The failures that matter most
don't happen in the cloud.
Our dedicated QA pods work from a physical testing lab in Mazatlán not a cloud dashboard. That means your Bluetooth handoff failures, firmware OTA edge cases, and multi-device interoperability issues get tested on the actual production hardware your customers will hold in their hands.
Every pod is staffed with ISTQB-certified engineers who specialize in embedded systems, IoT connectivity, and firmware validation. We assign a team to your stack, your release cadence, and your device and we own the outcome.
Cloud device farms
- Can't test a dropped Bluetooth connection
- Can't replicate a firmware OTA failure
- Can't catch hardware-software edge cases
- Emulators don't behave like real devices
Outpost QA physical lab
- Real devices, real conditions, real failures
- Full OTA update cycles on production hardware
- Multi-device interoperability testing
- ISTQB-certified embedded engineers
What our hardware and firmware testing covers
Firmware OTA testing
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Pairing, handoff, reconnection, and range testing on physical hardware.
Hardware-software integration
End-to-end validation where firmware meets the mobile app and cloud backend.
Stress and longevity
Extended runtime, thermal performance, and battery degradation testing.
Multi-device interoperability
Cross-device and cross-platform validation across real Android, iOS, and hub ecosystems.
Pre-certification readiness
Preparation testing aligned with FCC, CE, UL, and FDA pre-submission requirements.
Built for your product
If it ships with a chip, we can test it.
IoT and connected devices
Smart home, industrial sensors, and consumer electronics that live at the edge of your network.
Medical and health devices
Wearables and monitoring devices where a firmware defect is not just a bug, it’s a liability.
Consumer electronics
Cameras, audio devices, sleep tech, and any hardware product sold directly to end users.
Our differentiator
A real lab, not a cloud dashboard.
Our physical testing lab in Mazatlán is where your actual production hardware lives during an engagement. No emulators, no virtual environments, real devices, real failure conditions, real engineers with hands on the product.
Medical and health devices
Your devices stay in our secure facility for the duration of the engagement.
ISTQB-certified engineers
Embedded systems specialists, not generalist testers reassigned to hardware.
Aligned to your release cadence
Your Pod runs on your sprint schedule, not a shared queue.
“Testing a medical device that monitors a baby’s vitals comes with zero margin for error. Outpost QA’s ability to rigorously test our hardware and software combination was absolutely critical to our success and our peace of mind.”
VP of Engineering
Owlet
Case study
How we helped Owlet ship a zero-defect medical IoT device
Hardware-software integration testing, firmware OTA validation, and pre-certification readiness for a baby health monitor with zero margin for error.
Hardware Demands More Than a Cloud Farm
Physical device testing requires logistical integration and dedicated lab space, built specifically into our Custom Enterprise Pods.
FAQs
Do we need to ship our physical devices to your lab?
Yes. Physical testing requires physical hardware, that’s the whole point of having a real lab. We handle secure device intake, track your units throughout the engagement, and return them when testing is complete. If you’re still in active development and don’t have final production units yet, we can work with engineering samples or a device staging plan. Just let us know where you are in the cycle.
What firmware formats and platforms do you support?
Our engineers work with embedded systems across a wide range of platforms including ARM-based microcontrollers, RTOS environments, and Linux-based IoT stacks. We support OTA update validation via standard protocols and can work with your existing toolchain for flashing and version management. If you’re unsure whether your stack fits, the fastest way to find out is a quick technical call. We’ll tell you directly.
Can you test devices that aren't released yet?
That’s actually when we do our best work. Catching firmware defects, connectivity failures, and hardware-software integration issues before launch is exactly what prevents a costly recall or a wave of one-star reviews. We work with pre-production hardware regularly and can integrate into your sprint cycle while the product is still being built.
Do you help with FCC or CE pre-certification testing?
We are not an accredited certification body and we don’t issue FCC or CE certificates. What we do is run pre-certification readiness testing, validating that your device behavior aligns with the requirements of those standards before you submit to an official lab. This catches issues early and reduces the risk of a failed certification run, which can cost weeks and significant budget to redo.
Is hardware testing available in all service tiers?
Hardware and firmware testing requires dedicated lab space and specialized embedded engineers, so it sits outside our standard Pod tiers. It is available as part of our Custom Enterprise engagements, where we scope the lab setup, device logistics, and testing coverage specifically around your product. If you’re shipping a physical product, reach out and we’ll put together a plan that fits your release schedule.
