LURCOTT LABS
DWG LL-005 · Case studies

Case studies

Clients stay unnamed unless they say otherwise. The work speaks for itself.

Case 01 · Marine · motion control

CAN bus BLDC actuator project

An actuator for a marine application, controlled over CAN.

BUILT
Motor-control board, firmware, CAN register map, hard-stop homing
TOOLS
PC configuration tool, test fixture, client test kit
TESTED
Vibration and performance characterization, heat runs, measured reports
RESULT
[CONFIRM: a result Steve can publish, e.g. time to first motion]
Watermaker controller board: power supply module, two relays, terminal block and PIC32 microcontroller on black solder mask
Case 02 · Marine · water systems

Reverse-osmosis watermaker controller

The controller that runs a boat's watermaker: pumps, valves, sensors and display.

BUILT
Controller board and PIC32 firmware
SUPPORT
Two hardware generations kept in service; versioned field releases
POWER
AC mains in, relay-switched pump outputs
Handheld reader in a black case with an LCD window, next to a test strip The reader's two circuit boards: battery and optics board, and the main board with LCD and microcontroller
Case 03 · Diagnostics · optical sensing

Handheld optical strip reader

A battery-powered handheld that reads assay test strips optically and shows the result.

BUILT
Two-board design: LED and optical front end, PIC16 firmware, LCD; two product variants
TOOLS
Serial data readers, analysis scripts, calibration analyzer
SUPPORT
Versioned firmware releases through 2023
WaterWatch remote panel with display and buttons, the valve unit with status lights, flow sensor and supply hose
Case 04 · Marine · our own product

WaterWatch: marine water shut-off

Totals a boat's daily water use from the dock supply and closes a valve when a set limit is passed, so a leak on shore water can't run unchecked.

BUILT
Main unit and remote panel, PIC16 firmware, motorized ball valve control
SENSING
Flow sensor calibrated 1–30 L/min; daily totals and limits
POWER
Solar battery pack option
PRODUCTION
Enclosure and front panel, labels, QC test procedure, installation manual
YEARS
2016–2020
Section 02 · Earlier work

30+ years on the bench.

A sample of past designs. Clients unnamed.

SENSORS + INSTRUMENTS
  • Non-contacting submersible conductivity meter, 1 µS to 80 mS (patented)
  • Dual-mode galvanic / potentiometric electroplating bath monitor (patented)
  • Low-cost strain-gauge gas-cylinder pressure monitor (patented)
  • Thermopile IR gas concentration system
  • FTIR toxic gas monitor with remote diagnostics
  • Quartz crystal microbalance
  • Cyclic voltammetry electrochemical system
  • Fiber-optic pressure monitor
POWER ELECTRONICS
  • 5 kW aerospace battery charger
  • 6 / 12 kW switch-mode battery chargers
  • 6 kW bridge controller, 6 kW boost converter
  • Low-cost 12 kW, 480 VAC 3-phase rectifier
  • 7.5 kW linear regulator
CONTROL + DEVICES
  • Low-power handheld conductivity meter (TDS, salinity)
  • High-torque stepper motor drive
  • Medical LED therapy controller
  • Small wearable electronics packaging
  • Fully encapsulated electronics
Dense digital circuit board
Aerospace battery management
Instrument board mounted in a machined enclosure
Electroplating bath monitor (patented)
Power board with four large capacitors
6 kW boost converter
Round sensor adapter boards next to a quarter
IR sensor adapter
Test fixture board with gold RF connectors
Test fixture
Panel of small boards next to a dime
Small wearable packaging
CASE 05

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