INDEPENDENT HARDWARE STUDIO · SHENZHEN
I'm an electronics engineer with over 20 years of experience in microcontroller design. From my small workshop in Shenzhen, I help people around the world turn ideas into working hardware.
AI makes hardware creation accessible. I help make it real.
WHO THIS IS FOR
You don't need a formal specification, a complete schematic, or fluency in electronics jargon to reach out. Most conversations begin with a simple idea, a rough sketch, an AI chat transcript, an Arduino breadboard, or a first PCB that isn't behaving yet.
You know what you want a physical device to sense, control, or do—even if all you have right now is a plain-English description or a notebook sketch. We can talk through whether it's practical and what a realistic first prototype looks like.
You used ChatGPT, Claude, or AI hardware tools to draft a circuit, parts list, or firmware, and want an experienced human engineer to check pin assignments, power rails, protection, and manufacturability before ordering hardware.
Your Arduino, ESP32, or STM32 setup works inconsistently on the desk—or your first custom board won't boot, resets under load, or drops sensor readings. I help isolate hardware vs. firmware root causes and fix them cleanly.
You proved your concept with development boards, breakout modules, and jumper wires, and now want a compact, reliable custom circuit board designed, assembled, and bench-tested.
WHAT I CAN HELP WITH
Focused on microcontroller-based electronics—from checking early schematics to bringing up assembled prototype boards. Every project is scoped individually based on what actually needs engineering.
Selecting and designing around practical 8-bit and 32-bit MCUs—including STM32, ESP32, ARM Cortex-M, and classic industrial microcontrollers—matched to your power, I/O, connectivity, and cost needs.
STM32 · ESP32 · Cortex-M · 8/32-bit MCUs
Schematic capture, clean power regulation, sensor and actuator conditioning, ESD/reverse-polarity protection, and 2-layer to multi-layer PCB layout prepared with manufacturing rules in mind.
Schematic · Stackup · Altium / PADS / Allegro
Clear, maintainable C/C++ embedded code for board bring-up, peripheral buses (I2C, SPI, UART, RS-485, CAN, ADC/PWM), low-power sleep states, and reliable hardware verification.
Board Bring-Up · Bare-Metal / RTOS · Drivers
Hands-on diagnosis using an oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and bench power supply—tracking down brown-outs, noisy rails, timing glitches, boot strapping mistakes, and intermittent faults.
Root-Cause Analysis · Signal & Power Integrity
Reviewing and choosing real, obtainable parts within Shenzhen's electronics ecosystem—avoiding obsolete chips, counterfeit traps, or overly exotic parts when straightforward components work better.
BOM Review · Practical Substitutes
Coordinating bare-board fabrication, stencil/SMT or hand assembly, firmware flashing, and bench testing in Shenzhen for 1 prototype or a small pilot run—evaluated case by case.
1 Piece to Small Pilot Runs
Need something outside pure electronics—such as complex mechanical tooling or formal regulatory lab testing? We evaluate those boundaries up front before you commit.
Explore What I Do in Detail →HOW WE WORK
No opaque agency layers or high-pressure sales calls. You communicate directly with the engineer doing the technical work.
Send a short message describing what you want to build, what stage it is in, and where you feel stuck. Plain language, photos, sketches, or AI notes are all welcome.
We discuss technical feasibility, key trade-offs, and open questions first. Concrete technical scope, estimated cost, timeline, and deliverables are defined after this project evaluation.
Depending on the agreed scope, I work through circuit design, PCB layout, component preparation, prototype assembly, firmware bring-up, and real bench testing in Shenzhen.
You receive verified design files, test notes, and/or bench-tested prototype hardware—along with straightforward engineering feedback on what worked and what to watch next.
ABOUT THE ENGINEER · The Engineer Behind IC88
For more than twenty years, my daily work has revolved around microcontrollers, schematics, circuit boards, and the moment of truth when power is applied to a new prototype for the first time.
Working independently from a small workshop in Shenzhen puts me right beside the world's fastest PCB fabs and component channels—without the minimum-order walls or impersonal layers of a large factory. I enjoy working directly with makers, independent founders, and curious beginners who care deeply about an idea.
AI has opened the door for non-engineers to sketch circuits, write starter code, and explore hardware concepts faster than ever. That is genuinely exciting—and it makes experienced, grounded human engineering review even more valuable when turning a digital draft into reliable physical hardware.
SELECTED PROJECTS · FROM MY WORKBENCH
Client hardware stays private unless explicitly cleared to share. Below are representative workbench reference studies illustrating typical MCU, power, and PCB problems solved in the studio.
Problem: Jumper-wired dev boards and sensor breakouts work briefly on a desk, but loose connectors, shared ground loops, and unregulated 5V/3.3V rails fail as soon as the prototype is moved or enclosed.
Bench Outcome: Consolidated single-board schematic and compact PCB layout with reverse-polarity protection, clean LDO/buck regulation, SWD/UART debug headers, and labeled test points ready for first-spin bench bring-up.
Problem: AI assistants help non-engineers generate starter schematics and BOMs rapidly, yet often assign incompatible boot pins, omit MOSFET gate/flyback networks, or pair mismatched IC package footprints.
Bench Outcome: Annotated pre-fabrication checklist catching pin-mux conflicts, thermal bottlenecks, and unobtainable part numbers before spending time and money on dead first-spin boards.
Problem: Custom MCU boards driving relays, motors, LEDs, or long sensor cables frequently suffer from erratic resets, noisy analog readings, or dropped serial packets under real load.
Bench Outcome: Scope-verified power decoupling, return-path separation, transient suppression, and deterministic firmware bus-recovery handling.
ENGINEERING JOURNAL
Articles and field notes from the IC88 archive covering microcontroller trends, practical PCB layout lessons, multi-layer stackups, and surface-mount fundamentals.
Introduction: Experience is the Best Teacher in PCB Design After two decades in the PCB design industry, I can confidently say that true expertise doesn’t come from textbooks—it comes from trial, error, and real-world problem-solving. Designing PCBs isn’t just about connecting circuits correctly; it’s about ensuring reliability, efficiency, and manufacturability. If you’re new to PCB design or even an experienced engineer looking to refine your skills, here are the hard-earned lessons I wish I had known earlier....
Introduction: The Evolution of Microcontroller Technology If you think microcontrollers (MCUs) are just simple chips for basic automation, you’re missing the bigger picture. MCUs are the brains behind everything—from IoT devices and automotive electronics to industrial automation and AI-powered applications. As we step into 2025, MCU technology is evolving faster than ever, bringing higher efficiency, better connectivity, and more computing power to embedded systems. But here’s the real deal: which MCU trends should developers, engineers, and businesses pay attention to? How will these trends reshape industries like consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial automation?...
When designing multi-layer PCBs, the stackup isn’t just about layers—it’s about signal integrity, EMC, heat dissipation, and even cost control. Here’s a practical, real-world guide to PCB stackup rules that actually matter in your daily work. 1. What Are PCB Stackup Rules? In simple terms, stackup rules define how each layer in a multi-layer PCB is arranged and what role it plays. Common Layer Types: Signal Layer 🚦: Carries data or control signals. Power Plane 💰: Distributes power across the board. Ground Plane 🌍: Provides a reference and helps suppress noise....
Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are the backbone of modern electronics. From consumer gadgets to industrial machinery and high-tech military applications, PCBs enable the functionality of almost every electronic device. Understanding the types, materials, and classification of PCBs is essential for manufacturers, designers, and engineers who work in the electronics industry. This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of PCB manufacturing, covering definitions, classifications, material choices, and emerging trends in PCB technology....
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Straightforward answers on starting small, reviewing AI-drafted designs, single prototypes, pricing stages, and working together across time zones.
Yes. You don't need a schematic, CAD file, or technical specification to start talking. Tell me in plain English what you want the device to do, how it would be used, and any size or battery expectations. I'll help you understand what is realistic, where the tricky parts are, and what a sensible first step looks like.
Absolutely—that has become one of the most helpful ways we can work together. AI tools make it much easier to draft ideas, parts lists, and starter code, but they frequently hallucinate pin functions, miss voltage-regulator thermal limits, or skip protection components. I can review your AI-assisted schematic, BOM, or code and give you practical, human engineering feedback before you order boards.
No. Many people I talk with come from software, industrial design, crafts, research, or completely non-technical backgrounds. My job is to translate electronics constraints—power, microcontrollers, sensors, connectors—into clear trade-offs you can actually decide on, without burying you in jargon.
Yes—1 piece is completely welcome. Because IC88 is a personal independent workshop rather than a high-volume factory, there is no 500-unit minimum order requirement. Whether you want design review only, a single bench-tested custom PCB, or 3–10 boards to test with early users, we can scope around that.
After an initial look at what you're building, I break the work into clear, concrete stages—such as design review, schematic & PCB layout, firmware bring-up, or physical prototype assembly—so you know the scope, deliverables, and cost before committing to each step. Hardware parts, PCB fab, and shipping are kept transparent and separate from engineering time.
Yes. Written communication in English via email or WeChat works smoothly across time zones (I'm based in Shenzhen, UTC+8). During development and bench testing, I share clear written updates, schematic/layout snapshots, and photos from the workbench so you always see real progress before anything ships internationally.
START A CONVERSATION
Tell me what you're trying to build, what you've tried so far, and where you're stuck.
lvga2015Direct personal replies from Shenzhen (UTC+8). Single-prototype questions and early ideas are welcome.