DE Design Works
Missouri firm with 20-plus years pairing PCB and electronics design with embedded firmware for rugged applications
Founded 2002 | Chesterfield, MO, USA | 11–50 employees
firmware-developmentbare-metal-programminghardware-co-designpcb-designsecure-firmware-updatesembedded-linux
What is DE Design Works?
DE Design Works was founded in 2002 and operates from Chesterfield, Missouri with a team in the 11 to 50 employee range. Its scope centers on PCB and hardware design for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications alongside embedded software and firmware, including secure OTA update signing, staging, and rollback, and embedded Linux board support package bring-up. For an RFP built around a ruggedized or regulated product, having electronics and firmware design under one small, senior vendor reduces the integration risk of coordinating separate hardware and software contractors.
DE Design Works works primarily with clients in Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense, Consumer electronics sectors. Its primary differentiator is: 23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware design specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications.
DE Design Works tech stack and services
CC++Embedded LinuxSecure Boot/OTAPCB Design
| Service area |
|---|
| Firmware Development |
| Bare-Metal Programming |
| Hardware Co-Design |
| PCB Design |
| Secure Firmware Updates |
| Embedded Linux |
DE Design Works pricing
Short answer: DE Design Works uses a project-based electronics and firmware engagements pricing approach. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Project-based engineering | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
DE Design Works does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
DE Design Works pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +PCB and hardware design for rugged, regulated applications sits alongside firmware in the same firm, not a separate contractor | -11 to 50 employees limits concurrent capacity compared to larger competing bidders |
| +Secure OTA update work covering signing, staging, and rollback is a specific, verifiable technical capability for a security-conscious RFP | -Public case studies naming specific past programs are limited, so verifying track record needs direct reference requests |
| +23 years of operating history gives a track record to reference-check against | -No published pricing or minimum engagement threshold |
| +Rugged industrial, medical, and military application experience matches vendor-qualification requirements common in those RFPs |
DE Design Works vs alternatives
How DE Design Works compares to the other top Embedded Firmware service providers.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemberg Solutions | RFPs needing hardware and firmware scoped under one... | In-house hardware lab plus NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single SOW | 4.8 | Full comparison |
| Dojo Five | FDA-ready firmware for connected medical devices and diagnostics. | Firmware delivery scoped exclusively around FDA-regulated medical device and diagnostics programs, not a general embedded practice | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Conclusive Engineering | RFPs needing PCB development bundled with firmware under... | Listed Nordic Semiconductor and Texas Instruments partner combining in-house PCB development with firmware and FreeBSD depth | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Voler Systems | Long-track-record vendor for ultra-low-power wearable and biomedical hardware+firmware. | 46 years of continuous operation combining analog, FPGA, and firmware disciplines specifically for ultra-low-power sensor products | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| A2e Technologies | ITAR-restricted defense and space hardware+firmware RFPs. | ITAR certification combined with anti-tamper hardware security design, a specific credential defense RFPs screen for before technical evaluation | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| ByteSnap Design | Connected-device RFPs needing broad wireless protocol coverage. | Wireless protocol breadth across ZigBee, LoRa, Wi-Fi, BLE, and GSM combined with in-house electronics design | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Promenade Software | Medical device firmware RFPs prioritizing development speed within... | Applies web-framework development speed to FDA-relevant safety-critical medical device firmware, a combination most medical firmware vendors don't claim | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Embien Technologies | Full-lifecycle RFPs from concept through manufacturing handoff. | One-stop scope covering ideation, hardware design, firmware, cloud integration, and manufacturing handoff under a single vendor | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| NOVO Engineering | Multi-discipline RFPs spanning mechanical, electrical, and firmware. | Systems-engineering scope built for programs that bundle mechanical, electrical, and firmware requirements into one vendor relationship | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Promwad | Automotive and telecom RFPs needing ASIL-C plus PCB... | ASIL-C functional-safety experience in automotive ECU and infotainment work alongside full-stack electronics design capacity | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| WebbyLab | RFPs bundling hardware selection, firmware, and the connected... | Full-cycle delivery from hardware selection through firmware and the connected application layer under one team | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Sigma Design | Multi-discipline RFPs needing industrial design and firmware at... | 283-person product design and engineering firm spanning industrial design, mechanical engineering, and firmware across five continents | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| USA Firmware | Small to mid-size RFPs wanting one accountable hardware+firmware... | Managed design services spanning electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA, and Linux under a single discovery-to-production process | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Integra Sources | RFPs seeking a high-project-volume full-cycle hardware+firmware vendor. | More than 250 completed hardware and firmware projects for over 100 clients across four continents | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| RCM Technologies | Defense and aerospace RFPs requiring DAL-A mission-critical software... | DAL-A mission and safety-critical software verification and validation backed by over 50 years of aerospace and defense engineering history | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Yalantis | Healthcare RFPs needing compliance-first PCB-to-cloud delivery. | Compliance-first full-cycle delivery from PCB design through firmware, cloud, and AI for medical device and healthcare programs | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| InTechHouse | RFPs requiring a publicly disclosed, EU-certified R&D partner. | Publicly listed on Warsaw's NewConnect market since 2015, giving financial transparency most private competing bidders don't offer | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Klika Tech | RFPs needing multi-continent delivery for AWS-integrated IoT hardware... | AWS IoT and DevOps competency partner status combined with STMicroelectronics hardware partnership and multi-continent delivery centers | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Electrobit Technology | RFPs needing firmware plus PCB fabrication and box... | Turnkey scope from PCB fabrication and firmware through SMT assembly and box build under a single vendor | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Softeq | Full-stack RFPs bundling firmware with a consumer mobile... | 28 years of full-stack hardware, firmware, mobile, and cloud delivery under one vendor | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Enginuity Inc. | Defence, marine, and industrial automation RFPs where firmware... | Multidisciplinary aerospace, defence, and marine engineering scope with firmware integrated alongside PLC, SCADA, and robotics work | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| L&T Technology Services (LTTS) | Enterprise RFPs prioritizing public-company scale and vendor stability. | Publicly listed engineering research and development conglomerate delivering 500-plus embedded system designs annually | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| AIMDek Technologies | MedTech and Software-as-a-Medical-Device RFPs. | Dedicated Software as a Medical Device and connected health focus with compliance and safety testing services included | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| N-iX | Enterprise RFPs needing firmware alongside cloud, data, and... | Enterprise-scale delivery capacity across 60-plus completed IoT and embedded projects inside a broader software engineering portfolio | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| A-listware | Staff augmentation RFPs needing remote embedded firmware engineering... | Remote engineering team delivery model with embedded firmware and legacy modernization as named service lines | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Capgemini Engineering | Enterprise RFPs prioritizing global engineering-consulting scale. | Global network of silicon and embedded engineers operating under a large, publicly backed engineering-consulting parent | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Zone7 Engineering | Small RFPs needing direct founder-level electronics and firmware... | Founder-led electronics and firmware practice covering the full path from PCB design through production readiness | 3.8 | Full comparison |
DE Design Works FAQ
What is DE Design Works?
Missouri firm with 20-plus years pairing PCB and electronics design with embedded firmware for rugged applications
How much does DE Design Works charge?
DE Design Works uses project-based electronics and firmware engagements pricing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does DE Design Works use?
DE Design Works works with C, C++, Embedded Linux, Secure Boot/OTA, PCB Design. Primary industries served include Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense, Consumer electronics.
Is DE Design Works right for enterprise?
Rugged industrial, medical, or military RFPs needing PCB plus firmware. 11–50 team size. Key consideration: 11 to 50 employees limits concurrent capacity compared to larger competing bidders.
What are the best DE Design Works alternatives?
The best alternatives to DE Design Works depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Lemberg Solutions: in-house hardware lab plus nxp, stmicroelectronics, and microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single sow
- Dojo Five: firmware delivery scoped exclusively around fda-regulated medical device and diagnostics programs, not a general embedded practice
- Conclusive Engineering: listed nordic semiconductor and texas instruments partner combining in-house pcb development with firmware and freebsd depth
Compare DE Design Works with other Embedded Firmware service providers
DE Design Works vs Lemberg Solutions DE Design Works vs Dojo Five DE Design Works vs Conclusive Engineering DE Design Works vs Voler Systems DE Design Works vs A2e Technologies DE Design Works vs ByteSnap Design DE Design Works vs Promenade Software DE Design Works vs Embien Technologies DE Design Works vs NOVO Engineering DE Design Works vs Promwad DE Design Works vs WebbyLab DE Design Works vs Sigma Design DE Design Works vs USA Firmware DE Design Works vs Integra Sources DE Design Works vs RCM Technologies DE Design Works vs Yalantis DE Design Works vs InTechHouse DE Design Works vs Klika Tech DE Design Works vs Electrobit Technology DE Design Works vs Softeq DE Design Works vs Enginuity Inc. DE Design Works vs L&T Technology Services (LTTS) DE Design Works vs AIMDek Technologies DE Design Works vs N-iX DE Design Works vs A-listware DE Design Works vs Capgemini Engineering DE Design Works vs Zone7 Engineering
Verify all details directly with DE Design Works before making a decision.