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Case Studies

Our work

Engineered in Long Beach, CA, for clients across Southern California and beyond.

Medical

Ultrasound Positioning Controller

Precision 5-axis motion system for medical imaging equipment

6 mo Hardware + Firmware
Context

A client came to us after another firm delivered a board with electromagnetic interference issues and manufacturing defects. The original design used five separate driver boards linked by complicated custom connectors and cabling. Assembly took a lot of labor.

What we built

We consolidated everything onto a single 6-layer PCB with TI-based motor drivers for all five axes controlling ~20W of low-inductance motors. A TI C2000 series MCU handles real-time control. USB-C provides both power and communication.

Result
  • ±0.1mm positioning accuracy
  • Eliminated spurious emissions, passing both radiated and conducted emissions testing
  • Passed IEC 60601 medical pre-compliance on first attempt
  • 3x smaller and 10x cheaper than the original
6-layer PCBTI C2000 MCU5-axis motor controlUSB-C power + data

Neonatal Biomarker Patch

Wireless wearable sensor for infant monitoring studies

4 mo Hardware + Firmware
Context

A medical device startup needed hardware for an investigational study. The device had to be small enough for neonatal skin, run for extended periods and survive repeated sterilization.

What we built

We designed an ultra-compact board (~1" square, 1.5cm tall, 2oz) with a multi-sensor front-end including ECG and PPG. An nRF54 handles BLE connectivity. Sleep mode management and sensor-specific power controls maximize battery life.

Result
  • 24-hour continuous operation, 1-year standby
  • Rechargeable, reusable design suitable for long-term clinical use
  • Used successfully in the client's pilot study
nRF54 BLE SoCECG + PPG sensing1" sq. x 1.5cm2 oz

Industrial

GaN Motor Controller

Compact 4kW brushless motor driver

6 mo Hardware + Firmware
Context

A client needed a 4kW brushless motor controller in a smaller form factor than existing solutions. The application required fast torque response and low acoustic noise from a 72V bus.

What we built

We used EPC gallium nitride (GaN) transistors for high switching efficiency. A TI C2000 series MCU runs the FOC control loop. We optimized the PCB layout for thermal performance with heatsink integration.

Result
  • 98% efficiency at 3kW
  • 40% smaller and 50% lighter than the predecessor
  • Lower acoustic noise
  • Compact enough to mount directly on the motor housing
EPC GaN FETsTI C2000 MCUFOC control72V bus

Scientific

Gravimeter Modernization

Digital upgrade for legacy gravity measurement instruments

4 mo Hardware + Firmware
Context

LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters are precision instruments used in geophysical surveys to measure subtle variations in Earth's gravity. The original manufacturer went out of business, leaving critical components unavailable.

What we built

We designed a two-part system. An internal module with an ESP32 adds a 16-bit ADC with oversampling, OLED display and expansion interface. A wired external data logger provides automatic data capture with GPS tagging, WiFi and BLE connectivity.

Result
  • Improved noise floor, reduced drift, increased accuracy and precision
  • Extended the life of instruments that would otherwise be scrapped
  • Client can now perform automated, GPS-tagged surveys
ESP3216-bit ADCGPS-tagged loggingWiFi + BLE

This is a small sample. Most of what we build is proprietary or unreleased. These are the ones we have permission to show.