1. Describe the product
Choose a sample product brief or describe your intended customers and required features. Keyword rules identify connectivity, power, environment, interval and quantity. Unspecified conditions remain visible as editable example assumptions.
- Each tag shows whether it came from the sentence, from your answer or from a default.
- Changing the idea resets its answers to that example's defaults.
- Your original product brief and note are included in downloads and consultation email drafts. Notes do not change the example design.
- Quantity accepts 1–10,000 and drives the process recommendation, BOM pricing and the estimate.
2. Narrow the chips, then add parts
Nine candidate chips are filtered stage by stage: radio, power, GPIO count, then the top three by score. Each eliminated chip shows why. The winner is selected by default with its pin assignment; you can choose any modelled chip, even an eliminated one, and see what the checks say. The parts step adds sensor, power and support parts and runs rule-based compatibility checks.
- A chip without the required radio fails the check instead of being hidden.
- Checks cover logic levels, I²C or 1-Wire details, GPIO count, power headroom, ingress and certification notes.
3. Read the PCB and the virtual run
The PCB step animates an illustrative layout, routing sequence and clearance check. The firmware step shows a skeleton for the chosen chip and sensor, an example build log, and a virtual run with a logic analyser, debug values, a live graph and a serial monitor.
- Use “Inject sensor dropout” to see a NACK, bounded retries and recovery.
- Signals and readings are an illustrative simulation from a fixed formula, not executed firmware.
- The layout is a concept, not manufacturing Gerbers or a real DRC.
4. Shape the enclosure
The enclosure is sized around the PCB with clearance, wall thickness and features such as a USB opening, vents, a probe entry or a gasket. Compare FDM, SLA, CNC and injection moulding; the cheapest process at your quantity is recommended. Orbit the 3D model, explode it and download an STL of the concept geometry.
- The STL is concept geometry; tolerances and fit are not validated.
- No ingress rating is claimed without testing.
5. Read the BOM, production line and estimate
The BOM prices each part at your quantity with a volume factor. The production step shows the stations, minutes per unit, daily output per operator and quality gates. The cost step adds parts, PCB, assembly, enclosure, labour, test, packaging, contingency and one-time costs, then applies your margin.
- Labour rate, margin and quantity are editable; every other assumption is shown on screen.
- Amounts are examples, not quotations. Engineering fees for electronics, firmware and mechanical design, certification, shipping, duties, app or cloud work and marketing are excluded.
- The chart shows where injection moulding becomes cheaper than 3D printing for this design.
6. Export or talk to us
Download the project as JSON, a Markdown brief or an STL file, or open an email draft to hello@arcarix.com with your original product brief, notes and example selections. Nothing is uploaded or stored; refreshing the page resets the demo.
- Do not include credentials, proprietary designs or sensitive personal information in a first inquiry.
- Real design, prototypes and quotations are scoped after review; see the services page.