WHAT I DO · ENGINEERING SERVICES
Hands-On Electronics Engineering, Scoped Honestly.
IC88 is an independent engineering workshop—not a mass-production factory or a parts store. I help creators, makers, and small founders move from ideas, AI-assisted drafts, or breadboards to tested, working hardware.
Concept Feasibility & AI-Assisted Design Review
Who It's For
First-time hardware creators, software developers, or makers who drafted a schematic, BOM, or block diagram—often with ChatGPT, Claude, or AI PCB tools—and want an experienced human eye before spending money on fabrication.
Typical Challenge
AI tools are great for brainstorming, but frequently miss pin-multiplexing conflicts, boot-strap resistor rules, regulator thermal dissipation, ESD/reverse-polarity protection, or footprint mismatches that brick a first board.
How I Can Help
Line-by-line review of your concept, schematic, pin map, power budget, and component choices, with clear plain-English explanations of risks and practical fixes.
Possible Deliverables
- Written engineering review notes highlighting critical fixes vs. optional improvements
- Power budget, MCU pin-allocation, and interface sanity check
- Practical recommendations for simplifying your first prototype
Microcontroller & Custom Circuit Design
Who It's For
Creators starting from a functional idea or a working Arduino/ESP32/STM32 breadboard setup who need a clean, reliable electronic schematic tailored to their application.
Typical Challenge
Moving from hobbyist breakout modules to a real circuit requires proper voltage regulation, decoupling, level shifting, sensor conditioning, and protection against real-world wiring mistakes.
How I Can Help
Selecting an appropriate 8-bit or 32-bit MCU architecture and designing a clean, readable, testable schematic around available components.
Possible Deliverables
- Complete engineering schematic (PDF + native CAD source as agreed)
- Structured Bill of Materials (BOM) with real, purchasable part numbers
- Test-point plan and bring-up checklist for first power-on
PCB Layout & Manufacturability (DFM)
Who It's For
Makers or small teams with a validated schematic—or a sprawling prototype of wires and modules—who want a compact, dependable custom PCB ready for fabrication.
Typical Challenge
Poor grounding, noisy switching-regulator loops, missing return paths, or tight pad geometry can cause EMI resets, sensor drift, or assembly tombstoning.
How I Can Help
2-layer, 4-layer, and multi-layer PCB layout (Altium Designer, PADS, or Allegro) with solid ground planes, clean power routing, clear silkscreen labels, and fabrication-ready DFM checks.
Possible Deliverables
- Gerber, drill, pick-and-place (centroid), and assembly drawing files
- 3D board check views for enclosure fit verification
- Fabrication stackup and basic DFM verification notes
Embedded Firmware & Board Bring-Up
Who It's For
Hardware builders who need dependable microcontroller code to initialize their custom board, talk to sensors/actuators, manage sleep current, or prove every hardware subsystem works.
Typical Challenge
Example code generated for generic dev boards often stalls on custom PCBs due to clock tree configuration, pin remapping, watchdog resets, or bus contention.
How I Can Help
Writing clean, documented C/C++ firmware for MCU initialization, peripheral drivers (I2C, SPI, UART, RS-485, ADC, PWM), hardware self-test routines, and core device logic.
Possible Deliverables
- Source code with build instructions and pin/configuration comments
- Flashing guide and hardware self-test / diagnostic routine
- Bench verification notes confirming peripheral operation
Prototype Troubleshooting & Hardware Rescue
Who It's For
Anyone holding a prototype board that fails to flash, overheats, resets randomly when a motor or radio turns on, or behaves differently from the breadboard.
Typical Challenge
Guessing at hardware bugs without bench instruments wastes weeks and burns components.
How I Can Help
Systematic root-cause debugging on the Shenzhen workbench using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and controlled DC loads—isolating whether the issue lives in schematic values, layout, solder joints, or firmware timing.
Possible Deliverables
- Root-cause diagnostic summary (with scope captures or rework photos when tested on my bench)
- Verified bodge-wire / component-value fix on prototype hardware where applicable
- Clear revision checklist for your next PCB spin
Component Selection & Small-Batch Prototyping
Who It's For
Overseas creators who want 1 working prototype or a small pilot batch built, flashed, and tested on an engineer's bench in Shenzhen before shipping.
Typical Challenge
Ordering bare boards or unverified PCBA from an automated online form leaves you debugging soldering bridges, wrong part orientations, or DOA chips alone at home.
How I Can Help
Selecting practical, authentic components locally and coordinating bare-PCB fab, stencil/SMT or hand assembly, firmware flashing, and hands-on functional testing for single units or small prototype runs.
Possible Deliverables
- Assembled, powered-on, and bench-checked prototype board(s)
- Updated BOM reflecting exact fitted components
- Photos and basic functional check notes prior to dispatch
Not Sure Which Stage Fits Your Idea?
You don't need to pick a package in advance. Describe what you want to make and what you have so far—we'll figure out the simplest sensible starting step together.