Full-Stack Embedded Engineering Capabilities
While most of our service pages only talk about one piece of a project, like firmware, hardware, or prototyping, this page gives a full overview of what our team is capable of. Listed below is the full range of platforms, languages, and protocols we are familiar with and work with day to day. We are a full-stack embedded engineering firm, so you will be working with the same team throughout your whole project. If you are trying to figure out whether or not we can support your specific project requirements, this list will answer that question.
HIGH-QUALITY ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE AND GUIDANCE
Embedded work is what we do day-in and day-out, and the lists below reflect that. These are the tools, platforms, and protocols we use regularly in our work but are not a catalog of everything we have ever worked on. If you need something that isn’t listed, ask about it. In many cases we have direct experience on the team and even if we don’t, we excel at getting up to speed on new platforms and technologies.
EES is a contract engineering firm with a special focus on embedded design
We work with our clients to understand the specific needs of their projects and customize our effort to meet those needs without the bloat and extra costs that sometimes come when using an engineering contractor. When you work with us, you are working directly with engineers, not with project managers or engineering executives with high hourly bill rates and minimal contribution. Everyone working on your project is directly contributing to its success.
We know that sometimes circumstances change and at times like that, our clients appreciate flexibility. As such, we don’t use long term contracts and our clients are free to suspend or stop projects at any point if the circumstances dictate. In such an instance, they are only charged for the actual time and expenses accrued to that point. Suspended projects can be reactivated when appropriate or not at all as the circumstances dictate but we always only charge for the time actually spent and materials actually used while the project was active.
The industries that we have experience with include but are not limited to: consumer products, medical devices, industrial controls, communications, supply chain management, defense, and manufacturing.
We work with companies that run the gamut in size and sophistication. Our past clients have ranged from single person start-ups to billion-dollar multi-national corporations and everything in between. We can work independently or in parallel with an in-house development team and have worked both ways on many different projects.
Hardware Design Capabilities
- Primary design tool is Altium Designer but we also have experience with Eagle and PADS
- Circuit design and schematic design for mixed signal analog and digital circuitry
- Circuit board layout including high voltage/high current, high density and impedance control
- Part research and specification Bill of Material preparation
- Full hardware lab including hot-air rework, re-flow oven, 3D printing and common hardware test equipment (O-scope, signal generator, bench supplies…etc.
Software Development Capabilities
- Language experience (most commonly used are listed)
- Embedded C – IDEs including Eclipse, CCS, MPLAB, Dave, IAR Embedded Workbench, mbed and Arduino
- C# – Visual Studio
- Python – for both PC and embedded (Raspberry Pi) deployment
- VHDL – Xilinx Vivado toolchain
- Swift – iOS development
- Java/Kotlin – Android development
- Embedded platforms
- Espressif – ESP32
- Texas Instruments – MSP430, CC2540/CC2541, C2000 Family, Piccolo Microprocessor
- Microchip – PIC16, PIC32, dsPIC
- Atmel – SAMA5, ATmega
- Infineon – XMC1200, XMC1400
- ST – STM Family
- Nordic – nRF5x family
- Xilinx – Zynq-7000
- Freescale – Kinetis K64
- Raspberry Pi
- Arduino
- Communication Protocols
- Wifi
- BLE
- TCP/IP
- SPI
- I2C
- LoRa
- UWB
- CANbus
- Zigbee
- RS232/485
- One-wire
- ModBus
FAQs
What capabilities should I look for in an embedded engineering firm for a connected device?
Look for coverage across system architecture, hardware design, firmware development, and prototype validation, plus a clear plan for manufacturing handoff. Connected devices also demand competence in power, RF reliability, and making failures observable with logs and test hooks. If you want to see how these pieces fit together, start with Services and Our Process.
What microcontroller platforms and wireless stacks are commonly used for new product development?
Most new products start with a microcontroller platform that matches the power budget, peripheral set, and connectivity needs, then build around a vendor stack or proven library for the wireless layer. The important part is not the brand name, it is whether the platform can meet timing, power, and update requirements with margin. If you are choosing an architecture, Embedded Systems Design is the right starting point.
How do I know if a firm can handle both hardware and firmware without gaps?
Ask how they manage the interface between schematic and firmware, including bring-up, test points, programming, and debugging workflows. A team that truly spans hardware and firmware will talk about measurement, failure modes, and how issues are isolated across domains. You can also look for an engagement plan that includes integrated milestones, not separate "hardware then firmware" silos. Related pages: Hardware Design and Firmware Development.
What tools and deliverables should I expect from professional PCB and firmware work?
You should expect complete design artifacts and a clean handoff package. For hardware that means schematic and layout files, BOM with alternates, and manufacturing outputs. For firmware that means source code, build instructions, version control, and test procedures that prove critical behaviors. The deliverable expectations are described in Hardware Design and Firmware Development.
Can an embedded engineering firm integrate BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular, or LoRa into a product and make it reliable?
Yes, but reliability depends on more than getting a radio link working in the lab. You want an architecture that accounts for power, range, interference, antenna constraints, security, and field debugging from the start. The best indicator is a plan for validation testing on real hardware in representative conditions. Related: Prototyping and Embedded Systems Design.
How do I evaluate whether a firm's "embedded experience" is real or just prototype-level?
Look for evidence of production constraints: manufacturability and test strategy, documentation quality, update and recovery workflows, and how failures were handled in the field. Ask what was shipped, how it was validated, and what the manufacturing handoff included. If you want to see the kinds of projects we have supported, start with Past Successes.
See a platform, protocol, or capability that matches your project?
Talk to a senior engineer. Start with a free Engineering Reality Check if you’re still scoping the project, or a Scope It Right architecture session ($199, creditable toward future work) if you’re ready to plan the build.