Work · case studies
Electronics we designed and shipped, from sketch to production
Case studies from our electronics design and IoT product development work. Each device went past the prototype: what it had to do, what made it hard, and where it ended up. Three are custom IoT devices built in volume for clients; two are our own products, sold under the Maxlab name.
- About 13,500 units built across three devices designed for US clients.
- Four to twelve months from the first call to the first production batch.
- Files you keep. Schematics, layout and firmware source are handed over at the end of every stage.
Five hardware development case studies
Client projects first, then our own products. Every one of them is in someone's hands today.
9,500 units · 9 months to first batch · $50k–$125k typical saving
Solar roof camera that switches ice-melt cables
Heat cables on a roof edge stop ice dams, but most of them run whether there is ice or not. We designed a camera module that watches the snow and ice at the roof edge and turns the cables on only when they are needed, plus the hub that connects the modules to the cloud.
Each module has two full-HD, infrared-sensitive cameras for a panoramic view through long winter nights. It is rated for −40 °C to +80 °C, sealed to IP68 in a UV-resistant Lexan housing, and built to survive someone stepping on it. There is no power cable: a battery and a solar panel run it, and one charge lasts about six months under snow.
It went from first sketch to the first manufacturing batch in under nine months, built from Tokay platform blocks. We supervised the manufacturing ramp-up for the first year, then handed it to the client. The system now sells in thousands of homes across the US, and the client estimates the cables can stay off more than 90% of the time.
2,300 units · about 12 months to first batch
12-channel energy monitor
A monitor that measures 12 circuits at once and streams live readings to a phone app over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Each circuit has its own threshold, and the app sends an alert when one draws more than it should. One team did the measurement front end, both radios and the firmware.
Twelve analog channels and two radios on one board is what made it the longest of the three client projects: about a year from kickoff to the first batch.
1,750 units · 4 months to first batch
ESP32 Tuya gateway
A gateway that runs Tuya devices on the local network, without Tuya's cloud. It handles Zigbee as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, exposes MQTT and HTTP APIs, and works with Home Assistant, so devices keep working when the internet is down.
A pre-certified module, no camera and an off-the-shelf enclosure kept it to four months from kickoff to the first batch. Its page is the top US result for “tuya gateway”.
Our product · sold on Mouser and CrowdSupply · open source
Tokay Lite, an open-source edge AI camera
Our own camera board, built around the question most camera projects start with: can a microcontroller do the job? It pairs an ESP32-S3 with an OV2640 sensor, IR night vision, a passive-IR motion sensor and an external RTC, so it can sleep and wake on a timer or on motion. TensorFlow Lite Micro and esp-dl models run on the board.
Tokay Lite is sold on Mouser and launched on Crowd Supply. The schematic, layout and SDK are public on GitHub, so you can inspect our work before you call. For client projects it is a starting point: if the device fits its envelope, we change what differs.
Our product · by quote · Linux on NXP i.MX 8M Plus
Tokay Pro, a modular vision camera
For vision work a microcontroller can't carry. Tokay Pro runs Linux on an NXP processor, takes thermal and spectral sensors as well as visible light, and tracks more than 100 objects at once. It can run from solar. It is the base we use for robotics, inspection and other heavier camera projects.
Three custom IoT devices in numbers
The gateway was quickest because it reused a pre-certified radio module and an enclosure that already existed. The roof camera took nine months: two cameras, a solar power path, a custom IP68 enclosure and several board revisions. The energy monitor took about a year for its twelve analog channels, two radios and a phone app.
Other work
Two more camera problems we have worked on. The background to each is on the blog.
Methane detection with spectral cameras
Hyperspectral and infrared imaging that makes an invisible methane leak visible, and what it takes to run that on a camera in the field.
Hyperspectral cameras in methane detection →Camera-based parking occupancy
Counting free and taken spaces from a camera instead of a sensor in every bay, and where that approach pays off.
Cameras for smart parking lots →Your device
Devices with a camera, a radio or an unusual power budget are the ones we know best. Most projects start as a problem, not a spec.
Send us your project →
What every project gets from our electronics design team
The same five engineers did all of the work above. The practices that got these devices to production are the ones we apply to yours.
- Design files
- KiCad or Altium, yours at the end of every stage
- Firmware
- Source handed over; updates continue after launch
- Parts
- Chosen for availability as well as spec
- Certification
- FCC, ISED or CE through an accredited lab
- Manufacturing
- Contract manufacturers in Canada, the US or Asia; we supervise the ramp-up
- Platforms
- ESP32 family, NXP i.MX; Tokay blocks where they fit
- Stages
- Eight, each ending with files or hardware you keep
- Reply
- Within 24 hours; a scoped quote after the first call
Have a device in mind?
Send a description, however rough. We reply within 24 hours and will tell you on the first call whether it is a fit.
You can also email [email protected] or call +1 587 557 5865.
Common questions
Who owns the design files at the end?
You do. Schematics, layout and firmware source are handed over at the end of every stage, in KiCad or Altium, whichever your team uses. Stop after any stage and keep what has been made.
Do you only build cameras?
No. The 12-channel energy monitor and the ESP32 Tuya gateway have no camera. Devices with a camera, a radio or an unusual power budget are the ones we know best.
Do you manufacture the devices yourselves?
No. We prepare the release package, run a pilot batch and place production with a contract manufacturer in Canada, the US or Asia. On the roof camera we supervised the ramp-up for the first year before handing it to the client.
Can a project start from Tokay Lite instead of a blank sheet?
Yes, when the device fits its envelope. The solar roof camera was built from Tokay platform blocks, which is where the client's development saving came from. Savings from building on Tokay typically run $50k–$125k and vary per project.
Can you share client names or put me in touch with them?
Some clients prefer not to be named, so the write-ups here describe the device rather than the company. Ask us about references for your kind of project.
Which electronics design services did these projects use?
All of them, in sequence: requirements, schematic and PCB layout, firmware, prototypes and revisions, FCC, ISED or CE certification, and production support with a contract manufacturer. The stages and what each one delivers are on the services page.
What does custom IoT device development cost and how long does it take?
The three client devices here took four, nine and about twelve months from kickoff to the first production batch. Cost depends on revisions, firmware, whether there is a camera or radio, certification and quantity.