partnership with .NET nanoFramework

On a coffee with...

Optimising the taxiway at Sydney Airport thanks to IoT and data science

Using C# on embedded devices too – we show how it works

Family-friendly employer

Efficient tracing on target