Insights

Hardware thinking

Notes from the bench, on prototyping, feasibility, and the engineering decisions that compound.

EVT, DVT, PVT: What Each Stage Catches, and What Skipping One Costs

EVT, DVT, and PVT each answer a different question about a hardware product. Skipping one doesn't remove the question, it just moves it somewhere more expensive.

Three Ways to Put a Screen in Your Product

Choosing a display for an embedded product is three nested decisions: technology, integration level, and whether you need a screen at all.

Moravec's paradox at the schematic: what AI-augmented PCB design can do, and what it can't yet

AI tools pass ERC, cross-reference datasheets, and audit BOMs with real precision. What they can't do yet is read a schematic the way a senior engineer reads one.

Low Latency Wireless: Measure Your System Before Your Radio

Before picking a wireless protocol, measure your system's own time constant. The answer will tell you more than any datasheet comparison.

You Can Raise Voltage, Not Just Drop It

Most embedded designs step voltage down. A boost converter lets you go the other direction, and it's not as complicated as most people assume.

Why a thermal camera belongs on every hardware bench

A motor controller that functioned perfectly until a thermal camera revealed a TVS diode hitting 150°C, briefly, on every deceleration.

EMC certification, explained by a product that kept failing it

What EMC certification tests, when in a project's life you actually need it, and the moves that keep it from blindsiding a hardware launch.

How I pick a battery for a hardware product (and why I start with the user, not the cell)

Battery selection is a UX decision, not an electrical one. Start with who maintains the device, not with the cell datasheet.

Extending battery life is mostly a firmware problem

Bigger batteries rarely fix poor battery life. The real levers are sleep, interrupts, radio discipline, and protocol choice.

Native USB on the ESP32-S3 is great, until you lock yourself out

Native USB programming on the ESP32-S3 is a real prototyping speedup, until one firmware change reconfigures the USB stack and locks you out of the chip you're holding.

What Hardware Prototypes Actually Prove (and What They Don’t)

Prototypes don't prove your hardware product will work. They reduce specific uncertainties. Here's what they actually te

Common Mistakes When Building a First Hardware Prototype

First hardware prototypes rarely fail because teams lack intelligence or motivation.They fail because hardware behaves d

How Long Does It Take to Build a Functional Hardware Prototype?

This is one of the most common questions in hardware projects, and also one of the hardest to answer with a single numb

Hardware Prototyping – Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a makerspace and a hardware prototyping studio? A makerspace is designed for hands-on lear

Hardware Prototyping in Montréal: What to Expect

Montréal has a strong ecosystem for hardware innovation.Between makerspaces, engineering firms, manufacturers, and proto

Technical Hardware Advisor

Not every hardware challenge requires a full development project.Many teams reach a point where what they need most is c

What We Don’t Do (And Why)

Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to build. At Atallis, our focus is early-stage hardware clarity a

Hardware projects rarely fail because of a lack of effort.They fail because early decisions are made without enough info

Who We Work With

Atallis works with teams who see hardware as a strategic component of their product, not just a technical task to outso

Based in Montréal, Working Globally

Atallis is based in Montréal, Canada, and works with teams across North America and beyond. Our work is centered on earl