Hardware Development

Note

TL;DR Amarula Solutions provides end-to-end hardware engineering services covering the full product lifecycle, from concept and schematic design through PCB layout, FPGA development, mechanical integration, and pre-compliance testing, with seamless handoff to embedded Linux BSP teams.

Amarula’s hardware development team handles everything from initial conceptualization through to small-scale production. Whether you need a custom SoM carrier board, a battery-powered IoT sensor, or a high-speed FPGA-based signal processing platform, the team covers the complete hardware lifecycle — and integrates directly with the software teams building your U-Boot, Linux kernel, and Yocto/Buildroot BSPs.


Circuit Design

Every project starts at the schematic. Amarula’s circuit design workflow includes:

  • Schematic capture in Altium Designer — industry-standard PCB design tool for complex multi-layer boards.

  • Spice-based simulation to validate circuit behavior before committing to fabrication, catching analog and power issues early.

  • Bill of Materials (BOM) generation with manufacturer pricing, component availability checks, and end-of-life (EOL) risk assessment.

  • Rapid prototyping on off-the-shelf platforms — Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi Pico, Arduino, STM32 Nucleus, and ESP32 — to prove concepts before custom PCB design begins.

Key capabilities:

  • System-on-Module (SoM) and embedded processor-based designs

  • Power supply design (switch-mode and linear regulation)

  • Battery-operated and power-optimized circuits

  • High-speed digital interfaces

  • Small-footprint, space-constrained designs


PCB Design

Custom PCB layout is delivered as a complete manufacturing package:

  • Multi-layer PCB routing with Design Rule Checking (DRC) enforced from the start — no last-minute surprises.

  • Signal integrity consideration for high-speed interfaces.

  • Thermal management for power-dense designs.

Deliverables you receive:

  • Schematics (PDF and native Altium format)

  • Bill of Materials with manufacturer part numbers and pricing

  • Simulation reports

  • PCB layout documents and fabrication drawings

  • Gerber and NC Drill files (ready for any PCB fab house)

  • Assembly documents and drawings

  • Mechanical 3D CAD models (optional)


CAD/CAE — Mechanical Design

Hardware doesn’t end at the PCB edge. Amarula provides:

  • 3D modeling of the PCB assembly for enclosure fit-checking.

  • Custom enclosure design tailored to your product’s mechanical constraints and environmental requirements, or off-the-shelf enclosure selection for faster time to market.

  • Photorealistic concept renderings for client approval before tooling begins.

  • 3D printing of prototype mechanical parts for hands-on evaluation.

The mechanical team uses SolidWorks for parametric 3D CAD modeling.


FPGA and Custom Digital Design

When an off-the-shelf processor or MCU isn’t enough — or when you need custom digital signal processing — Amarula’s FPGA team delivers:

  • VHDL and Verilog development for multi-vendor FPGAs.

  • Custom DSP pipelines where off-the-shelf DSP processors fall short in throughput, latency, or power.

  • Low-level device driver development bridging the hardware-software interface — critical for FPGA-based accelerators integrated into embedded Linux systems.


PCB Assembly and Production

For prototypes and small-to-medium production runs:

  • Small-scale production — tens to hundreds of boards produced through partner assembly facilities.

  • Functional testing of every board before it ships.

  • Quality control with documented test results.

This bridges the gap between one-off lab prototypes and full contract manufacturing, giving you confidence that your design is production-ready.


Testing and Pre-Compliance

Amarula tests at every stage of development, not just at the end:

  • Functional testing of individual features and board-level components.

  • Performance and reliability testing under varied operating conditions (temperature, voltage, load).

  • Pre-compliance testing at accredited laboratories covering:

    • EMC — electromagnetic compatibility (emissions and immunity)

    • Electrical safety — insulation, creepage, clearance

    • Environmental — temperature, humidity, vibration

Pre-compliance testing identifies issues before formal certification, saving time and money in the final compliance phase.


Open Hardware Projects

_images/bianchina-board-hero.png

Amarula also develops open hardware — designs published for the community to study, modify, and manufacture.

Bianchina Test Board

A multi-function debugging platform combining a 100 MSps logic analyzer, pattern generator, JTAG programmer (FT2232H), bus protocol analyzers (SPI, I²C, UART, I²S, CAN), programmable power supply, and dual SD-card loader — all in one USB-connected board. We are currently seeking funding and manufacturing partners to bring Bianchina to mass production.


The Hardware-Software Advantage

What sets Amarula apart is the tight integration between hardware engineering and embedded Linux BSP development under one roof:

Stage

Hardware Team

Software Team

Concept

Feasibility, component selection

Kernel/driver availability check

Schematic

Circuit design, BOM

Pin muxing, device tree planning

PCB Layout

DRC, signal integrity

Boot media, debug interfaces

Prototype

Assembly, bring-up

U-Boot, kernel boot, BSP integration

Testing

Functional, pre-compliance

Driver validation, CI integration

Production

Assembly support

Yocto/Buildroot image generation

This parallel workflow means the BSP is often ready by the time the first prototype boards arrive — no waiting for software to catch up with hardware.