About MicroCore Systems
Embedded systems engineering for demanding real world environments.
We design, develop, and support embedded hardware and firmware for clients in marine, agricultural, industrial, and infrastructure sectors, where reliability matters and field failures are not acceptable.
The business operates across two areas: engineering consultancy for clients who need embedded systems expertise without hiring a full time engineer, and a product line of industrial grade electronics targeting professional engineers and operators who need production ready hardware with proper documentation and support.
Jonathan Edwards
Founder & Embedded Systems Engineer
Jonathan holds a Master of Engineering with Distinction in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Canterbury, alongside a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Computer Engineering with a minor in Power Engineering. His Master's thesis designed the embedded system for a CubeSat protein crystallisation payload built to run unattended in Low Earth Orbit for more than six months.
His industry experience spans automotive, aerospace, medical, and agricultural sectors. Hardware shipped includes IP67-rated automotive control modules, CubeSat embedded systems with radiation mitigation techniques, multi layer PCB layout design, medical devices, power and control electronics, and wireless joystick control systems. That cross domain background informs how MicroCore approaches each project, with awareness of the failure modes, compliance requirements, and integration constraints that apply when hardware leaves the lab and enters service.
His core technical work covers AVR, ARM Cortex-M, Cortex-A, x86_64 embedded firmware/software development (bare metal and RTOS), CAN Bus protocol implementation (SAE J1939, NMEA 2000, CAN-FD), wireless technologies, analog mixed signal and power electronics design, and production ready PCB layout in Altium or KiCad Designer. The focus is always on hardware and software that performs consistently in the field, not just on a bench.
Technical Expertise
Hands-on experience across the full embedded systems stack, from schematic capture through to production firmware and field support.
Embedded Firmware
AVR, STM32 ARM Cortex-M, and Cortex-A architectures. Specialises in building bare-metal, scheduler driven, and RTOS based frameworks using interrupts, schedulers, and callbacks. Proven track record of developing reliable firmware for CAN bus, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and advanced power management applications.
CAN Bus & Industrial Protocols
Deep implementation experience with SAE J1939, NMEA 2000, classic CAN, and CAN-FD. Multi-ECU system design, diagnostic tooling, and wireless CAN bridging. Modbus TCP and RS-485 integration for industrial monitoring and control.
Hardware Design
Schematic capture and production ready PCB layout in KiCad and Altium Designer. analog mixed signal and power electronics design. IP67-rated enclosure integration. EMC/EMI aware design for automotive and industrial environments.
Wireless & Connectivity
Bluetooth dual-mode (SPP + BLE), supporting both legacy serial-based tools and modern mobile applications simultaneously. Ethernet and WiFi connectivity for LAN integration and remote monitoring.
How We Work
Direct engagement for faster delivery.
MicroCore operates as a specialist practice, not a generalist agency. Engagements are scoped around specific technical problems, J1939 integration, CAN-FD migration, wireless control system design, diagnostics on legacy hardware, rather than broad retainers.
Every project is handled directly by Jonathan. Clients get the engineer on the call, in the design review, and on the other end of the support email. That means faster decisions, tighter feedback loops, and accountability that doesn't get diffused across a delivery team.
The consulting work runs alongside an active product development programme. Hardware built for MicroCore products is held to the same design standards as client work, which means the engineering judgements being made on your project are the ones we are applying to our own hardware at the same time.