Embedded and edge

Custom embedded board.

You pick the module. We draw the board around it. We take your chosen SoC or SoM, design the schematic and layout, build and bring up the prototypes, and hand you a board that fits your enclosure and stays buildable for more than ten years.

Talk to engineering See all solutions

The problem

Nothing off the shelf quite fits.

An off the shelf single board computer picks your I/O for you. You get four USB ports and HDMI when the product needs two isolated RS-485 lines, a CAN-FD bus and power over Ethernet. The connectors land on the wrong edges for your enclosure. The outline is fixed. Half the interfaces you paid for sit unused while the one you actually need is missing.

Then the module you designed around reaches end of life in three years and forces a redesign right when the product is selling. A carrier, a module and a stack of adapters is three parts and three places to fail, where you wanted one.

Most products need a single board with exactly the interfaces they use, in the shape of their enclosure, buildable for as long as the product ships. That is a design job, not a shopping list.

Design targets

The numbers we design to.

-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.

Imagery in production

Compute

A socketed module or a soldered SoC. You decide which.

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. Modules we build around include the NXP i.MX 8M Plus, the Rockchip RK3588 and the TI AM62. Where height, cost and volume matter more than swapping the core, we solder the SoC straight down with our own power tree and length-matched DDR3 or DDR4 routing. That drops the connector, the board height and the unit cost. Either way the compute is a decision we make with you, and the rest of the board is drawn around it.

Imagery in production

Interconnect

The ports your product uses, and none it does not.

This is where a bespoke board earns its place. We fit the interfaces you use and leave off the ones you do not. That can mean galvanically isolated RS-485 and CAN-FD for a machine bus, RS-232 where you still need it, a single-cable PoE feed, Gigabit Ethernet, USB, MIPI CSI camera and DSI display lanes, an M.2 or mini-PCIe slot for storage or a modem, and GPIO broken out on the headers your harness expects. Every connector sits on the edge your enclosure needs, at the pitch your loom plugs into, so assembly on your line is a straight connection rather than a tangle of adapters. Protection is drawn in from the start: TVS on every exposed line, ESD to IEC 61000-4-2, and isolation barriers wherever a field bus leaves the box.

Imagery in production

Power

One supply in. Clean, sequenced rails out.

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, the DDR and the I/O rails in the right order with the right margins. We design for the field, not the bench. That means brownout and reverse-polarity protection, in-rush limiting, and a thermal solution sized so the processor holds full clock across -40 to +85 C, without a fan wherever we can manage it. We verify power integrity on the prototype rather than assuming it, so unit ten thousand behaves like unit one.

Building blocks

What we design in.

The reference subsystems we adapt to your product. Nothing here is fixed. Each one is a known-good place to start.

Imagery in production

Compute

System-on-module socket

SMARC / Qseven

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

Request datasheet

Imagery in production

Compute

Direct-solder SoC reference

Lowest height

When cost and thickness matter most, the SoC is soldered down with our validated power tree and length-matched DDR3 or DDR4 routing.

Request datasheet

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

I/O

PoE and Gigabit front end

IEEE 802.3at

An 802.3at powered-device front end with isolation magnetics, so one cable carries both power and data up to 25 W.

Request datasheet

Imagery in production

Build

Wide-temp and conformal build

-40 to +85 C

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

Request datasheet

The engagement

From requirement to release.

Four stages, most of the work ours. You see a board only after every interface has been proven.

Architecture

We turn your requirements into a block diagram and a part selection, and we name the second sources before layout starts.
Schematic and layout

Full schematic capture and multilayer PCB layout, with controlled impedance, length matching and a 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 a unit reaches you.
Production release

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

“We hand over the design, not a dependency. If you can build the board without us one day, we did our job right.”

The Calyraen hardware team

Side by side

Bespoke board versus a stock module.

The same product, two ways to build it. What each choice actually gives you.

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

Typical figures for a stock single-board computer. Your custom board is drawn to the numbers you set.

Questions

Asked and answered.

Can we start from a processor we have already chosen?

Yes. You pick the SoC or system-on-module first, an NXP i.MX 8M Plus, a Rockchip RK3588 or a TI AM62, and we draw the board around it. On a SMARC 2.1 or Qseven module you can second-source the core and step up later without touching the carrier.

Who owns the design when we are done?

You do. You get the full 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, the files are yours to take.

Where can the board actually run?

We design for -40 to +85 C and size the cooling so the processor holds full clock across that range, usually without a fan. For condensation, dust or salt fog, an IPC-CC-830 conformal coating is available.

What happens when a part goes end of life?

We commit to 15 years of component availability and manage end of life for you, so a chip retirement does not turn into a surprise redesign in the middle of a production run.

Ready when you are

Start with your requirements.

Send us the module, the I/O and the enclosure, or just the problem. A design engineer reads it and writes back.

Talk to engineering See all solutions

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Imagery in production

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.

Imagery in production

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.

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

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.

Imagery in production

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.

Imagery in production

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.

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

Board design brief

The one-page case for a bespoke board.

2 pages For decision makers Process and pricing model

White paper

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

EMC and compliance guide

Designing to pass the first time.

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

Use case

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

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

Imagery in production

Vehicle telematics

Wide input, rough ride.

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

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

Custom embedded board.

Nothing off the shelf quite fits.

Compute

Interconnect

Power

System-on-module socket

Direct-solder SoC reference

Isolated fieldbus bank

PoE and Gigabit front end

Wide-temp and conformal build

Architecture

Schematic and layout

Prototype and bring-up

Production release

Start with your requirements.

From requirement to release

Requirements and architecture

Schematic and part selection

PCB layout and DFM

Prototype and bring-up

Verification and production

High-speed lanes that pass first time

Rails that hold under load and heat

Built to be built, and tested

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

Gigabit Ethernet and single-cable PoE

M.2, mini-PCIe, camera and GPIO

A typical *I/O* count on a mid board

Pico-ITX or SMARC carrier

Drawn to your enclosure

DIN-rail or panel mount

Send us your pinout

Compliant, and buildable for years

EN 55032 and EN 55035

IEC and EN 62368-1

IEC 60068 and RoHS

Committed

EOL management

Revision control

Second sourcing

Coating and ruggedisation

One engineering cost, then it is yours

Board design brief

Design-for-longevity white paper

EMC and compliance guide

Machine controller

Edge vision node

Vehicle telematics

Tell us what it has to do

A typical I/O count on a mid board