Remote - Contract Experienced Embedded PCB Designer Needed

[geogod42]

I'm looking for someone to prototype-design a PCB for a mobile sensing + compute project. I have some experience in electronics but am more of a software person, so I’d like a true professional for this job.

Im willing to pay top dollar!

Project Summary:
-The system includes a Thermal Camera, RGB Camera, and Micro Display multiplexing into a main board with an IMU, GPS, UWB Module, and a Jetson Nano for compute.
-I have most of the BOM and have verified interface compatibility.
-I specifically need a KiCad project, which should include the full schematic capture, the PCB layout, and final Gerber files for manufacturing. (I will handle fabrication and testing.)

Preferred Experience:
-High-Speed Digital Signal design
-Basic RF for GPS/UWB trace-to-antenna
-Familiarity with MIPI displays/cameras (DSI-2)
-Strong grasp of board stackup/noise considerations

Additional Points:
While the design should be robust for EMI/signal integrity, I will not be conducting specialized EMI or SI testing in this prototype phase. The expectation is that standard high-speed best practices will be followed to ensure reliable operation.
An NDA will be provided to protect any sensitive project details.
Communication will be done primarily via email and file-sharing on Google Drive or GitHub, whichever is convenient for the engineer.

Portfolio:
I’m looking for someone with a great portfolio; you can share a link to past PCB designs or embedded projects. If you have the skills and the background in high-speed / RF / MIPI design, please fill out the form. Thank you for your interest!

https://forms.gle/S6w8rm7pRy92RE1EA

[nctnico]

Kicad and high speed design... red flag! You'll want to use a PCB package which also has some form of simulation abilities in order to verify the impedances and crosstalk are within limits.

[geogod42]

Thanks for the note!

From my math I should be looking at around 1.5Gbps max.

I like KiCAD because I am a free and open source fanatic.

You think I could skirt by with external sims like OpenEMS/NGSpice or would that lead me on a goose chase for debugging?

[nctnico]

For these kinds of designs I have invested in Orcad PCB Designer / Allegro. I wouldn't want to use Altium. Every reference design you find for SOCs are made using Orcad. Last time I used an NVidia module (Jetson TX2), the reference design files where made using Orcad PCB Designer.

[AndyC_772]

If you're looking to hire a professional with all the necessary experience and tools, I can strongly recommend https://dl-designs.co.uk/

I've worked with Dave and his team for years.

[Kasper]

For UWB module, I'd aim for one that comes with antenna.  A refence antenna design and little trace to it sounds easy but there can be problems and it makes certification testing more of a pain.

I made a board that included about 10 to 20mm of trace from shielded section to SMA.  Incomming UWB signal bypassed the antenna and leaked into that bit of exposed trace.  Solved by making shield that covered the exposed area.  Would have been cheaper and faster to use a module that came with antenna.

[lutkeveld]

For these kinds of designs I have invested in Orcad PCB Designer / Allegro. I wouldn't want to use Altium. Every reference design you find for SOCs are made using Orcad. Last time I used an NVidia module (Jetson TX2), the reference design files where made using Orcad PCB Designer.

I would say KiCad is starting to get pretty competitive, even for more high-end designs. Now with ODB++ export you can also easily import into simulation tooling like Hyperlynx for high-speed and CST for RF if needed.

And to be fair, things like MIPI are 'high-speed', but with a proper stackup and following the applicable rules it's often not even worth to simulate it.

[nctnico]

Then you need to go back & forth between simulation and fixing the PCB. And setting up the simulation may not be easy. In Orcad the impedance and crosstalk simulations needs zero configuration. Just select the nets you want info on. And for Mipi it is a good idea to also apply dynamic phase matching. A differential pair going around a corner means one trace get shorter than the other which might need to be compensated. Having a PCB package able to check that for you helps a lot to avoid mistakes which can be costly.

[fchk]

-The system includes a Thermal Camera, RGB Camera, and Micro Display multiplexing into a main board with an IMU, GPS, UWB Module, and a Jetson Nano for compute.

You know that Jetson Nano is basically End of Life and doesn't get any software updates any more? It's stuck at Jetpack 4 and Ubuntu 18.04, which itself is out of support for two years. Or do you mean the current Orin Nano/Orin NX modules?

I've designed Jetson Carrier boards commercially used for camera applications, but unfortunately I'm on the other side of The Pond.

[tooki]

For these kinds of designs I have invested in Orcad PCB Designer / Allegro. I wouldn't want to use Altium. Every reference design you find for SOCs are made using Orcad. Last time I used an NVidia module (Jetson TX2), the reference design files where made using Orcad PCB Designer.

I would say KiCad is starting to get pretty competitive, even for more high-end designs.

LOL no. Yes, you can make high-end designs in KiCad. But it's a vastly clumsier tool to work in.

KiCad is weird in that it has some advanced functionality, but then lacks (or lacked until very recently) stuff so basic that it boggles the mind, like batch editing, properly configurable snapping, and usable schematic part dragging. (Overall, I'd say KiCad's PCB layout engine is much farther along on the whole than the schematic editor.)

Don't get me wrong: what KiCad has achieved to this point is remarkable. But it's really not on par with any professional tool, at least not yet.