00_overview/method_fw_sw.md
(draft)
Method: How FW/SW Is Evaluated#
Firmware and software are evaluated using the same triadic principles as hardware instruments, with emphasis on:
1. Directness of Measurement#
Does the FW/SW operate on raw signals, or does it infer hidden quantities?
2. Inference Layers#
How many steps separate the raw data from the final output?
Are these steps stable, transparent, or opaque?
3. Substrate Sensitivity#
Does the FW/SW depend heavily on:
- sample composition
- environmental conditions
- hardware quirks
- versioning or patch levels
4. Drift & Versioning#
Does behavior change across:
- firmware updates
- library versions
- calibration cycles
- OS or driver changes
5. Regime Behavior (pos / Q / neg)#
- pos‑regime: stable algorithms, predictable outputs
- Q‑regime: assumption‑heavy or adaptive behavior
- neg‑regime: fragile, nonlinear, or unstable pipelines
This method keeps the review coherent across hardware and software layers.