Independent RF & hardware engineering · Denver, Colorado
Custom RF hardware, from link budget to fab-ready board.
JAMMtronics is the RF design practice of Mike Martin, a lead RF systems engineer with space and defense experience. I design RF front ends and multilayer PCBs, and build everything around them: embedded firmware, test automation, and web and mobile apps.
7+ yrs
RF hardware for space and defense
1–18 GHz
L- through Ku-band design experience
6 GHz
in-house bench: real-time analyzer, signal generator and VNA
2 iOS apps
shipped, plus web platforms and SaaS
Services
What I can take off your plate
RF hardware, embedded systems and the software around them. Whole products or a single hard problem, always scoped and quoted up front.
RF front-end & PCB design
Complete RF and mixed-signal hardware: architecture and cascade analysis, component selection with availability checks, schematic capture, stackup and impedance, and controlled-impedance layout, with the RF-critical structures verified in EM simulation before anything is ordered.
Typical: 3–8 weeks, depending on complexity
Details →RF schematic & layout review
A second set of RF eyes before you order boards.
Typical: About one week
Details →Core serviceApp & software development
Production software built with modern tooling: native-quality iOS and Android apps (React Native / Expo), web applications and SaaS platforms, e-commerce, dashboards and companion apps for connected hardware. AI features such as vision, speech and language models are built in where they earn their place, with cost controls and evaluation against real data.
Typical: 2–10 weeks
Details →RF systems, link budgets & trade studies
Get the architecture right before the hardware.
Typical: 1–4 weeks
Details →Test automation & bench software
Turn a morning of manual measurements into one button.
Typical: 2–6 weeks
Details →Embedded systems & firmware
Controllers, SoCs, power and firmware around the RF.
Typical: 3–8 weeks
Details →Prototype bring-up & debug
When the board is back and something isn’t right.
Typical: Days to weeks
Details →Hardware to software
One engineer across the whole stack
Most hardware needs firmware, test software and an app. Having them designed by the same person removes a whole class of hand-off problems.
Embedded
Embedded systems & firmware
- Mains-switching controller: ESP32-S3, four heater and four pump zones, five layers of fail-safe design
- UHF SDR receiver: AD9361 transceiver + Zynq SoC, LVDS data path, detection firmware spec
- RF control firmware: STM32 AGC control over I²C, SPI and UART; bare-metal phased-array T/R switching
Mobile & web
Apps & web platforms
- TymTracker: time-tracking and invoicing SaaS with an iOS/Android app: invoices, estimates, push notifications, offline mode
- InVinetory: iOS app with AI vision label reading and a voice assistant, on a Postgres backend with row-level security
- E-commerce and websites: a custom storefront with Stripe checkout and shipping labels; this site and mikebuilds.ai
Test & RF software
Instrument & analysis software
- PA characterization bench: SCPI control of generator, analyzer and supply with traceable reports
- RF analysis tools: live cascade analysis and a Touchstone / Smith chart viewer in the browser
- Instrument APIs: Python control of the real-time spectrum analyzer, with EVM and PA-model analysis
AI-accelerated, engineer-accountable
I build with AI coding agents working under written specs, review gates and automated tests, which is how one engineer ships two iOS apps, several web platforms and production hardware. I review and sign off everything that ships. Client files go to cloud AI tools only with your OK.
Why JAMMtronics
Big-program rigor at freelance speed
Flight-program discipline
Written requirements, review gates you approve, and a decision log that records why every non-obvious choice was made. The habits that keep space hardware out of trouble, applied to your board.
Simulate before copper
Cascade models for the RF chain, field-solved impedance for the stackup, and openEMS simulation of the transitions that matter. Problems get found on screen, not on the bench.
Fast, with modern tooling
Automated rule checks, netlist comparisons between revisions and scripted verification take care of the repetitive work, so schedule goes into engineering. Every decision is still reviewed and signed off by an engineer.
You own everything
Mutual NDA before any files are shared. On payment you get the full design (source files, not just manufacturing outputs), plus the analysis behind it.
Selected work
Recent projects
Client work is anonymized. Details can be shared in more depth on a call.
Client project (anonymized) · RF monitoring
Multichannel UHF burst-detection receiver
A receive-only SDR that detects narrowband UHF bursts and reports a coarse range band. Taken from a four-tuner prototype to an AD9361 + Zynq design with a 6-layer, impedance-controlled board.
In-house product development · Industrial control
Four-zone mains-switching controller
A manufacturable product built from a written brief. ESP32-S3 control of four 120 VAC heater zones and four pump zones, with a five-layer fail-safe design and a 288-part, 4-layer board ready for turnkey assembly.
In-house product · SaaS · Mobile
TymTracker: invoicing SaaS with iOS and Android apps
A time-tracking and invoicing product built to replace a tool whose price rose 20×. A multi-tenant web platform with a companion iOS/Android app for invoices, estimates and clients on the go, with push notifications when invoices are opened, accepted and paid.
How it works
A clear path from first call to working boards
01
Intro call
A free 30-minute call about your product, requirements, schedule and constraints.
02
NDA & requirements
A mutual NDA before any files change hands, then a written requirements summary we both agree on.
03
Proposal
Scope, deliverables, review gates, schedule and a fixed quote, with a deposit to start and milestone payments at the gates. No surprises later.
04
Design with review gates
Architecture, schematic and layout each end at a review you approve before the next stage starts.
05
Fab package & handoff
Everything a fab and assembly house needs, plus the design files, decision log and review report.
06
Bring-up support
Help when the boards arrive: bring-up, tuning and fixes if something needs to change.
FAQ
Common questions
Who owns the design?
You do. On payment, all deliverables and design files for your project are yours, including the source files, not just the manufacturing outputs.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. A mutual NDA comes before any files or requirements are shared, and I can sign yours.
Which tools do you design in?
KiCad for schematic and layout, openEMS for EM simulation and QUCS for circuit simulation, with Python for analysis. If your project needs files in Altium, HFSS, ADS or Microwave Office, I license the tool for the job.
Is your test equipment calibrated?
The bench instruments are functionally verified but not calibrated. They are well suited to bring-up, tuning and comparative measurements. When results must be traceable, testing is arranged at an accredited lab.
How do you use AI tools, and what about confidentiality?
Automated tooling does repetitive work: rule checks, netlist comparisons between revisions, scripted verification and documentation drafts. I review and sign off every engineering decision. Your files go to cloud-based AI tools only if you agree; otherwise the work runs entirely on local tools.
How do you price work?
Every project is quoted after the intro call, usually as a fixed price for a defined scope. Ongoing support can be set up as a monthly block of hours.
Are you insured?
Yes. JAMMtronics carries general liability and professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance. Certificates of insurance are available on request.
What are your payment terms?
Projects start with a deposit, and the balance is billed at milestones tied to the review gates, so you pay as agreed work is delivered and approved.
Can you handle manufacturing?
I prepare the complete fab and assembly package and can coordinate prototype builds with the fab house. For production volumes, I work with your contract manufacturer.
Have a board, a spec or a problem in mind?
Start with a free 30-minute call. You’ll leave with a clear next step, whether or not we work together.