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Core hardware

End-to-End IoT Product Development

One engineering team from sensor and PCB hardware through firmware, BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN or cellular connectivity, secure device provisioning, OTA updates, cloud backends, dashboards and production handoff. We build the connected product and the systems required to operate it in the field.

Quick answer

What we build
Complete connected products from one team: sensor and PCB hardware, firmware, BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN or cellular connectivity, secure provisioning, OTA updates, cloud backend, dashboards and production handoff.
Who it is for
Companies launching a connected product, and monitoring-software businesses that want their own hardware instead of off-the-shelf devices.
Typical timeline
3–12 months. A simple sensor node takes 3–6 months and a connected consumer or industrial-grade product 6–12 months to a production-ready design; a regulated medical device takes 12–24 months to a 510(k) submission-ready package. From idea to mass production, a typical connected product takes 9–18 months
Typical cost
Engineering from concept to a production-ready design (hardware, firmware, cloud and certification support): $8,000–$25,000 for a simple sensor node, $25,000–$80,000 for a connected consumer product, $50,000–$150,000 for an industrial-grade device and $120,000–$400,000+ for a regulated medical device. Source: IoT development cost guide.
Designed to
IEC 62443-4-2, ETSI EN 303 645 and EN 18031 (EU Radio Equipment Directive cybersecurity) requirements, with Cyber Resilience Act readiness planned per product.
Tools and technologies
MQTT/CoAP, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT/LTE-M, AWS IoT/Azure IoT

Every project is quoted as a fixed-scope proposal within 3–5 business days of a discovery call. Discuss your product

Specifications

  • BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT/LTE-M
  • AWS IoT Core / Azure IoT Hub
  • Secure provisioning and OTA

Capabilities

What we deliver

End-to-end IoT device development

Our comprehensive IoT device engineering encompasses custom hardware design, firmware development, and multi-protocol connectivity optimization. We handle everything from sensor selection and PCB design to power management and enclosure engineering. Each device is designed for reliable operation in real-world conditions with OTA update capabilities and remote diagnostics.

Multi-protocol wireless connectivity

We implement the optimal wireless protocol for your application: Wi-Fi 6 for high-bandwidth applications, BLE 5.x for proximity and wearables, LoRaWAN for long-range low-power deployments, NB-IoT/LTE-M for cellular coverage, Thread/Matter for smart home interoperability, and Zigbee for mesh networking. Protocol selection is optimized for range, power consumption, data rate, and cost.

Scalable cloud architecture & integration

Cloud backends on AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub, or a self-managed MQTT broker (for example EMQX or HiveMQ) on Google Cloud or on-premise. We architect backends with time-series databases, real-time stream processing, RESTful APIs, and comprehensive device management, sized for the message rates and latency your application needs.

IoT security

Security is embedded at every layer: hardware security modules (HSM) for key storage, secure boot with certificate verification, TLS 1.3 encrypted communication, mutual authentication, and zero-trust architecture. We follow OWASP IoT guidance and design to IEC 62443-4-2, ETSI EN 303 645 and EN 18031 (EU Radio Equipment Directive cybersecurity) requirements, with Cyber Resilience Act readiness planned per product; healthcare products are designed to support HIPAA Security Rule safeguards.

Real-time analytics & visualization

Transform raw IoT data into actionable insights with custom analytics platforms. We build real-time dashboards using Grafana, custom React applications, and mobile apps. Advanced features include anomaly detection using ML models, predictive maintenance algorithms, and automated alerting. Integration with business intelligence tools like PowerBI and Tableau is supported.

Edge computing & intelligence

Process data at the edge to cut latency and the data sent to the cloud. Our edge solutions run on devices ranging from microcontrollers to industrial gateways. We implement LiteRT (TensorFlow Lite), Edge Impulse, and custom ML models for on-device inference.

2 more capabilities

Sensor fusion & data orchestration

Combine multiple sensor inputs for enhanced accuracy and reliability. Our sensor fusion algorithms integrate IMUs, environmental sensors, proximity sensors, and application-specific sensors into coherent data streams. Kalman filtering, complementary filters, and ML-based fusion techniques extract maximum value from your sensor array.

Digital twin implementation

Create virtual representations of physical IoT systems for simulation, optimization, and predictive maintenance. Our digital twins synchronize in real-time with deployed devices, enabling what-if scenarios, performance optimization, and predictive failure analysis. Integration with SCADA systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions is supported.

Capabilities and deliverables

Discovery and architecture

  • Requirements analysis and IoT architecture design
  • Connectivity protocol selection and optimization
  • Cloud platform selection (AWS/Azure/GCP)
  • Security architecture and threat modeling

Development and integration

  • Hardware design and firmware development
  • Backend API and database development
  • Mobile app and dashboard creation
  • Data pipeline and analytics implementation

Deployment and support

  • Device provisioning and fleet management
  • Performance monitoring and optimization
  • Security updates and vulnerability management
  • OTA firmware updates and feature rollouts

Tools and platforms

  • AWS IoT Core
  • Azure IoT Hub
  • MQTT
  • CoAP
  • LoRaWAN
  • BLE 5.x
  • Wi-Fi 6
  • NB-IoT/LTE-M
  • Thread/Matter
  • Node-RED
  • Grafana
  • InfluxDB
  • TimescaleDB
  • LiteRT (TensorFlow Lite)
  • Edge Impulse
  • FreeRTOS
  • Zephyr RTOS
  • ESP-IDF

Building on a specific platform? See how we design ESP32 Wi-Fi products and Nordic Bluetooth LE and cellular IoT devices, and how our IoT cloud backend development connects them to the cloud.

Typical applications

Industrial IoT
Predictive maintenance, process automation, asset tracking, and environmental monitoring for manufacturing and heavy industry. OPC UA/Modbus integration, IEC 62443 security, rugged hardware.
Healthcare IoT
Remote patient monitoring, medical device connectivity, and clinical workflow optimization. Data handling designed to support HIPAA Security Rule safeguards and, where electronic records support FDA-regulated activities, 21 CFR Part 11; HL7/FHIR integration.
Smart buildings
HVAC optimization, occupancy sensing, energy management, and access control for commercial and residential buildings. Matter/Thread, BACnet integration, energy analytics.
Smart cities
Street lighting, parking management, waste management, and environmental monitoring for municipal infrastructure. LoRaWAN networks, solar power, long-range coverage.
Wireless connectivity options

We select the protocol from the application requirements. Ranges are typical planning figures; the real range depends on the environment, antenna, transmit power and PHY, and is confirmed on the assembled device.

Wireless connectivity options
ProtocolRangePowerData rateBest for
Wi-Fi 6/6E~30–50 m indoorsHighHighVideo, High-bandwidth
BLE 5.x10–50 m indoors (up to ~1 km LOS with Coded PHY)Very LowMediumWearables, Beacons
LoRaWAN2–5 km urban, 10–15+ km rural LOSVery LowLowAgriculture, Utilities
NB-IoTCellularLowLowAsset Tracking, Meters
LTE-MCellularMediumMediumFleet, Healthcare
Thread (Matter over Thread)10–30 m per hop, meshLowLowSmart Home

Deciding between low-power WAN protocols? Read our LoRaWAN vs NB-IoT vs LTE-M comparison or the BLE vs Wi-Fi vs Thread vs Matter guide for short-range options.

Process

How we work

  1. Discovery and architecture

    Requirements analysis, connectivity protocol and cloud platform selection, security architecture and threat modelling.

    Deliverable: IoT architecture and device-to-cloud interface documentation

  2. Development and integration

    Hardware design and firmware, backend APIs and databases, mobile app and dashboards, data pipeline.

    Deliverable: Device, firmware and cloud builds with a source and build handoff

  3. Pilot

    Check installation, telemetry quality, power consumption and support procedures under real operating conditions.

    Deliverable: Pilot acceptance results

  4. Deployment and support

    Device provisioning and fleet management, performance monitoring, security updates and OTA rollouts.

    Deliverable: Provisioning, update and rollback procedures

Engineering notes

Choose an IoT architecture around the deployment

IoT product development joins the device, connectivity, cloud and operating workflow. Begin with what happens at the installation site: available power, coverage, sensor data, permitted outages and the people responsible for maintenance. A prototype that sends telemetry is an early milestone in a deployable product.

Connectivity and battery-life trade-offs

Compare BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN and cellular options using payload size, reporting frequency, coverage, mobility and subscription or gateway costs. Validate the link at representative sites. Battery life depends on the complete duty cycle, including retries and poor coverage; the protocol name alone cannot predict years of operation.

Design for offline operation and fleet ownership

Specify which functions must continue without the cloud, how data is buffered and how devices recover after reconnection. Assign ownership for device identity, provisioning, access control, updates and retirement. Define what happens when a credential expires, an update fails or a customer changes their network.

Pilot before scaling the fleet

Use a pilot to check installation, telemetry quality, power consumption and support procedures under real operating conditions. Estimate device, gateway, connectivity and cloud costs separately. Expansion should follow agreed acceptance results, with alerts and rollback procedures in place.

Key considerations

  • Device-to-cloud interface and data ownership documented
  • Power and connectivity validated at representative sites
  • Provisioning, updates and decommissioning included in scope
  • Pilot acceptance distinguished from fleet-wide deployment

Planning

Scope and cost

Start with a non-confidential summary of your product and the milestone you need to reach next.

What to include in an IoT product development brief

An IoT estimate needs a device-to-cloud scope: what the device measures or controls, where it operates, how it connects, and who maintains it after deployment. Define the next milestone before choosing hardware or a cloud platform.

Inputs for your project brief

  • Users, deployment locations, environmental limits, sensor data, and required control actions.
  • Power source, reporting frequency, payload size, coverage constraints, and expected fleet size.
  • Existing device/cloud interfaces, provisioning and update requirements, data retention, access roles, and target markets.

Choose the scope for your next milestone

Agree the deliverables and acceptance criteria

Agree device and cloud responsibilities, interface documentation, source/build handoff, and deployment ownership. Define tests for data delivery, power consumption, loss of connectivity, update recovery, and access control under stated conditions. Price pilot deployment, external certification, connectivity subscriptions, cloud operation, and ongoing support separately.

Agree confidentiality arrangements before sharing proprietary design files.

Planning guides

Proof

Related case studies

Video poster: “40% higher soybean yield” and “35% less water”, labelled Measured in pilot, over an illustrative photo of a solar-powered sensor pole in a drip-irrigated soybean field at dawn.

Solar LoRaWAN sensors for precision irrigation25 s · no sound

Video text
  1. 40% higher soybean yield. 35% less water. (Measured in pilot.)
  2. Case study · Agricultural cooperative, Maharashtra. No cellular coverage. No reliable power. Across most farms of a 5,000-acre cooperative.
  3. An off-grid sensor node. IP66 enclosure. 30-day local storage. Power: Solar panel 2 W → MPPT charger → LiFePO₄ 3.2 V · 6000 mAh → Regulator. Data: NPK sensor (I²C) and capacitive soil moisture → STM32L072, LoRaWAN Class A → SPI → SX1262, LoRa · IN865.
  4. Pilot: 100 nodes · 200 acres · one crop cycle. Farmer app in Marathi, Hindi and English.
  5. 40% higher soybean yield. 35% less water. 25% lower fertiliser cost per acre. (Measured in pilot.) Pilot plots, one crop cycle.
  6. Solar LoRaWAN sensors for precision irrigation. Rapid Circuitry. Discuss your product → rapidcircuitry.com/contact. Reply within one business day · Mutual NDA on request.
  7. The photo is an illustrative image.
6 more case studies
Review all case studies

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is IoT development?

IoT (Internet of Things) development encompasses the design, implementation, and deployment of connected devices that collect, transmit, and process data. IoT development includes hardware design (sensors, connectivity modules), firmware development (communication protocols, security), cloud integration (data pipelines, analytics), and fleet management (OTA updates, monitoring).

Source: Industry definition. Related terms: MQTT, LoRaWAN, BLE, cloud platform.

Budgeting a connected product? Start with our IoT development cost guide.

Working with Rapid Circuitry

How much does a project cost, and how is pricing structured?

Each project is quoted as a fixed-scope proposal: a statement of work with milestones, deliverables and pricing, sent within 3–5 business days of the discovery call. The price depends on the requirements, how mature the design is, technical complexity, the number of prototype iterations and the validation scope. Longer engagements can also run as a retainer or a hybrid of both. For budgeting before you contact us, our hardware development cost benchmarks and the PCB design, firmware and IoT cost guides give indicative ranges with their assumptions stated. They are planning ranges, not quotes.

How long does a project take?

It depends on the scope and on what already exists when we start. As planning ranges from our cost benchmarks: a single PCB layout takes 2–6 weeks per board and embedded firmware 4–16 weeks. A connected (IoT) product takes 3–12 months from concept to a production-ready design, and a regulated medical device 12–24 months to a 510(k) submission-ready package; from idea to mass production, a typical connected product takes 9–18 months. The proposal sets out a dated milestone plan, and you receive weekly progress updates during the project.

Who owns the intellectual property?

You do. Our contracts assign the intellectual property in the project work product (schematics, PCB design files, firmware source code and documentation) to you on payment, and we hand over the source files, not only fabrication outputs or compiled binaries. The exact terms are set out in the signed agreement for each engagement.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes. We sign a mutual NDA before any technical discussion of your project. Send your standard NDA or use ours; we return it signed within one business day.

Can you work with clients in the US, Europe and Japan?

Yes. We are based in Hyderabad, India, and work with product teams in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, the Middle East and other markets. Our office hours are 10:30–19:00 India Standard Time (UTC+5:30), Monday to Saturday, and we schedule design reviews across time zones, typically from US Pacific to Central European time. Japan is 3.5 hours ahead of India, so our first four hours overlap the Japanese afternoon. Prototypes and documentation ship by international courier such as DHL or FedEx. Our hardware outsourcing guide covers what to agree before an international project starts.

Do you hand off to manufacturing, and which contract manufacturers do you work with?

Yes. We prepare the manufacturing release package — fabrication and assembly drawings, the BOM with approved manufacturers, programming files and test specifications — and hand it over to the contract manufacturer (EMS) you choose. If you have not chosen one, we help you evaluate candidates through technical capability assessments and a pilot build. See manufacturing support.

Are you ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 certified?

No. Rapid Circuitry does not hold ISO 9001, ISO 13485 or other certificates. Our processes are aligned with ISO 9001:2015, and we design products to the requirements of the standards that apply to them — for example IEC 60601-1 and IEC 62304 for medical devices (with design documentation structured so your ISO 13485 quality system can absorb it) and IEC 61000 for EMC — and we specify IPC-A-610 workmanship classes for assembly. We prepare the product and its documentation for certification testing at accredited laboratories; the certificate or approval is issued for your product by the laboratory, notified body or regulator.

What do you need from me to start?

A short, non-confidential description of the product and what it must do (sensors, connectivity, on-device processing), the target production volume and unit cost, the markets and regulations it must meet (for example FDA, CE or FCC), your timeline, and what already exists: a concept, a proof of concept, schematics, PCB files or firmware. After the NDA, the next step is a 30-minute discovery call with the engineers who would work on the project, followed by the fixed-scope proposal. Send a project brief to begin.

Explore

Embedded hardware development

System architecture, MCU/SoC selection, schematic and PCB design, board bring-up, validation and manufacturing handoff.

Cloud and backend development

Device-to-cloud backends: provisioning, MQTT and API ingestion, time-series data, OTA coordination and fleet monitoring.

Edge AI and machine learning

On-device inference: feasibility on your target hardware, model porting and quantisation, and integration with the firmware.