https://westlakesys.com/articles/ Systems engineering for hardware that has to work. Design reviews, hands-on engineering, and fractional CTO leadership, from concept to production. en-us https://westlakesys.com/articles/design-review/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/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. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/first-board-spin/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/first-board-spin/ A practical checklist for founders and small teams about to order their first prototype boards, so the first spin teaches you as much as possible. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/compliance-from-day-one/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/compliance-from-day-one/ Certification is cheapest to plan at the start. When each compliance step belongs in a hardware project, and the design choices that make it easier. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/compliance-by-market/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/compliance-by-market/ The main approvals for electronic products sold in the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK, from EMC and radio to safety, materials, and cybersecurity. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/eu-replaceable-batteries/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/eu-replaceable-batteries/ From 18 February 2027, portable batteries in products placed on the EU market must be user-replaceable. The rule, the exemptions, and the other battery duties. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/fractional-cto/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/fractional-cto/ What a fractional CTO does for a hardware startup, the signs you might need one, how engagements are usually set up, and when it is time to hire full time. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/prototype-to-production/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/prototype-to-production/ What the EVT, DVT, and PVT builds are for, what each must prove before the next, and how small hardware teams can adapt the stages without skipping the point. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/manufacturing-package/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/manufacturing-package/ The files a PCB fab and contract manufacturer need to quote and build your product without guessing: Gerbers, BOM, pick-and-place, test, and common gaps. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/designing-for-production-test/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/designing-for-production-test/ What to build into the board, the firmware, and the process so the factory can test every unit quickly and trust the result. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/connected-product-cybersecurity/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/connected-product-cybersecurity/ What the EU Radio Equipment Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act, and the UK PSTI rules mean for hardware and firmware, and what to design in early. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/choosing-a-radio/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/choosing-a-radio/ How to pick a wireless technology from what the product needs: range, data rate, power, size, regulations, and ecosystem, from LoRa to BLE, Wi-Fi, and UWB. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/radio-ranging/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/radio-ranging/ How UWB, Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Wi-Fi timing, LoRa ranging and signal strength measure distance, what limits each in a real product, and how to choose. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/module-or-chip-down/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/module-or-chip-down/ How to choose between a pre-certified radio module and a chip-down design: volume, size, RF performance, control, supply risk, and certification limits. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/designing-hardware-with-ai/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/designing-hardware-with-ai/ What AI tools do well in hardware and firmware design, how they fail (confidently incorrect, out of date, confidently incomplete), and how to set up a team so the speed is safe. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/battery-power/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/battery-power/ How to build a power budget early, find the hidden drains that shorten battery life, and measure current properly from sleep to radio bursts. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/fails-in-sunlight/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/fails-in-sunlight/ Why electronics that pass every bench test can misbehave outdoors in direct sun, how to prove that light is the cause, and how to design it out. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam) https://westlakesys.com/articles/built-with-ai/ https://westlakesys.com/articles/built-with-ai/ AI tools can take a hardware idea a long way. Where AI-assisted designs most often need work, the signs you have hit the wall, and why a rewrite is often not the answer. info@westlakesys.com (Evan Hallam)