Embedded electronics & firmware engineering
PCB design - STM32 firmware - Sensor integration - EMC testing
From schematic to production - without changing teams
Does your team lack embedded electronics design or firmware expertise? AQ-Tech steps in as your outsourced design office - Altium PCB design, firmware development, sensor integration - from specifications to validated and tested prototype.
Electronics sit at the heart of most innovative textile products. At AQ-Tech, we design and develop electronic boards, sensors and embedded firmware tailored to your technical and functional requirements - including integration into flexible textile structures.
Our approach combines hardware design, low-level software development, power management and BLE / Wi-Fi / LoRa connectivity to deliver reliable, controlled solutions that are ready for industrialization.
Our embedded electronics capabilities
We cover the full electronics development cycle: design, firmware, integration and validation.
Electronic design & PCB routing
From schematic to PCB, with an industrial and EMC mindset.
- + Schematic capture and routing under Altium Designer
- + Integration of sensors, MCU, RF and power management
- + DFM / DFT preparation and EMC validation from the design stage
Embedded firmware development
High-performance microcontrollers for your connected applications.
- + Low-level development on STM32, ESP32, Nordic nRF52
- + BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRa, CAN, UART, I²C, SPI communication
- + IoT: connected sensors, OTA updates, FreeRTOS
Signal processing & acquisition
Analyze, filter and interpret sensor data in real time.
- + Multi-channel acquisition (ECG, EMG, IMU, temperature…)
- + Digital filtering, FFT, moving average and adaptive filtering
- + Sensor fusion and derived calculations (motion, posture, effort)
- + On-board pre-processing before wireless transmission
Prototyping & functional validation
Bring your circuits to life to test, refine and de-risk your concepts quickly.
- + Fast manufacturing of prototype boards
- + Integration of sensors, batteries, antennas and RF modules
- + Assembly and functional testing in our workshops
- + Rapid iteration before pre-series
Validation & EMC testing
Guaranteeing the compliance and reliability of your products.
- + EMC pre-qualification testing (with accredited partners)
- + Power consumption, robustness and communication measurements
- + Functional qualification and endurance testing
Industrialization preparation
From validated prototype to series-ready product.
- + Prototype and pre-series board manufacturing
- + Production testing and technical documentation
- + Transfer to our European SMT assembly partners
CAD & simulation
Altium Designer, LTSpice, power supply and RF simulators.
Embedded firmware
C/C++, FreeRTOS, BLE, CAN and Wi-Fi protocols.
IoT & connectivity
4G, LoRa, LTE-M, BLE, Wi-Fi for active textiles.
Assembly & test
SMT/THT soldering stations, functional benches, pre-series validation.
Our electronics & firmware resources
AQ-Tech has all the hardware and software tools required to fully develop embedded electronic systems: from design to test, including EMC validation and mechanical or textile integration.
A few electronics projects we delivered
Léonard (formerly Optimergo)
Léonard EMG sensor module for industrial ergonomics and sports performance: embedded electronics and textile-electrode integration engineered by AQ-Tech.
Tali Connected
Tali connected helmet with smart lighting and sensors: mechanical design, embedded electronics and connectivity by AQ-Tech.
FreeCovery
Portable FreeCovery cryotherapy system for athlete recovery: thermomechanical design, embedded electronics and industrialization by AQ-Tech.
From validated prototype to your first production batches
Board validated, firmware stable? AQ-Tech also handles the assembly of your first batches - electronics integration, wiring, functional testing - from 10 to 500 units, in our Sillingy workshops, with the same team. Your IP stays yours, production stays in Europe.
Expertise at the core of our projects
Discover our other complementary capabilities
Every product developed by AQ-Tech relies on a unique blend of skills: mechanical engineering for structure and ergonomics, technical textiles for flexibility and comfort, and smart textiles for the integration of sensors and flexible electronics.
Mechanical engineering
Structural design, mechanical integration and validation of complex prototypes.
Technical textile
Flexible, conductive materials and electronic integration for innovative connected products.
Our services supporting your electronic products
At AQ-Tech, embedded electronics fits into complete projects: from prototyping to industrialization, up to small-series manufacturing.
Our developments apply to demanding fields such as healthcare, sports, defense and industry, where reliability, miniaturization and connectivity are essential.
We hold specific know-how for integrating electronics into flexible products - discover our Smart Textile and Inflatable Systems applications, delivering innovative solutions without compromise.
Frequently asked questions on electronics & firmware
Do you develop both hardware and firmware?
Yes. We design the electronic boards (schematic capture, PCB routing under Altium Designer) and develop the embedded software (C/C++ firmware, FreeRTOS). This combined mastery ensures coherence between hardware design and software constraints from day one - avoiding costly iterations at the end of the project.
What are your typical lead times for an electronics project?
Typically: 1 to 2 weeks for system architecture and component selection, 4 to 8 weeks for PCB design and firmware development, 2 to 4 weeks for prototype manufacturing, functional testing and corrections. Timelines vary depending on complexity - RF connectivity, power management, multi-channel acquisition - and on how mature the specifications are.
Can you manufacture the prototype boards?
We have the PCBs manufactured by our trusted partners, then handle assembly, functional testing and corrections in our in-house lab. This short loop between design and test enables fast iteration without depending on an external subcontractor for every revision.
Which microcontrollers and protocols do you master?
We mainly work with STM32, ESP32 and Nordic nRF52. On the protocol side: BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRa, CAN, UART, I²C, SPI. We also develop FreeRTOS-based firmware for applications requiring real-time management and low-power optimization.
Do you carry out EMC and reliability testing?
Yes. We perform EMC pre-compliance testing with our accredited partners, and run functional tests in-house: power consumption, robustness, communication and endurance. The goal is to identify and fix issues before official certification, significantly reducing time-to-market and certification costs.
Do you integrate electronics into textiles or flexible systems?
Yes. Through our Smart Textile application, we integrate sensors, connectors and miniaturized boards into textile or flexible structures to create innovative connected products. This is one of our most differentiating specialties - very few European design offices master both embedded electronics and textile integration.
How do you handle confidentiality and intellectual property?
We systematically sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before any technical exchange. Intellectual property transfer terms - schematics, Gerber files, firmware source code, documentation - are defined contractually with each client according to their needs and context. Your IP stays yours.
Can you support a project through to industrialization?
Yes. AQ-Tech supports its clients from validated prototype to series-ready product: technical file preparation, production testing and transfer to European SMT assembly partners. Our in-house manufacturing unit also lets us produce your first batches of 10 to 500 units without changing contacts.
Entrust us with your electronics development
From PCB to firmware, AQ-Tech supports you in the design, prototyping and validation of your embedded electronic products for active textile.
