Systems engineering for hardware that has to work.

Founders and small teams get senior-level engineering judgment from concept to production: electrical design, firmware, RF, mechanical integration, design reviews, and architecture, without building a full engineering department.

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Ways to work together

A second set of eyes, an engineer at the bench, or someone to run the whole effort

Hourly or on retainer, remote or on site, with a network of independent specialists when a project needs more hands.

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From the articles

Design

What I look for in a hardware design review

A design review is the cheapest point to catch hardware problems. What a useful one covers, from requirements and power to layout, test, and compliance.

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Cost of a change over a hardware projectA curve that stays low through concept and design, then rises exponentially through prototype and production, and is highest in the field. A design review sits at the design stage, where changes are still cheap.Cost of a changeConceptDesignPrototypeProductionIn the fieldDesign review
The later a problem is found, the more it costs to fix. Illustrative, not to scale.
Evan Hallam

About

Evan Hallam

Behind Westlake Systems is an engineer who works in the seams between disciplines. Products rarely fail because one piece was designed badly. They fail because the pieces were each designed well, in isolation.

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Articles and tools

Practical notes and free tools for hardware teams

Articles

All articles

Tools

All tools, including checklists

How an engagement starts

From first email to first day of work, with no surprises

  1. Reach out

    Send a short email about the product and where it stands. Rough notes are fine, and an NDA can come first.

  2. Talk it through

    A no-obligation call to understand the problem, the constraints, and what a good outcome looks like.

  3. Get a clear proposal

    A written scope, timeline, and cost before any work starts, so there are no surprises.

  4. Get to work

    Regular check-ins and plain-language updates, so you always know where things stand.

Have a project in mind?

info@westlakesys.comHow to get started

Based in southern Indiana. Working with clients anywhere.