I've always wondered how to apply agile methods really are in large complex embedded system software (100+ engineers). Firmware development has some unique characteristics that make it difficult to do agile (ie. Hardware is not available until late in the dev cycle; Once product is released, can't easily update firmware; etc...)
The norm in this kind of development is thick documentation and grueling peer reviews. You can't get a simple code fix like renaming a variable without 2-3 signatures. (I exaggerate a little but this is typical. Additionally, a lot of people do take shortcuts and the Project Managers even approve them especially in the face of hard market deadlines.)
I would like to hear any tips or guidelines on how to adopt agile methodology for firmware development projects.