Consumer Electronics and Embedded Systems Prototyping
PCB design, firmware, enclosure, and small batch production — all in one team. We build consumer electronics and embedded system products for entrepreneurs, product designers, and hardware startups. Quote within 48 hours.
Starting from $3,000+ for a single-feature electronics product
Full stack
PCB to enclosure
Hardware, firmware, and industrial design
120T to 450T
Injection machines
For plastic enclosure production
48 hrs
Quote turnaround
Every electronics project
20-100
Small batch units
After prototype approval
Consumer electronics prototyping is not just about making something that works. It is about making something that works, looks good, fits a manufacturer’s process, and can be reproduced consistently at volume. Most electronics prototyping shops do the board. We do the board, the firmware, and the box — all designed as one product.
An embedded system is a dedicated computer built into a product to perform a specific function. The control board in a kitchen appliance, the processor in a power tool, the display driver in a medical monitor — these are all embedded systems. We design and build them for consumer and light commercial applications.
This service is for product designers, hardware startups, and Amazon sellers who need electronics in their product and need a team that can handle the full stack from component selection to physical enclosure to production.
These are real consumer electronics products that started with one person and an idea. Each one needed the same thing: hardware, firmware, and an enclosure designed together.
Example 1 — portable audio product
Max Gunawan was an architect with no electronics background. He wanted a lamp that could go anywhere and look like an object worth owning, not a gadget. The result was a hardcover book that unfolded into a lamp — LED modules, rechargeable battery, and a mechanism that turned the light on and off based on how far you opened the cover.
The electronics and the enclosure were developed together. The LED placement affected the wood thickness. The battery size affected the hinge design. The charging port position affected the book spine geometry. None of these decisions could have been made separately.
Eight months of prototyping. $578,000 raised on Kickstarter. $5 million in annual revenue. Sold in MoMA. One person. No electronics degree.
What this took: LED circuit design, rechargeable battery with eight-hour life, USB charging, precision wood enclosure, and surface finishing to museum quality.
Electronics: LED and rechargeable battery | Enclosure: Precision wood | Raised: $578,000
Example 2 — smart home electronics
Samuel Clay wanted an elegant physical remote for his Philips Hue lights — something that looked like furniture, not a cheap plastic clicker. He learned PCB design, Bluetooth firmware, and CNC machining to build it himself.
At the heart of Turn Touch is a custom PCB with four tactile switches and a Bluetooth Low Energy module. The wood enclosure is CNC-machined to precise tolerances so the button travel feels exactly right and the Bluetooth antenna is properly cleared by the surrounding wood. Four years of prototyping to get that right.
Over 800 remotes sold in 30 days on Kickstarter. More than $100,000 raised. Second production run of 1,000 units in two wood species.
What this took: Custom PCB, Bluetooth firmware, CNC wood enclosure with precise button cutouts, antenna clearance engineering, and a manufacturing process for hundreds of units per day.
Connectivity: Bluetooth BLE | Enclosure: CNC mahogany and rosewood | Kickstarter goal: $25,000 — surpassed
Example 3 — modular STEM robotics / education hardware
Torotic set out to solve a real problem in children’s coding education: students write code but rarely see it work in the physical world. The goal was a robot that was affordable, modular, and ready to use out of the box. Kids plug in a sensor, write a block of code in a custom Blockly interface, hit upload over USB, and the robot responds in real time.
PrototyperLab supported Torotic through the full cycle: concept, electronics design, firmware, 3D-printed enclosures, and a custom Blockly integration. The CenterCube Core Unit serves as the modular hub. Students attach plug-and-play input modules (sound sensor, distance sensor, button, IR receiver) and output modules (LED screen, multicolor LED, speaker) without any wiring knowledge.
Total development: 690 engineering hours. 360 hours on hardware design, 70 hours on programming and firmware, and 260 hours creating a 150-hour STEM curriculum of lectures, exercises, and hands-on activities. 20-unit minimum production run validated demand before scaling.
What this took: Custom circuit board design, Blockly visual programming integration, 3D-printed modular enclosures, USB firmware upload system, plug-and-play sensor and output module architecture, and a full STEM curriculum alongside the hardware.
“We wanted a functional, expandable robot that didn’t blow our budget. PrototyperLab helped us make it real — fast.” — Torotic founder
Hardware: 690 engineering hours | Modules: CenterCube + plug-and-play sensors | Curriculum: 150 hours
Starting from
$3,000+
single-feature electronics product
Our base rate is $25 per hour plus component and material costs. A single-feature consumer electronics product — one primary function, simple enclosure, no wireless — starts at $3,000. Here is what moves the price:
Every quote is itemized by hardware, firmware, enclosure, and testing. You see every line item before committing to anything.
Three steps from your idea to a working, testable product.
01
Send us your product concept, any reference products, sketches, or block diagrams. Tell us the key functions, power requirements, target size, and any regulatory markets you are designing for. We review and scope the hardware and firmware accurately.
Deliverable: Project brief confirmed within 24 hours
02
We send a clear itemized quote covering PCB design, firmware development, component sourcing, enclosure design, and prototype assembly. Hardware and firmware quoted separately. FCC and CE pre-compliance design considerations flagged upfront.
Deliverable: Itemized quote with timeline and milestone plan
03
A 50% deposit locks in your project. We develop in parallel where possible — PCB layout while enclosure CAD is in progress. Milestone updates at schematic review, first power-on, firmware validation, and enclosure fit check. No black boxes.
Deliverable: Working prototype or production units delivered
We do not design a PCB and then find a box to put it in. The PCB layout, connector positions, button locations, display cutouts, and antenna clearance are all driven by the enclosure geometry and vice versa. This is why our products do not need major redesigns between prototype and production.
We evaluate component availability and supply chain risk alongside technical performance. A component that is technically perfect but available from one supplier with a 52-week lead time is a production risk. We identify these issues at design time, not at launch.
Test points, fiducial markers, panelization, wave solder vs reflow decisions, and board-level conformal coating requirements are all designed in from the schematic stage. This means the PCB we hand to a production factory is already ready for scale, not something that needs to be re-engineered.
“We needed a complete product — PCB, firmware, and enclosure — and had been burned by using separate contractors for each who did not talk to each other. PrototyperLab handled all three as one project. The enclosure and the board actually fit together on the first prototype. That never happens.”
James T.
Hardware startup founder, consumer gadgets
“I had a reference product and a list of changes I wanted to make. PrototyperLab reverse-engineered the circuit, improved the motor driver, redesigned the enclosure for better grip ergonomics, and had a working prototype in four months. The small batch of 60 units sold out on Amazon in two weeks.”
Angela W.
Amazon seller, personal care products
We work on smart home devices, portable audio products, personal care electronics, fitness trackers and health monitoring devices, battery-powered gadgets, LED lighting systems, display-based products, motor-driven devices, and custom embedded system products. If your product has a circuit board and an enclosure, we can likely help.
Yes. Component selection is part of our electronics design service. We evaluate your processing requirements, power budget, connectivity needs, and cost targets and recommend the right chipset for your application. We also consider component availability and supply chain risk, which matters a lot for products going to production.
Yes. We design single-layer, double-layer, and multi-layer PCBs depending on your product complexity. We handle schematic design, PCB layout, design rule checks, and Gerber file generation for manufacturing. We also manage PCB fabrication and component assembly through our manufacturing partners.
Enclosure design and electronics design are done together, not separately. The PCB layout, connector positions, button locations, LED windows, and antenna clearance zones all influence the enclosure geometry. We design both simultaneously so the final product is a cohesive, manufacturable unit rather than a board shoved into a box.
An embedded system is a dedicated computer built into a product to perform a specific function. A thermostat, a motor controller, or a display driver are all embedded systems. An IoT product is an embedded system that also connects to the internet or a network. We build both. Not every electronics product needs connectivity and we help you decide what is actually necessary for your use case rather than adding complexity you do not need.
A simple single-function product — one PCB, basic firmware, simple enclosure — typically takes 2 to 4 months. More complex products with multi-layer PCBs, advanced firmware, displays, and production enclosures take 4 to 8 months. Electronics prototyping almost always takes longer than mechanical prototyping because of the iteration cycles required to validate firmware and hardware together.
Yes. After your prototype is approved, we can run a small batch of 20 to 100 units. The DFM-first design approach we use from day one makes this transition clean and fast. We can also support the transition to full production with injection molds for the enclosure and production-ready PCB files for your chosen contract manufacturer.
Have questions about payment terms, refunds, or shipping? Visit our full FAQ page.
Every stage of your product journey covered.
Service
20 to 100 units. Production price per unit, quoted per project.
Quoted per project
Service
Real injection-molded plastic parts from 50 units. Aluminum molds.
From $500/mold
Service
Production-scale steel molds for volume manufacturing.
From $3,000
Service
CNC hardwood, flatpack design, and electronics in wood.
From $1,000
Service
PCB, firmware, wireless connectivity, and enclosure in one team.
From $3,000
Service
Payment terms, refunds, shipping, and process questions.
prototyperlab.com/faq/
Design, strategy, and process services that support every stage of product development.
Other Service
Engineer your product to ship flat, reduce dimensional weight, and cut Amazon FBA fees by 30% to 50%.
Quoted per project
Other Service
Turn a concept sketch into a production-ready design. Ergonomics, aesthetics, tolerances, and manufacturing feasibility reviewed before prototyping begins.
Quoted per project
Other Service
Already in production but your per-unit cost is too high? We review your BOM, manufacturing process, and mold design to find savings.
Quoted per project
Other Service
Competitor analysis, customer survey design, and Amazon niche analysis — before you commit to prototyping.
Quoted per project
Other Service
Retail packaging, mailer boxes, custom inserts, and FBA-compliant prep. Structural engineering and print-ready artwork in one project.
Quoted per project