About

I’m building a wireless desktop control box (15 buttons + 1 layout switch) used to send keyboard (and optional mouse click) inputs to Windows PCs. This is a consumer product, not a prototype or dev board. I am looking for an experienced embedded firmware + PCB engineer to design the electronics and firmware so the product is stable, manufacturable, and scalable. This role is product-focused. I will provide clear functional requirements and button mappings. You will handle architecture decisions, firmware, and PCB design. ⸻ 🔧 Scope of Work 1️⃣ Architecture & MCU Selection • Recommend and implement a stable wireless HID architecture • Strong preference for: • Wireless controller + USB dongle • nRF52 family (e.g., nRF52840) or equivalent • ESP32 BLE-only solutions are not preferred due to Windows HID instability ⸻ 2️⃣ Firmware Development • Firmware for wireless controller • Firmware for USB dongle (keyboard HID, optional mouse click) • Responsibilities include: • Button scanning (15 action buttons) • 1 layout switch button (hold ~3 seconds) • 3 layouts total (same buttons, different key mappings) • Reliable debounce • Single-shot key events • LED control: • Layout indicator (RGB or color-based) • Battery status indicator • Battery monitoring & power management • Stable reconnection behavior ⚠️ The device does not need to move the mouse cursor. It only needs to emit keyboard keys or HID inputs. Any advanced mouse behavior will be handled by existing PC software. ⸻ 3️⃣ PCB Design • Custom PCB design suitable for manufacturing • Requirements: • Supports 15 action buttons + 1 layout button • Plug-in connectors for buttons (no soldering in final assembly) • Battery charging circuit (USB-C preferred) • LED outputs • Programming/debug pads • Deliverables: • Schematics • PCB layout files • Gerbers • BOM ⸻ 4️⃣ Deliverables (Required) • Firmware source code • PCB design files • BOM • Programming instructions • Documentation sufficient for handoff to a PCBA manufacturer All work must be exclusive IP for this project. ⸻ 📦 Product Details (Summary) • Buttons: 16 total • 15 action buttons • 1 layout switch button • Layouts: 3 • Output: Keyboard HID (optional mouse click) • Wireless: Low-latency, stable (dongle-based preferred) • Power: Rechargeable battery + USB charging • Use case: Gaming / simulator control ⸻ 🧠 Ideal Candidate • Proven experience with: • Wireless HID devices (keyboard / mouse / controller) • nRF52 or similar MCUs • USB HID • Battery-powered devices • Has shipped real hardware products, not just demos • Comfortable working from functional requirements • Clear communicator (English) ⸻ ❌ Not a Good Fit If • You only work with ESP32 Arduino BLE examples • You cannot provide firmware source code • You only do PCB layout without firmware • You expect the client to debug RF/HID behavior ⸻ ⏱ Timeline & Budget • Open to discussion • Expecting: • Architecture proposal • Milestones (firmware → PCB → prototype) • Budget flexible for the right experience ⸻ 📎 To Apply, Please Include 1. Examples of wireless HID devices you’ve worked on 2. MCU platforms you recommend for this project (and why) 3. Your proposed high-level architecture 4. Estimated timeline for first prototype ⸻ 💬 Final Note This project is intended to become a sellable consumer product. I’m looking for someone who can help me build it the right way, not the fastest way.