About
About Silicon Blade Consultants
Silicon Blade Consultants is an Embedded Linux and Yocto consultancy led by Iain (Ming) Menzies-Runciman.
The focus is hands-on engineering: understanding difficult platform problems, making systems easier to maintain, and helping engineering teams build the knowledge they need to support their products long-term.
Background
More than 30 years working with Linux and Unix
Iain has worked with Linux and Unix systems for more than 30 years, with much of his recent work focused on Embedded Linux, the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded.
That work spans the build system and the wider platform, including BSP integration, bootloaders, Linux kernel configuration, device trees, image design, update strategies and production debugging.
Experience
Areas of practical work
- Yocto and OpenEmbedded based platforms
- Migration from Buildroot to Yocto
- Yocto upgrades and long-term maintenance
- Layer structure, recipes and build architecture
- Board bring-up and BSP integration
- U-Boot and boot-flow configuration
- Linux kernel and device-tree integration
- WIC, storage layouts and production images
- A/B systems and software update strategies
- CI, release workflows and build reliability
How we work
Practical engineering, not just recommendations
The goal is not to deliver a report that sits unused. Engagements are typically hands-on and involve working directly with the build, codebase and platform to understand the real cause of a problem.
Where possible, the work also includes explaining why changes are needed so that the internal engineering team is better equipped to maintain the system afterwards.
- Direct involvement with your platform and codebase
- Investigation of root causes rather than symptoms
- Clear explanations and practical guidance
- Focus on maintainability, not short-term fixes
- Avoidance of unnecessary complexity
- Knowledge transfer to your internal team
Engineering approach
Embedded Linux problems rarely stay in one layer
A problem that first appears to be a Yocto issue may ultimately involve the bootloader, Linux kernel, device tree, partition layout, update mechanism or interaction between several of them.
Working across those boundaries makes it easier to find the real cause of a problem rather than treating only the symptom.
That is also why Silicon Blade's work covers both the build system and the wider Embedded Linux platform rather than treating them as separate disciplines.
Sharing knowledge
Articles, talks and training
A significant part of the work is also about explaining Embedded Linux clearly. Silicon Blade publishes practical technical articles, presents at Yocto and OpenEmbedded events, and provides structured Yocto training for engineering teams.
Get in touch
Working on a difficult Embedded Linux or Yocto project?
Tell us what you are building, where the project is getting stuck, and what you need to achieve.