Electronics, firmware, certification, manufacturing
Custom IoT and electronics product development
We design the electronics, write the firmware and take your device through FCC and CE certification and into manufacturing. One team of five engineers, six years in business, three devices built in volume for US customers.
- 9,500solar roof cameras built for one US client under our supervision
- 9 monthsfrom the first sketch of that camera to its first production batch
- $300,000the same client's estimated saving on development cost
- 6 yearsdesigning hardware for companies in the US and Canada
Hardware development services
Most customers come to us with a problem rather than a spec: a prototype that dies on battery in a week, a camera that has to run where there is no mains power, a sensor that must report from a field over a radio. One team does the electronics, the firmware, certification and manufacturing, so nothing is lost in a handoff between contractors.
Electronics and PCB design
Schematic, layout and a bill of materials that can be ordered on the day it is needed. We lay out in KiCad or Altium, whichever your team already uses, so you can open and change the files after we are gone.
PCB design →Firmware development
C and C++ on the ESP32 family and other microcontrollers, Rust or assembler where the job calls for it, and Linux bring-up on NXP i.MX processors. Every device gets an update path so you can fix a bug after the units ship.
Firmware →Low-power and wireless devices
Sleep current decides battery life. We design the power path and the sleep schedule, then size the battery from the radio's duty cycle. Our solar camera runs up to nine months on one charge with no sun.
Low-power design →Certification and manufacturing
We design to FCC, ISED and CE limits from the first schematic, take the board through an accredited lab, and run production with contract manufacturers in Canada, the US and Asia.
Certification and production →Cameras and edge AI
Tokay Lite and Tokay Pro are our own camera boards. If your device fits their envelope, the schematic, layout and firmware already exist and we change only what differs.
Camera projects →Connecting the device to your system
MQTT and HTTP into AWS IoT, ThingsBoard, Edge Impulse or your own backend. If you have no backend yet, Rainforest IoT, our own platform, gets device data into your system first.
Rainforest IoT →
Read the full description of our services, including the eight project stages and what you receive at the end of each.
Industries we work in
IoT
Battery-powered sensors and controllers that run for years between charges. Sleep current and radio duty cycle set the battery life, so we design those first.
Robotics
Vision for machines that need more than a microcontroller. Tokay Pro runs Linux on an NXP processor and tracks more than 100 objects at once.
Custom devices
Radio, vision, power and metering devices, from a 12-channel energy monitor to a Zigbee gateway. Tell us the problem and we will say on the first call whether it is a fit.
Manufacturing
Cameras that inspect parts and count objects on a line, and send the result to your system over MQTT or HTTP.
Automotive
Linux cameras on NXP i.MX processors, with thermal and spectral sensors where visible light is not enough.
Greentech
Solar-powered devices for roofs, fields and recycling lines, including a roof camera that keeps ice-melt cables switched off more than 90% of the time.
Three devices we took to production
Client projects that went past the prototype stage. The numbers are the clients' production figures; the full write-ups are on the Work page.
9,500 solar roof cameras in US homes
A camera module that watches the roof edge for ice and switches the heat cables on only when they are needed. ESP32, two infrared-sensitive cameras, IP68 housing, one battery charge per winter. Nine months from first sketch to the first production batch, then a year of supervised manufacturing. The client estimates the project saved about $300,000 in development cost.
Roof camera case study →
2,300 energy monitors, 12 circuits each
A monitor that measures 12 circuits at once and streams readings to a phone app over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE, with a threshold alert per circuit. About a year from kickoff to production units. One team did the analog front end, both radios and the firmware.
Energy monitor case study →
1,750 Tuya gateways in four months
An ESP32 gateway that runs Tuya devices on the local network without the cloud: Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, an MQTT and HTTP API, and Home Assistant support. Four months from kickoff to the first production run of 1,750 units.
Tuya gateway case study →
How a project runs
Most projects take three months to a year from the first call to the first production batch. Each stage ends with files or hardware you keep, and the design files are yours if you stop after any stage.
Intro call
Thirty minutes, under NDA if you want one. You get a written summary of the device as we understand it and a proposal for the first stage.
Proof of concept
Where a part of the design is uncertain, such as battery life or low-light image quality, we measure it on development boards before any layout.
Schematic, layout and prototypes
Parts chosen for availability as well as spec, a board laid out in KiCad or Altium, a small batch assembled and brought up. Firmware starts here.
Testing and revisions
Power measurement, radio range, temperature and whatever your use case demands. Most designs take more than one revision; the roof camera took several.
Certification
FCC, ISED or CE through an accredited lab. If a test fails, we fix the board and retest. You get the certified design and the test report.
Production
A release package, a pilot run, then the quantity you need with a contract manufacturer in Canada, the US or Asia. Firmware updates continue after launch.
We do not publish a price list, because two devices with the same spec sheet can differ several times over in engineering hours. The cost depends on the number of board revisions, the firmware scope, whether there is a camera or a radio, which certifications you need and how many units you plan to build. Our guide to hardware development cost and timeline sets out each driver and the typical length of every stage, so you can budget before the first call.
Our products
Three devices sold under our own name, with the designs published. For client projects they are the starting point: if your device fits one of them, we change only what differs.
Tokay Lite, open-source edge AI camera
An ESP32-S3 camera with IR night vision, a passive-IR motion sensor and an external RTC for deep sleep. Runs TensorFlow Lite Micro models on the board. Sold on Mouser and Crowd Supply; hardware under CERN-OHL-P, SDK under Apache-2.0.
ESP32 Tuya gateway
Runs Tuya devices on the local network without the cloud. Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, an MQTT and HTTP API, and Home Assistant support. Built to order; the firmware can be open or private as the customer needs.
Tokay Pro, modular Linux camera
A Linux camera on an NXP i.MX processor for thermal, spectral and visible sensors. Tracks more than 100 objects at once and can run from solar. Available to order by quote.
Why Maxlab
Maxlab is a team of five engineers, in business since 2020, working remotely with companies across the US and Canada. The same team does the electronics, the firmware, certification and manufacturing, which is where details get lost when three contractors share a project.
You can inspect our work
The Tokay Lite schematic, layout and SDK are public on GitHub. Read the code before you call.
Your tools, your files
KiCad or Altium, C, C++ or Rust, whichever your team uses. You own the schematics, layout and firmware source at the end of every stage.
We ask a lot of questions
The first call ends with a written summary of the device as we understand it, so a misunderstanding is caught before a board is made.
We say when it does not fit
Devices with a camera, a radio or a tight power budget are the ones we know best. If yours is outside that, we tell you on the first call.
Hardware you can read before you buy
The Tokay Lite schematic, layout and SDK are on GitHub, with documentation at docs.maxlab.io.
Bring your own software
If the application already exists, our cameras run your code and connect to your backend over MQTT or HTTP.
Cameras where there is no mains power
Tokay Pro runs Linux from a solar panel, works without an internet connection and takes thermal or spectral sensors as well as visible light.
Tell us about your device
Send a description, however rough: a sketch, a spec or a prototype that is not working. We reply within 24 hours and tell you on the first call whether it is a fit.
From the blog
Guides on low-power design, battery life and edge AI cameras, and write-ups of our own projects.
Start with a 30-minute call
Bring a sketch, a spec or a prototype that is not working. We will tell you what it takes to build it and send a scoped proposal for the first stage within a week.
Common questions
What does Maxlab do?
We design custom electronics, PCBs and firmware for IoT and camera devices, take them through certification and into manufacturing, and make our own edge AI cameras, Tokay Lite and Tokay Pro. We are a team of five and have been in business since 2020.
Do you work with US companies?
Yes, most of our clients are in the US; we are based in Canada. Projects run remotely over video calls and a shared repository; prototypes and production units travel by courier. Devices are certified for the markets you sell in: FCC for the US, ISED for Canada, CE for Europe.
Who do you work with?
Startups, mid-size companies and enterprises in the US and Canada, mostly in manufacturing, energy, agriculture, robotics and building technology. The common thread is a device with a camera, a radio or a tight power budget.
How much does it cost to develop a hardware product?
It depends on the number of board revisions, how much firmware the device needs, whether it has a camera or a radio, which certifications it needs and how many units you plan to build. After an intro call we send a scoped quote for the first stage. Our guide to hardware development cost and timeline explains each driver.
How long does it take to go from idea to production?
Most projects take three months to a year from first sketch to the first production batch. Our Tuya gateway took four months; the solar roof camera took nine; the 12-channel energy monitor took about a year. Devices that need several certifications or a custom enclosure take longer.
Do you handle FCC and CE certification?
Yes. We plan for certification from the first schematic and arrange testing with an accredited lab for the markets you sell in. Where the design uses a pre-certified radio module, such as the ESP32 modules we build on, the end product needs only the unintentional-radiator tests, which are cheaper and faster.
Do you handle manufacturing?
Yes. We work with contract manufacturers in Canada, the US and Asia, and we supervised the solar roof camera's ramp-up to 9,500 units.
Can you adapt Tokay Lite instead of designing a new board?
Yes. If your device fits Tokay Lite's envelope, an ESP32-S3 camera with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, IR night vision and a motion sensor, we change only what differs: the sensor, the enclosure, the power input or the firmware. That removes most of the schematic and layout stages and the time that goes with them.
Do you sign NDAs, and who owns the design?
We sign an NDA before the first call if you want one. You own the schematics, layout files and firmware source at the end of the project, and at the end of each stage if you stop earlier.