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Embedded & edge

Custom embedded board

A board designed around the module you pick and the exact I/O your product needs. We take a chosen SoC or SoM, draw the schematic and layout, build and bring up prototypes, and hand you a board that fits your enclosure and stays buildable for over a decade.

Talk to engineering See all solutions
The problem

Nothing off the shelf quite fits

An off-the-shelf single-board computer decides your I/O for you. It gives you four USB ports and HDMI when what your product needs is two isolated RS-485 lines, a CAN-FD bus and power over Ethernet. The connectors sit on the wrong edges for your enclosure, the board outline is fixed, and half the interfaces you paid for go unused while the one you actually need is missing. Worse, the module you designed around goes end of life in three years and forces a redesign right when your product is selling. A carrier plus a module plus adapters is three parts and three failure points where you wanted one. What most products need is a single board with exactly the interfaces they use, in the shape of their enclosure, buildable for the life of the product. That is a design job, not a shopping list.

Design targets
-40 to +85 C Industrial temperature by design
15 yr Component availability committed
6 to 8 wk Requirements to first prototype
100% Only the I/O you specified
The board

Three layers, one board

Compute, interconnect and power. Each is a design decision we make with you, not a fixed part you inherit. Open a layer for what we choose and why.

Swappable core
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Compute

SoM socket or direct-solder SoC.

SMARC 2.1 / Qseven module edge or SoC soldered down i.MX 8M Plus, RK3588, TI AM62
Swappable core
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Compute

SoM socket or direct-solder SoC.

SMARC 2.1 / Qseven module edge or SoC soldered down i.MX 8M Plus, RK3588, TI AM62

You choose the processor first, then we choose how it mounts. A system-on-module on a SMARC 2.1 or Qseven edge connector keeps the CPU, RAM and eMMC on a small proven card, so you can second-source it and step up performance later without touching your carrier. Where height, cost and volume matter more than swap-out, we solder the SoC directly with our reference power tree and DDR routing, which removes the connector and shaves board height and unit cost. Either way the compute is a decision, not a given, and the rest of the board is drawn around it.
Exactly your ports
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Interconnect

The I/O your product actually uses.

Isolated RS-485, RS-232, CAN-FD Gigabit and PoE, USB, MIPI CSI/DSI M.2, mini-PCIe, GPIO on your headers
Exactly your ports
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Interconnect

The I/O your product actually uses.

Isolated RS-485, RS-232, CAN-FD Gigabit and PoE, USB, MIPI CSI/DSI M.2, mini-PCIe, GPIO on your headers

This is where a bespoke board earns its place. We fit the interfaces you use and leave off the ones you do not: galvanically isolated RS-485 and CAN-FD for a machine bus, a single-cable PoE feed, MIPI CSI camera lanes, an M.2 slot for storage or a modem. Every connector sits on the edge your enclosure needs, at the pitch your harness expects, so assembly on your line is a straight plug rather than a loom of adapters. Protection is designed in: TVS on every exposed line, ESD to IEC 61000-4-2, and isolation barriers where a field bus leaves the box.
Wide input, wide temp
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Power

One rail in, clean rails out, cool.

9 to 36 V or 5 V single input Sequenced rails, brownout safe Thermal solved for -40 to +85 C
Wide input, wide temp
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Power

One rail in, clean rails out, cool.

9 to 36 V or 5 V single input Sequenced rails, brownout safe Thermal solved for -40 to +85 C

The board takes the supply you have in the field, whether that is a 9 to 36 V vehicle rail or a regulated 5 V, and generates the SoC core, DDR and I/O rails in the right order with the right margins. We design for the environment, not the bench: brownout and reverse-polarity protection, in-rush limiting, and a thermal solution sized so the processor holds full clock across the industrial range without a fan where we can avoid one. Power integrity is verified on the prototype, not assumed, so the board behaves the same on unit ten thousand as on unit one.
Building blocks

What we design in

The reference subsystems we adapt to your product. Nothing here is fixed, but each is a known-good starting point.

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Compute

System-on-module socket

SMARC / Qseven

A SMARC 2.1 or Qseven edge connector accepting an NXP i.MX 8M Plus, Rockchip RK3588 or TI AM62 module, so compute is swappable and second-sourced.

Request datasheet
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Compute

Direct-solder SoC reference

Lowest height

For cost and thickness, the SoC is soldered down with our validated power tree and DDR3/DDR4 length-matched routing.

Request datasheet
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I/O

Isolated fieldbus bank

RS-485 / CAN-FD

Galvanically isolated RS-485 and CAN-FD transceivers with TVS and common-mode protection, ready for a noisy machine floor.

Request datasheet
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I/O

PoE and Gigabit front end

IEEE 802.3at

An 802.3at powered-device front end with isolation magnetics, so the board takes power and data on one cable up to 25 W.

Request datasheet
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Build

Wide-temp and conformal build

-40 to +85 C

Industrial-grade parts throughout and an IPC-CC-830 conformal coating option for condensation, dust and salt-fog environments.

Request datasheet
The engagement

What the design work includes

Owned by you

Yours

At the end you own the design package: schematics, layout, Gerbers, the bill of materials and the assembly files. There is no locked module and no per-unit licence on the hardware. If you ever want to build it somewhere else, you can, because the files are yours.

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Architecture

We turn your requirements into a block diagram and a part selection, with second sources named before layout starts.

Schematic and layout

Full schematic capture and multilayer PCB layout with controlled impedance, length matching and design-for-manufacture review.

Prototype and bring-up

We build the first boards, power them up, and prove every interface against a written test plan before you see a unit.

Production release

A verified board, test fixtures and documentation, released to your contract manufacturer or ours.

The difference

Bespoke board versus a stock module

Custom boardOff-the-shelf SBC
I/O set Exactly what you specified Whatever the vendor chose
Board outline Drawn to your enclosure Fixed footprint you build around
Temperature -40 to +85 C by design 0 to +60 C typical
Lifecycle 15 yr, managed end of life 3 yr, then a forced redesign
Design files Schematics, Gerbers and BOM are yours A closed board you cannot change
Cost at volume One board, no carrier stack Module plus carrier plus adapters
Design process

From requirement to release

A board goes from a conversation to a production part in five stages, each with a gate you sign off before we spend your money on the next. Nothing is a surprise and nothing is a black box.

The path

Five stages

  1. Requirements and architecture

    We agree the interface list, mechanical envelope, power input, environment and volume, then produce a block diagram and a costed part selection with second sources named.

  2. Schematic and part selection

    Full schematic capture, every part chosen for a 15 year availability horizon, reviewed with you before a single track is drawn. This is the gate where changes are cheap.

  3. PCB layout and DFM

    Multilayer layout with controlled impedance on the high-speed lanes, length matching on DDR and Ethernet, and a design-for-manufacture and test review against IPC-2221 spacing rules.

  4. Prototype and bring-up

    We fabricate and assemble the first boards and bring them up on the bench: rails in order, SoC booting, every interface exercised against a written test plan.

  5. Verification and production

    EMC pre-scan, thermal and environmental checks, then release of the verified design package, test fixtures and documentation to manufacturing.

Engineering rigor

Where the hours go

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Signal integrity

High-speed lanes that pass first time

DDR, Gigabit Ethernet, USB and PCIe are routed as controlled-impedance differential pairs with length matching and reference planes kept continuous under every lane. We simulate the critical nets before layout is final rather than debugging a failed board after fabrication. The result is a board that trains its links and boots on the first prototype instead of the third.

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Power and thermal

Rails that hold under load and heat

The power tree is designed with margin, sequenced correctly and decoupled at each rail, then verified on the prototype under worst-case current. Thermally we model the processor and hot regulators across the full temperature range and size copper, vias and any heatspreader so the SoC holds clock without throttling. Fanless is the goal wherever the power budget allows it.

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Manufacture and test

Built to be built, and tested

Layout follows IPC-2221 clearances and IPC-A-610 workmanship so a contract manufacturer can build it without exceptions. We add test points and design a flying-probe or bed-of-nails plan so every unit is verified on the line, not just the first one. Panelisation, fiducials and assembly notes ship with the design.

Engineering questions

What buyers usually ask

Should we use a module or solder the SoC down?

A module lowers your risk and lets you second-source and upgrade compute later; a soldered SoC lowers height and unit cost at volume. We advise on the trade for your volume and product life and design either way.

Who owns the design and the files?

You do. The schematics, layout, Gerbers, bill of materials and assembly files are handed over as your property, with no per-unit hardware licence. You are never locked to us to build the board.

What about NRE and minimum order?

The design is a one-time engineering cost we quote up front against your requirement. There is no minimum order on the design itself; production volume is whatever your product needs, from tens of boards to tens of thousands.

“They sent us the block diagram and the part list before drawing anything, so every expensive decision was made on paper. The first prototype booted and every port worked.”
Hardware lead, an industrial automation vendor
The interfaces

Exactly the ports you use

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Industrial serial and fieldbus

Isolated RS-485, RS-232 and CAN-FD

For machine and vehicle buses we fit galvanically isolated RS-485 and CAN-FD transceivers, so a ground fault or surge on the field side cannot reach the processor. Every line carries TVS protection to IEC 61000-4-5 surge levels and common-mode chokes where the cable runs long. RS-232 is available for legacy equipment. Termination and biasing are set for your topology, not left as a jumper the installer forgets.

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Networking and power

Gigabit Ethernet and single-cable PoE

Ethernet is a proper Gigabit PHY with isolation magnetics, and we can add an IEEE 802.3at powered-device front end so the board takes up to 25 W of power and its data over one cable. That removes a separate power run to every remote node. Where you need more than one network segment we fit an on-board switch. The MAC address and any managed-switch configuration are part of the design.

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Expansion and storage

M.2, mini-PCIe, camera and GPIO

An M.2 or mini-PCIe slot takes an NVMe drive, a cellular or Wi-Fi modem, or an accelerator, on real PCIe or USB lanes. MIPI CSI lanes bring in cameras and MIPI DSI or LVDS drives a panel. General-purpose I/O, I2C, SPI and PWM come out on the headers and at the pitch your harness and your daughter-boards expect.

A typical I/O count on a mid board

M.2 PCIe and USB expansion slot
25 W Power over Ethernet, 802.3at
16x GPIO, plus I2C, SPI and PWM
CAN-FD Isolated bus, up to 5 Mbit/s
Form factor

The shape your product needs

The board is drawn to fit your enclosure, not the other way round.

Standard outline

Pico-ITX or SMARC carrier

A known outline like Pico-ITX at 100 by 72 mm when you want to drop into an existing case or a stock extrusion.

Bespoke outline

Drawn to your enclosure

Any shape, cut-outs and mounting-hole pattern, with connectors on the edges your case and harness dictate.

Rail and panel

DIN-rail or panel mount

Terminal-block power, front-facing connectors and a mechanical design for a DIN-rail carrier or a panel cut-out.

Specify it with us

Send us your pinout

Give us your interface list and your enclosure and we will come back with a block diagram and a rough cost. No commitment to start the conversation.

Talk to engineering OEM & ODM
Certification & lifecycle

Compliant, and buildable for years

A board that cannot pass EMC or that goes end of life mid-production is not finished. We design to the marks your product carries and hold the parts so you never redesign under duress.

Assessed against

The standards we design to

Design targets from day one, not a scramble before launch.

Emissions and immunity

EN 55032 and EN 55035

Layout and filtering designed for radiated and conducted emissions to EN 55032 Class B and immunity to EN 55035, with an in-house pre-scan before the accredited test.

Product safety

IEC and EN 62368-1

Creepage, clearance and isolation barriers to IEC/EN 62368-1, so the board supports the CE, UKCA and FCC Part 15B marks your product needs.

Environment

IEC 60068 and RoHS

Thermal cycling, shock and vibration to IEC 60068, RoHS and REACH compliant parts, and an IPC-CC-830 conformal coat option for humidity and dust.

Built tough
-40 to +85 C Operating range, industrial parts
Class 3 IPC-A-610 assembly, high reliability
50 g Mechanical shock, IEC 60068-2-27
IPC-CC-830 Conformal coating option
Kept alive

Buildable long after launch

Fifteen years

Committed

Every part is chosen against a long-availability horizon and tracked. We commit to a build for 15 years from release, hold last-time-buy stock where a part cannot be guaranteed that long, and give you notice and a drop-in alternative well before anything goes end of life.

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EOL management

We monitor every line item and warn you before a part goes end of life, with a qualified replacement ready.

Revision control

Every board rev is documented and traceable, so a change five years out is a controlled step, not a fresh design.

Second sourcing

Critical parts carry a named second source designed in from the start, so a shortage does not stop your line.

Coating and ruggedisation

Conformal coat, staked connectors and wide-temp parts for boards that live outdoors or on a machine.

Compliance questions

The ones procurement raises

Which marks can the board carry?

We design for CE and UKCA in Europe and the UK and FCC Part 15B in the US, to the EMC and safety standards above. Your finished product is certified as a whole; we deliver a board that passes and the pre-scan evidence to back it.

Who holds the test reports?

You do. The EMC pre-scan results, the design evidence and any accredited test reports we arrange are part of your technical file, so your compliance is yours to keep and to show an auditor.

Is conformal coating always needed?

No. It is an option for condensation, dust, salt fog or coastal air. For a clean indoor cabinet you save the cost and skip it. We advise based on where the board actually lives.

“Two production runs in and we have not touched the design once. When a regulator part was going end of life they had the swap qualified before we even noticed.”
Procurement manager, a building-controls manufacturer
What you own

One engineering cost, then it is yours

The board is a one-time engineering charge quoted against your requirement, and after that there is no meter. You own the schematics, the layout, the Gerbers, the bill of materials and the assembly files, and there is no per-unit licence on the hardware. Build the board with our contract manufacturer or take the files to yours; either works. Production is priced per unit at your volume, and the parts are held for the life of the product so the unit price does not jump when a component gets scarce. The one thing you never pay for is a redesign you did not choose.

The file

Briefs, papers and cases

The documents an evaluator and a specifier ask for, plus worked examples of boards we have designed. Open one to read what is inside.

Brief
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Board design brief

The one-page case for a bespoke board.

2 pages For decision makers Process and pricing model
Brief
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Board design brief

The one-page case for a bespoke board.

2 pages For decision makers Process and pricing model

A two-page summary of what the service is, how the five-stage process runs, what you own at the end and how the cost breaks into engineering and per-unit production. Written for the person who signs off the project, not the engineer who integrates it.
White paper
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Design-for-longevity white paper

How a board stays buildable for 15 years.

12 pages For technical evaluators EOL, second-source, revision control
White paper
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Design-for-longevity white paper

How a board stays buildable for 15 years.

12 pages For technical evaluators EOL, second-source, revision control

The full method behind the availability commitment: how parts are selected against lifecycle data, how last-time-buy and second sourcing are decided, how revisions are controlled, and how end-of-life notices and qualified replacements are managed so a product line never stops for a chip shortage.
White paper
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EMC and compliance guide

Designing to pass the first time.

16 pages For integrators EN 55032, 62368-1, 60068
White paper
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EMC and compliance guide

Designing to pass the first time.

16 pages For integrators EN 55032, 62368-1, 60068

The layout, filtering and isolation practices we use to design boards that clear EN 55032 emissions and EN 55035 immunity, meet IEC 62368-1 safety, and survive IEC 60068 environmental testing, plus how the in-house pre-scan de-risks the accredited test and feeds your technical file.
Use case
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Machine controller

Isolated buses on a factory floor.

CoreTI AM62 SoM I/ORS-485 x2, CAN-FD, PoE Buildconformal, -40 to +85 C
Use case
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Machine controller

Isolated buses on a factory floor.

CoreTI AM62 SoM I/ORS-485 x2, CAN-FD, PoE Buildconformal, -40 to +85 C

A controller for automation equipment built on a TI AM62 module with two isolated RS-485 lines, a CAN-FD bus and a PoE feed so one cable powers each node. Conformal coated and rated -40 to +85 C for an unheated plant, drawn to drop into the customer's existing DIN-rail enclosure.
Use case
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Edge vision node

Camera in, inference on board.

Corei.MX 8M Plus, soldered I/OMIPI CSI x2, M.2, Gigabit Buildfanless, IP-sealed case
Use case
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Edge vision node

Camera in, inference on board.

Corei.MX 8M Plus, soldered I/OMIPI CSI x2, M.2, Gigabit Buildfanless, IP-sealed case

A compact vision board with the i.MX 8M Plus soldered down for height, two MIPI CSI camera inputs, an M.2 slot for storage or an accelerator, and Gigabit out. Designed fanless for a sealed outdoor housing, with the SoC thermal solution modelled across the full range so it never throttles in summer sun.
Use case
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Vehicle telematics

Wide input, rough ride.

CoreRK3588 SoM I/OCAN-FD x2, mini-PCIe modem Build9 to 36 V, 50 g shock
Use case
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Vehicle telematics

Wide input, rough ride.

CoreRK3588 SoM I/OCAN-FD x2, mini-PCIe modem Build9 to 36 V, 50 g shock

A telematics board taking a raw 9 to 36 V vehicle rail with reverse-polarity and load-dump protection, two isolated CAN-FD buses onto the vehicle network, and a mini-PCIe cellular modem. Built on an RK3588 module and qualified to 50 g shock and vibration for a moving cab.
Request the files

Take the paperwork away

Sent on request so we can tailor them to your product and volume.

Custom board design brief Brief PDF, on request Design-for-longevity white paper White paper PDF, on request EMC and compliance guide Compliance PDF, on request
Start the board

Tell us what it has to do

Bring your interface list, your enclosure and your environment. We will scope the design and come back with a block diagram and a cost.

Talk to engineering OEM & ODM