F&S and QNX Collaborate to Accelerate Next-Generation Medical Device Development
Embedded platform provider F&S Elektronik Systeme has announced a collaboration with QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, to support QNX® Operating System 8.0 on the F&S PicoCore™ i.MX93 System-on-Module (SOM).
The partnership aims to provide a production-ready hardware and software platform for developing next-generation medical devices, enabling manufacturers to accelerate innovation while meeting strict safety and regulatory requirements.
The announcement was made ahead of Embedded World 2026, where the companies will demonstrate a real-time medical application powered by the safety-certified QNX operating system.
🏥 A Production-Ready Platform for Healthcare Devices #
Medical device manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver advanced capabilities while complying with strict safety, security, and regulatory standards.
By combining the F&S PicoCore i.MX93 SOM with QNX OS 8.0, developers gain a pre-integrated platform designed to simplify system development and reduce integration effort.
Key benefits of the collaboration include:
- Reduced low-level software integration effort
- Faster development cycles
- A reusable platform across multiple medical device programs
- Simplified certification and compliance workflows
This production-ready approach allows engineering teams to focus on device functionality and innovation rather than platform integration.
⚙️ QNX OS 8.0 for Safety-Critical Systems #
QNX OS 8.0 is the latest generation of the QNX real-time operating system designed for safety-critical embedded applications.
Built on a microkernel architecture, the operating system provides strong isolation between system components while delivering deterministic real-time performance.
The platform is widely used across the medical industry in areas such as:
- Diagnostic systems
- Therapeutic equipment
- Medical imaging platforms
QNX OS 8.0 also supports compliance with important medical software standards such as IEC 62304, while addressing modern cybersecurity requirements for connected medical devices.
According to Andreas Kopietz, Sales Manager at F&S Elektronik Systeme:
“Medical device manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver innovation while meeting the highest standards for safety, security, and regulatory compliance. By collaborating with QNX, we are combining our embedded hardware expertise with a safety-certified real-time operating system trusted across the medical industry.”
🔐 Security by Design for Medical Devices #
Cybersecurity is becoming a critical concern for medical device manufacturers as healthcare systems become increasingly connected.
The microkernel architecture used by QNX enables strong fault isolation by separating system services into independent processes. This design prevents software faults or vulnerabilities in one component from spreading across the entire system.
This architectural approach helps device manufacturers address evolving cybersecurity expectations from regulatory bodies such as:
- The U.S. FDA
- The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF)
By integrating security mechanisms at the operating system level, manufacturers can maintain strong protection without sacrificing real-time performance or system stability.
🫀 Real-Time Medical Application Demonstration #
At Embedded World 2026, F&S and QNX will showcase a real-time cardiology application demonstration running on the PicoCore i.MX93 platform.
The demonstration simulates patient monitoring data in real time, including:
- ECG-style waveform visualization
- Blood oxygen levels (SpO₂)
- Heart rate monitoring
- Respiratory data
The graphical interface is implemented using LVGL, a widely used open-source graphics framework optimized for embedded systems.
Running on QNX OS 8.0, the demonstration highlights several capabilities important for medical applications:
- Deterministic real-time processing
- Responsive graphical user interfaces
- Clear separation between application logic, graphics, and operating system services
These features make the platform suitable for systems requiring both real-time responsiveness and rich visual interfaces.
🧩 Platform Applications in Healthcare #
The PicoCore i.MX93 SOM is designed to support a wide range of medical devices beyond patient monitoring systems.
Potential applications include:
- Portable patient monitors
- Bedside clinical devices
- Mobile diagnostic equipment
- Laboratory and blood analysis systems
- Medical imaging platforms
- Surgical robotics controllers
The scalability of the hardware and operating system platform allows manufacturers to reuse the same architecture across multiple device categories.
🌍 Live Demonstration at Embedded World 2026 #
Visitors attending Embedded World 2026 can see the joint demonstration at the following locations:
- F&S booth (2-240)
- NXP Partner Demo Wall at the NXP booth (4A-222)
The demonstration highlights how the integrated platform can:
- Accelerate device development
- Reduce certification complexity
- Provide a scalable and future-ready foundation for medical technology
By combining real-time software, embedded hardware, and industry-certified safety frameworks, the collaboration between F&S and QNX aims to help manufacturers bring next-generation medical devices to market faster and with greater reliability.