Hardware
& Embedded Systems
Build hardware prototypes and connect devices to useful software. We develop and adapt firmware, integrate sensors and communications, and build applications for configuration, monitoring, and diagnostics. Custom PCB work starts with a design and delivery review.
The work
Make the device and software work together.
Hardware prototypes & custom PCBs
Choose suitable components and build a first device prototype. Scope custom board design, assembly, and testing before committing to fabrication.
Custom firmware
Adapt how the device operates, captures data, and communicates. Include configuration, installation, and diagnostics for the agreed platform.
Device & software integration
Connect the device to an application and make its status visible. Test the path from the hardware through to the operator interface.
Agree what the prototype must prove
You need a sensor, a connected device, or software for existing equipment. Define the operating environment, interfaces, power supply, data, and physical constraints before selecting components or writing firmware.
Start with a defined prototype and test plan. Agree the target platform, hardware and software responsibilities, expected outputs, and acceptance checks. Record what works, what failed, and what needs further testing before the next build.
Hardware work in scope
Hardware prototypes & custom PCBs
Select development boards, sensors, and interfaces for a first prototype. For custom PCBs, review circuit requirements, schematic and layout ownership, component availability, and fabrication constraints. Agree who performs design, assembly, and board testing before those tasks enter the proposal.
Custom firmware
Develop or adapt microcontroller firmware for device behaviour, configuration, data capture, and diagnostic telemetry. Work can include ESP32-based devices, serial controls, network communication, and build and installation tools. Confirm support for the target board and required interfaces during scoping.
Device & software integration
Connect device data and controls to local applications, APIs, or data services. Build interfaces for configuration, live status, monitoring, and diagnostics. Make disconnected devices, stale data, and communication errors visible to the operator.
Board testing & diagnostics
Check device identity, firmware installation, saved settings, communication, and data quality on the agreed hardware. Define checks for expected operation and failure conditions. Deliver test conditions, results, and known limits; software simulation and device tests are reported separately.
Illustrative workflow
A sensor prototype with a diagnostic application
- 01
Define the device
Agree the measurements, operating environment, interfaces, and checks that would make the prototype useful.
- 02
Build the prototype
Connect a suitable board and sensors. Adapt the firmware to capture readings and expose configuration and diagnostic data.
- 03
Connect the software
Build a local application to inspect readings, device status, and communication errors.
- 04
Test on hardware
Run the agreed checks on the device, record the results, and decide what needs to change before another build.
Illustrative prototype workflow. Hardware, firmware, test conditions, and delivery responsibilities are agreed for each project.
What you receive
A tested prototype and a clear handover.
Agreed device requirements, responsibilities, interfaces, and acceptance checks.
Prototype hardware configuration and component list for the agreed build.
Firmware source, build instructions, and installation and configuration steps.
Integration code and operator tools included in the agreed scope.
Hardware test results, failure observations, and known operating limits.
For agreed PCB work: design files, fabrication outputs, and board test records.
Selected work
Relevant device engineering
Before we start
Can you work with existing hardware?
Yes. Start with the board, available documentation, source code, interfaces, and the problem to solve. We review access and platform support before agreeing firmware changes or integration work.
Can a project include a custom PCB?
Yes, subject to a design and delivery review. The proposal must name who owns the circuit design, schematic, layout, fabrication, assembly, and board testing. Ghostline is evidence of board validation and diagnostics, not a custom PCB design reference.
Does a prototype include production manufacturing or certification?
Production preparation is a separate scope. It can require design changes, manufacturing tests, compliance assessment, and specialist review. A working prototype does not establish production reliability or certification.
What was Andrei’s contribution to Ghostline?
The public preprint acknowledges Andrei for board validation, diagnostics, and the React diagnostics app. Ghostline was team work; the paper credits the broader hardware and firmware work to other team members. We retain that attribution and the pilot’s stated limits.
Contact
Discuss a hardware project
Tell us your goal, context, and constraints. For a focused technical consultation, we agree the question, preparation, session scope, and written next steps before work begins.
Discuss your project