Do You Send My Project Overseas?
Unlike many companies who focus soley on profits over principles, we feel its our obligation as citizens of the United State to support this country in all ways possible. We do not feel that it is at all patriotic to hire an engineer half a world away so that we can save a few dollars and collect a higher profit. The payoffs for our customers are many.
- We actually speak American English as our first language. That means you'll understand what we're saying.
- We know, respect, and obey United States rules and laws. We won't sell your intellectual property to competing companies or governments.
- We make the USA a stronger country by infusing money back into the country, rather than exporting it to other parts of the world. Believe it or not that makes your life better, and your business stonger, too!
What does RADDAS Stand For?
RADDAS stands for Rapid Application and Development of Data Acquisition Systems.
What is RADDAS?
RADDAS is a design methodology that combines programmable logic (FGPA and CPLD technologies) with the latest embedded systems. By using this combination we can rapidly deploy customized hardware solutions that are engineered to your specific needs. RADDAS can be quickly engineered to match your custom requirements of an embedded device that measures analog devices—such as sensors, or processes digital data—such as digital encoders. Outputs can be radio telemetry signals, TCP/IP for direct Internet connectivity, or USB interfaces for connection to a host computer.
What Will Digital Indigo's RADDAS Engineering Do For Me?
Digital Indigo will listen to your goals and engineer and integrate a customized hardware device to your exact needs. We deliver custom hardware that is engineered specifically for your unique project. We specialize in proof-of-concept devices, especially for small businesses, that have a need for prototypes on short schedules. If you need an electronic device for your SBIR, STTR, or BAA, we're ready to help you out!
What Services Does Digital Indigo Offer?
Our service is that we take care of as much or as little of your entire project as needed. We have the following in-house capabilities:
- Mini CNC milling machine for small machined parts production
- Surface mount stations for on-site board assembly
- PCB board production area for one-off and simpler board production (more advanced boards are engineered in-house and then sent to a commercial board house).
- HDL station for developing and programming PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices).
We'll also be glad to write detailed progress reports for your submission to the DoD and other government agencies. |
Why Would I Need a Custom Engineered Hardware Device?
All computer devices require I/O (data input and data output). I/O can be seen in common computer devices like a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. For certain projects, though, you may need I/O that's more unique, like counting the rotation of a wheel, monitoring the air flow into an engine, and controlling actuators for braking and engine control. Without I/O a computer would have no ability to interact with the outside world, and would be completely useless.
A custom solution is sometimes needed when you're working with the less common I/O devices—sensors and actuators for example. For these projects you may need a specialized hardware device that connects to the actuators and sensors and monitors and controls them accordingly.
For My Project Will All Circuits Need To Be Custom Engineered?
It depends on your project. But the answer is generally, "Probably not." Custom engineering every since circuit for a project is usually only cost-effective for large quantities of a specific device. Since we generally specialize in prototypes and proof-of-concept devices, we like to rely on some circuits that were made by specialists in particular fields of electronics. For example, if your company wants to track vehicles wirelessly, we might take the following approach. The first part of the tracking system would be a GPS to locate the vehicle. Countless hours could be spent developing a GPS from the chip-level. That would waste your time and money. Rather than delaying the project with a GPS design, we would probably opt to use an existing GPS module. The module would be created by a company that specializes in GPS technology. This means the module would have better tracking, and years of research behind it. That lets us spend our time designing the glue logic (connection circuitry) that interfaces the GPS to the embedded system. If the system was reporting back using SMS messages, we'd probably use an existing GSM data module to hand connections to the wireless phone network. Again, our focus would be the glue logic from the phone to the embedded system that is processing the GPS results. Using these two modules makes the vehicle tracking system a much more attainable project in the short time period and limited financial resources your company allocated for that system.
What's so great about a custom hardware solution?
When you have Digital Indigo Engineering custom design circuitry for your project, you are getting devices that perfect match your goals. Custom engineering (as opposed to using more generic I/O hardware such as data acquisition cards—allows you to pick a specific interface (wireless, USB, and Ethernet to name a few). You also choose the amount of I/O you need for your device; this helps save money and reduces device sizes by eliminating unnecessary components. Finally, with a custom design, you get a truly unique device that was engineered using your goals as the project foundation.
How much will my project cost?
There are many variables that will affect the cost of your custom design. For a list of these variables, we suggest you visit our Design Flow page for a comprehensive description of the custom engineering process. |
