We developed the embedded software for a very large scale consumer handheld glucose meter. The code was written in “C”, targeting an NEC K0 Microcontroller.

This project incorporated a custom LCD display and a custom ASIC to measure the glucose in a drop of blood placed on a sensor which was inserted in the meter. Our client provided the algorithms, and we designed, implemented and tested the software.

We used the NEC compiler, linker, etc. and their In-Circuit-Emulator to build, test and debug the code. The production code contained 12K SLOC.

The software was designed using a cyclic executive to handle routine tasks, and a priority-based event queue to handle sporadic events. The processor was put to sleep whenever possible to enhance battery life for the device.

The glucose meter was developed according to a formal process, with artifacts such as design documents and code inspection records. This was important to prove safety rigor for this FDA-controlled Class-II Medical Device.

We also performed detailed Critical Analyses on several other glucose meters.