From Concept to Prototype — Independent Product Development

End-to-end development of electronic devices: circuit, layout, firmware, FPGA design, simulation and verification. Specification, code, test, handover — all from one source.

Embedded devices are rarely created in a single discipline. A new idea needs a circuit, the circuit needs a layout, the layout needs firmware or an FPGA design, and at the end everything needs verification and documentation. Whoever splits this interplay across multiple suppliers buys interfaces — and interfaces are the most common source of failure.

Independent end-to-end development means: one point of contact, end-to-end responsibility, a consistent state of documentation. You save coordination, I can make decisions without having to query a supplier chain.

How a Typical End-to-End Project Runs

Even though every project is different, the flow follows a recognisable pattern:

1. Understand the task. The initial consultation clarifies what the device should do, which constraints apply (volume, costs, size, power, regulatory requirements) and which interfaces to existing systems exist.
2. Concept and specification. Based on the task, a technical concept is created: which microcontroller or FPGA platform fits, which bus systems, which analogue and digital signals, which software architecture. The result is a specification document forming the basis for everything that follows.
3. Circuit design. Schematic creation with the selected components, calculation of critical components, simulation at the decisive points.
4. PCB layout. Multi-layer PCB design with attention to high-speed signals, EMC, thermal distribution and manufacturability. Selection of a PCB manufacturer and supervision of fabrication.
5. Firmware or FPGA design. Implementation of the control or signal-processing logic in C/C++ for microcontrollers, in VHDL/SystemVerilog for FPGAs — or a combination of both. Bare-metal on tight microcontrollers, FreeRTOS or similar real-time OS on larger systems.
6. Verification and test. Circuit simulation for the critical points, testbenches for FPGA designs, hardware tests on the prototype, optionally HIL test setup for the software.
7. Handover and documentation. Complete source code, schematic, layout data, BOM, documentation of the approach and design decisions. On request, knowledge transfer to the client team.

Where required, I also handle coordination with a hardware series manufacturer who delivers the desired quality — as in the Audi project (see references), where a hand-wired prototype became a machine-fabricated industrial PCB.

Three Disciplines — One Hand

The following three disciplines come together in an end-to-end project:

What Distinguishes End-to-End Development from ‘Software Coding’

When a client today looks for ‘an embedded developer’, they usually mean someone who carries out a partial assignment: a module in C, an FPGA component, a driver. There are many providers for that.

End-to-end development is different. It requires someone who can decide — about architecture, component selection, interfaces, trade-offs between cost and functionality. This decision-making competence is not in every CV, and it cannot be replaced by adding more specialists.

I take on end-to-end development where the client does not want to maintain a complete embedded engineering department — and where, at the same time, the resulting effort and responsibility can economically rest with one person.

Engagement

End-to-end projects are usually handled as a fixed-price contract with firm delivery commitment. The effort is estimated before project start, the price is guaranteed. For exploratory work with an uncertain endpoint, an hourly budget is alternatively possible. Details on the Engagement page.