# ADR 011: Host-First Verification with Firmware Compile Gates

- HTML version: https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/autonomic-satellite-swarm/adrs/011-host-first-verification
- Project: Autonomic Satellite Swarm (https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/autonomic-satellite-swarm.md)
- Status: Accepted
- Date: 2026-09-04
- Supersedes: autonomic-satellite-swarm:006-host-side-behavior-tests

# Context

The exact 2016 bench setup, including its three boards, infrared components, sensors, wiring, and
rover, is no longer available. The Uno R3 itself is neither discontinued nor unsupported: Arduino
[continues to sell and support it](https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/9350551575964-What-s-the-difference-between-UNO-R3-and-UNO-R4-boards).
Reconstructing the full setup for every behavioral test would still make the project difficult to
maintain, while compiling a sketch alone cannot verify electrical, radio, or timing behavior.

# Decision

Put coordination, scoring, and codec behavior under fast host-side Catch2 tests. Add a deterministic
in-memory three-node simulation for the main negotiation path. Run compiler warnings, clang-tidy
static analysis, AddressSanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, formatting, spelling, and workflow
linting in GitHub Actions.

Compile both Arduino reference targets from pinned profiles. Describe those results as compile gates,
not hardware verification.

# Consequences

Most changes receive quick, reproducible feedback without devices. Adapter API drift is caught by
cross-compilation. Physical integration risk remains visible and requires a future
hardware-in-the-loop suite with documented boards, wiring, observations, and failure injection.

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