Edge platform for smart-meter value-added services
Freelance software engineer (Go / embedded Linux) · 2023–2025 · Energy / Smart Metering
Go-based on-device service platform for an embedded smart-meter-gateway add-on module that securely hosts containerized third-party energy apps. Extended over 2.5 years with mutually-authenticated MQTT/TLS, signed OTA updates, and automated CVE screening.
Outcome
9→1
services consolidated into one daemon
600+
commits shipped
2.5+ yrs
engagement
The CVE-screening pipeline became a standard, release-gating CI stage for the whole platform.
Context
A German energy-technology manufacturer ships an embedded Linux device that attaches to certified smart meter gateways (CLS channel) and runs value-added energy applications in containers. The on-device platform needed hardened backend connectivity, a secure update chain, and continuous feature development.
What was done
Mutual-TLS MQTT connectivity
Designed and built mutually-authenticated MQTT-over-TLS backend connectivity end to end, with on-device X.509 PKI and certificate lifecycle APIs (Go, gRPC/REST, Paho).
Signed OTA updates
Added signature verification of firmware and application images in the OTA path and hardened the A/B update state machine and its rollback behaviour.
Resilient CLS channel
Hardened the device-to-backend channel through the smart-meter-gateway CLS tunnel with reconnect and fallback logic, a publish queue and connection monitoring.
Service consolidation
Consolidated nine separate services into a single multiplexed daemon to cut the footprint on the resource-constrained ARM target.
Automated CVE screening
Introduced automated CVE screening as a CI stage, with report generation and verdict tracking across releases.
Container app hosting
Extended container-based app hosting: configuration and secret injection, bind mounts, log rotation and restart policies via the Docker SDK.
Stack
Backend
Embedded / Infra
Security