Services · Hardware Engineering
A prototype works. A production run has to work ten thousand times.
We develop analogue, power and high-speed electronics for long-lived devices. We take production cost, component availability and regulatory approval into account from the very beginning.
What we stand for
What is decided during development stays decided
Production cost is decided in the schematic
Component choice, manufacturability and testability determine what the device costs in series production. We settle this during planning, while expensive mistakes are still cheap to correct.
Components that will still exist in ten years
We select components for long-term availability. Discontinuations cannot be ruled out entirely, but their likelihood can be reduced considerably.
Early verification
We bring up prototypes in full and document them. Laboratory measurements during development are standard practice for us, so verification and validation do not only begin at the end.
What we develop
High-speed design
PCIe, DDR, SATA, LVDS, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. We simulate the channels before the first board is manufactured.
Wireless communication
GSM, LTE and 5G, Bluetooth and BLE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee.
Power supply
Buck, boost and SEPIC switching regulators, plus half-bridge and full-bridge converters.
Battery management
For Li-ion, LiPo and NiMH cells in complex arrangements, with the associated safety circuits.
EMC from the start
We design multi-DC/DC power systems and radio-frequency circuits for EMC and ESD. That shortens the certification phase.
Standards and regulatory approval
Our designs meet the standards of international certification bodies, including in medical technology, explosion protection and functional safety.
What a device costs is decided in the schematic.
Our established partners
We develop electronics in-house. For the neighbouring disciplines, we have worked with the same partners for years.
PCB assembly
AXON Electronics e.K. in Inning am Ammersee and A2000 Industrie-Elektronik GmbH in Friesenheim are our EMS partners, from the first prototype through to series production.
Mechanical design and engineering
BUSSE Design & Engineering near Ulm for industrial design, mechanical engineering and prototyping; MKI for mechanical engineering, input systems and enclosures.
EMC and regulatory approval
We carry out a good share of the pre-measurements ourselves. For pre-compliance and approval measurements, we work with established laboratory partners who can also give us appointments at short notice.
From planning to beyond series production
On request as a fixed-price contract.
Planning
Requirements, system boundaries and risks, plus the cost and regulatory framework. Concept and block diagram are created together with the component strategy: what has to be available in ten years, what the bill of materials may cost, and which approval route lies ahead.
Schematic
Schematic and simulation of the analogue and digital parts. This is where interference suppression and ESD robustness are designed in.
Layout
Multilayer design with stack-up and impedance control for the high-speed channels, thermal paths for the power stages and test points for later testing.
Prototype and verification
Prototypes are fully brought up and measured. Pre-compliance measurements show early on where the device would run into trouble in the approval process.
Pilot series and verification
Manufacturing data to IPC, PCB assembly at the EMS partner, approval testing. Anything that shows up here no longer has to be fixed in series production.
Release to series production
Complete design documentation and handover of the manufacturing data. After that, series production runs.
Obsolescence management
We keep the bill of materials under review and report discontinuations before they turn into a supply stop. Replacements are assessed, tested and, where necessary, re-approved.
How you can see the project status at any time
Access from day one
Schematics, layouts and bills of materials are open to you from the start of the project.
Requirements and tests in one system
Requirements and tests are written, reviewed, released and versioned, so what was ordered can always be looked up.
Regular alignment
A short meeting every one to two weeks: project status, open technical questions, organisational matters.
Products that save time in the project
PlatformViewqdHardware Platform
Hardware, a Linux base and the build system as a product. Where no board of your own is needed, your team starts from a base that already runs.
View
Production testViewqdTest
Programming and testing at the end of the production line. Configured for your device and delivered ready to run, so you do not need to build your own test station.
View
Transparency from the start
Who owns the schematic, the layout and the manufacturing data?
What we develop for you is transferred to you: design, software and manufacturing data, as set out in the development contract. Our own platform modules remain our product. Their documentation is held in escrow with an independent party, so you can carry on should we ever drop out.
Who manufactures in the end?
Component population, assembly and logistics are handled by our EMS partners AXON Electronics e.K. and A2000 Industrie-Elektronik GmbH. Alternatively, you can bring your own manufacturer, and we manage the transfer to series production with them.
Where is the work done?
In Offenburg, and nowhere else. We work with our own people. Whoever develops your hardware sits in the same building as the person who writes its firmware and the person who tests both.
Do you work at a fixed price?
Yes, when the scope is clear, as a contract with defined acceptance milestones. If the scope is still open, we start with a concept phase and then quote a fixed price for the implementation.
Do you work with AI?
Yes, systematically. Anything a tool contributes goes through the same checks as any other work: review, simulation, measurement. We build our AI system ourselves, so we know what it does, and we keep improving it.
Tell us about your next project.
Tell us about your product and your schedule. We will tell you how we would approach the project and whether we see any major risks. The assessment, up to an indicative price, is free of charge.
