Questions and answers
Your questions before the first enquiry — answered openly
Whoever outsources electronics development weighs risks — different ones with a small firm than with a large development house. Here are the questions prospects rightly ask us, and our answers without varnish.
- What happens if you are unavailable?
- How traceable is the development history?
- Who owns circuit, layout and firmware?
- Will keiltronic still exist in two years?
- Are you insured?
- Do you have an ISO 9001 certification?
- Is my project too small — or too large?
- What do you not do?
- Where does the work happen — do you come to us?
- Do you only work with customers in Germany?
- How do we know where the project stands during development?
- How confidential is my idea with you?
- What does a development cost?
What happens if you are unavailable?
The risk cannot be talked away — a small engineering firm has no second engineer on the bench. We limit it where it can be limited: every working state is under version control; circuit, layout and firmware are documented so that a qualified engineer can continue the work; the production documents are prepared so that an assembly house can work with them. We have ourselves taken over a controller whose engineer was no longer available — we know what makes a takeover fail, and we work so that ours would not. The rights required for this are set out in the development contract.
How traceable is the development history?
Hardware and firmware are kept under version control in Git — schematics and layout just like the source code. Every state is reproducible, and every change carries a reasoned entry in the history; AI assists in writing those entries so the log stays complete even under deadline pressure. What was changed where, when and why can still be read years later — for series support, that is exactly what matters.
Who owns circuit, layout and firmware?
With full payment you receive the right to use the work results for the intended purpose — as set out in § 15 of our terms and conditions (German). Further rights — for example continued development by third parties — are a matter for the development contract: say what you need in the intro call and it will be settled there, not as a surprise at the end of the project.
Will keiltronic still exist in two years?
The firm has been working since 2012, since 2021 as a GmbH, and supports series devices over years — series support is a pillar, not a side business. And because every state is handed over documented, your project would not be left behind as a riddle even in the worst case.
Are you insured?
Yes — a business liability insurance with extended product liability is in place with Allianz. The sum insured is five million euros per claim; the extended product liability is covered within that at up to three million euros per claim.
Do you have an ISO 9001 certification?
No. If your supplier qualification strictly requires it, we are not the right partner — we would rather say that here than in the third meeting. What exists instead: two products accompanied through TÜV certification, firmware following guidelines such as MISRA C, version control for every state, and documented production files.
Is my project too small — or too large?
Too small hardly exists: projects that are too small for large development houses are in the right place with us. Too large honestly does: if a project permanently needs several engineers in parallel, we say so in the intro call — not in the middle of the project.
What do you not do?
Two things, to set expectations straight: enclosure design and mechanical CAD are not part of our offering — the mechanics come from you or your design partner. And we do not design our own RF circuits or antennas; the radio link itself — Bluetooth, BLE, NB-IoT, LTE-M — is core business: built on proven radio modules instead of custom RF design.
Where does the work happen — do you come to us?
Development happens in our own lab in Osterburken: that is where the measurement equipment, the soldering bench and the EMC pre-compliance setup are, and where the first prototype is built. For meetings and project reviews we are happy to come to you — in person or by video. What we do not offer: staff leasing or working on site as part of your team. If your project needs exactly that, we are not the right partner — we would rather say that here as well.
Do you only work with customers in Germany?
Our focus is on Germany — it is the regulatory landscape we know best. Enquiries from Austria and Switzerland are welcome all the same: whether the setup fits is exactly what the intro call is for.
How do we know where the project stands during development?
You always talk directly to the person doing the engineering anyway — no project management in between. On request we additionally agree on a fixed rhythm of video calls: look at the current state on screen, align on the next steps, and work new findings or requirements into the plan together — while changes are still cheap rather than expensive.
How confidential is my idea with you?
If you wish, we sign a non-disclosure agreement before the intro call. Customer names appear publicly only with approval.
What does a development cost?
There is no price list — projects differ too much for that. The path to a reliable number is binding instead: the intro call costs nothing, and within seven days afterwards you receive our assessment of feasibility and budget range.
Did our openness win you over?
Then we will keep it that way: the intro call costs nothing, takes half an hour —
and afterwards you know where you stand.