Maximilian Köhl
Software Engineer, Founder and CEO of Silitics
Welcome! I’m Maximilian Köhl, and I run Silitics as a solo consultancy, offering a uniquely personal and hands-on approach to software development. With a strong background in computer science and practical experience from diverse projects, including tailored software for an e-bike test bench system and the open-source tool suite Rugpi, I have a proven track record of delivering robust and innovative solutions. Working directly with me means no middlemen, just a genuine focus on understanding your needs and a dedicated commitment to your project’s success. Reach out, and let’s collaborate to turn your goals into tangible results!
If you want to learn more about myself, check out my personal website and GitHub profile.
For selected projects and the services I provide, just keep scrolling.
Showcase
Over the years, I have worked on a variety of projects across different technology stacks.
A Test Bench System for E-Bikes
2021–Present, Contract Work, https://www.ebike-checker.de
eChecker is a family of market-leading test benches for e-bikes, drive units, and e-scooters, used by manufacturers and test institutes to perform a wide range of testing procedures. I led the development of the next-generation software for eChecker, handling the entire product lifecycle from concept to deployment. This involved gathering requirements and planning in close collaboration with the client to ensure that their needs and expectations were fully met. Based on the client‘s needs, I developed and implemented a comprehensive solution that is both flexible and maintainable. I designed the system architecture, conducted extensive testing to ensure the software’s functionality and performance, and managed the deployment process. Additionally, I provide ongoing operations and maintenance, supporting and adapting the software to meet evolving requirements.
A key challenge of this project was to support the diverse array of test benches and testing scenarios. These range from end-of-line tests in manufacturing to endurance testing as part of product development, and compliance testing by test institutes according to DIN/EN standards. To meet those varied requirements, I designed a versatile stream processing engine for controlling a test bench and analyzing the data it produces, alongside a web-based graphical programming and control interface. This system empowers test engineers to create custom test procedures by utilizing reusable building blocks, thereby offering the flexibility necessary to accommodate diverse testing needs, all while being fully real-time capable. At the same time, it allows operators to conduct tests quickly and reliably.
On the technical side, I used Rust for the stream-processing engine, ensuring both reliability and real-time performance. The user interface was built with React in TypeScript.
An eChecker test bench for e-bikes.
2023–Present, Open Source, https://rugpi.io
Seamless software updates are critical for embedded devices, ensuring they remain secure, functional, and up-to-date with the latest features and performance improvements. As the number of connected devices grows, the ability to update software efficiently and reliably over the air becomes essential, reducing downtime and maintenance costs while enhancing user experience. Moreover, recent regulatory requirements, such as the Cyber Resiliency Act, mandate that devices must be capable of receiving security updates to protect against vulnerabilities and cyber threats. This makes robust and efficient update mechanisms not just a convenience but a necessity.
While many excellent tools exist for building images, updating systems, and managing state in embedded devices, integrating these tools into a robust, cohesive setup remains a significant challenge. That's why I created Rugpi, a comprehensive solution designed to simplify embedded device development by bundling all essential functionalities into a unified suite of tools.
Rugpi enables you to build bespoke variants of popular Linux distributions for your devices. It boasts three core features designed to work seamlessly together: (1) A modern, flexible workflow to build customized system images, (2) robust over-the-air system updates with rollback support for the entire system, and (3) managed state that is preserved across reboots and updates.
Despite being a very young project, Rugpi is already successfully deployed on hundreds of devices in production worldwide. It has been adopted by industry leaders such as the cloud-agnostic device agent thin-edge.io, which offers integrations to established device management solutions like Cumulocity IoT, and by startups such as Umbrel and Aqa, to reliably deliver updates to users.