Alnicko Development

Custom hardware from first sketch to first batch

Alnicko Development takes a hardware product from an early idea through to the first production batch, giving technical support at each stage from the technical specification onwards. The company is based in Tallinn, Estonia, and reports that it works with clients in Israel, the European Union, the United States, China, New Zealand and Japan.

PCB design and wireless connectivity

Printed circuit board design is a core skill. The company builds custom motherboards around multi-core processors and designs circuits for video processing, optics and autonomous power supplies that run on lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells. Its wireless work covers Zigbee, WiFi, Z-wave, NFC and GSM, and it also designs wireless Qi energy transfer and external energy harvesters. Components are selected with serial manufacturing in mind, so that a working prototype can be turned into a product made in volume.

Embedded software for Linux and Android

Embedded software work includes porting Linux and Android to a customer's platform and tuning the operating system for the functions and energy consumption the device needs. The company also writes device drivers for external interfaces, among them audio and video modules and sensors connected over SPI, I2C, CAN and UART buses.

Industrial and mechanical design

The mechanical side of the business covers industrial design and prototyping, including models printed on 3D printers and parts cast in temporary moulds. Materials such as plastics, ceramics and metals are chosen for the conditions a product will face, including temperature, humidity and use underwater.

Technology audit before development

Technology audit is one of the company's assurance services. It holds that requirements should be assessed by several experts with different skills, so that incorrect, ambiguous or incomplete requirements are found before development starts rather than during it.

Manufacture, testing and support

The company offers electronics manufacture and testing. Its technical support runs from the preparation of technical specifications through to the release of the first batch. Its team is made up of engineers, programmers, designers and marketers, and the company says it is flexible on working conditions, adapting its approach to the particular needs and budget of each client.