Am an embedded systems developer, and have dealt with similar updates before.
I think the author is fair in expecting proper testing since there weren't too many variations to handle. Firmware upgrades aren't too complex, especially when you have h/w spec lock-downs. You just need to build in the right safe guards, and build a culture of thorough testing. This looks like a typical bureaucratically executed project with time+cost deadlines to meet, and narrow-minded bosses to please.