At Red Horizon, we pride ourselves on understanding our clients and their businesses and tailor our service to meet their needs. Our approach to problem-solving means we will always discuss your project with you in detail to understand what is required and determine how we can help.
Consultancy
We are available on a per-day basis to help with specific technical challenges or bring extra resources to a project, working with in-house project teams to offer either additional skills or fresh objectivity. Particular areas of expertise include technology stacks/protocols, microcontrollers, analogue and digital circuit design and compliance. For example:
- Microcontroller / chipset selection – matching features against cost targets
- Deep dive into the Bluetooth Low Energy specification to determine the optimum profile for your application
- Survey of the compliance landscape to establish appropriate relevant standards to your product
- Brainstorming technology roadmaps.
Project support
Sometimes a project requires an extra push to bring it to fruition, whether it is trouble shooting or final checks. We can become involved for an agreed number of hours per week to provide additional help, support and resources. For example:
- Firmware development
- Schematic capture / PCB layout
- Circuit design
- Fault finding / design refinements
- Test and measurement.
Project execution
If you cannot call upon an R&D team we can undertake complete execution of small projects – from concept to functional prototype. We will work with you closely to define project parameters, objectives, testing, ROI and more. This can be particularly helpful for development of a one-off design or proof-of-concept. For example:
- IoT Edge device
- Process Control applications
- Mechanical proof of principle
- Small Embedded Systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most common questions we are asked by our clients.
What toolchains can you use?
We have used MPLAB8 and MPLABX for Microchip PIC and AVR processors, IAR Embedded Workbench and Eclipse for ARM Cortex, and Visual Studio for Visual Basic programs. We also use Codeblocks for trivial utilities, and Arduino for quick prototypes.
What RTOS do you use?
We have used FreeRTOS extensively on Cortex M7, porting it to a new device and integrating both a TCP/IP and RF stack. We have also written our own RTOS on Cortex M3 for a timing sensitive application.
How is your laboratory equipped?
We have a 500MHz 4 channel oscilloscope, an 80MHz arbitrary waveform generator, two logic analysers, a 3D printer (FDM), a frequency counter, a 4 probe voltmeter, and numerous sundry power supplies and meters.
What microcontroller architectures are you familiar with?
We have the most experience with ARM Cortex M series (M0+, M3 and M7), although we also have considerable experience with Microchip PIC8, PIC32 and AVR8 cores. We have limited experience with 8051, and 6800 derivatives.
What hardware design tools would you recommend?
We are most familiar with EasyPC and KiCAD, and have limited experience with Altium. We understand schematic capture, PCB layout and BOM generation. We also understand the need to interface to mechanical CAD.
Can you assemble hardware?
Yes, we can assemble PCB’s for prototype testing, although we would typically outsource for more than ones and twos.
Red Horizon Services Limited
Registered address:
The Elms, Lutton, Peterborough, PE8 5ND
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Telephone: + 44 7720 555 785
Email: chris@red-horizon.co.uk
Office Hours:
Mon to Fri 08.30 to 18.00
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