Development of embedded systems, LED luminaires and lighting controls from idea to production readiness
Ingenieurbüro Andreas Stahlkopf
33659 BielefeldNew on Amplifa
About the Stahlkopf Engineering Office
The Stahlkopf engineering office is a sole proprietorship led by Dipl.-Ing.(FH) Andreas Stahlkopf, based in Bielefeld, offering services in nearly all areas of electronics development. The focus is on the development of embedded systems with 8/16/32-bit microcontrollers, simulation-supported circuit development, EMC-compliant PCB design, FPGA systems, ANSI-C firmware, and PC-based software development. Particular expertise lies in the project engineering of LED luminaires, lighting controls, and LED matrix systems with up to 500k RGB pixels for ambient lighting and facade illumination. In addition to development, the office supports idea generation, product specification, and production ramp-up, including test fixtures and test software, with experience in Germany, the USA, China, and Ireland at volumes from one-off pieces to 100k. In-house equipment includes a 3D printer (FDM, ABS/PLA), a BGA rework station, and an IR reflow oven for prototyping. The target audience is primarily small and medium-sized enterprises without in-house electronics development.
- Site
- Bielefeld
- Processes
- 3D prototyping (FDM printing of mechanical parts/housings), Electronics development/embedded systems (8/16/32-bit MCU, FPGA, schematics, PCB layout), In-house prototyping of electronic assemblies incl. BGA/QFN soldering technology and reflow, Production support/production ramp-up with test fixtures and test software, Electronics development / embedded systems (8/16/32-bit microcontrollers), Circuit development and PCB design (EMC-compliant), FPGA design, simulation and verification, Firmware development (ANSI-C)
- Materials
- ABS, PLA, FDM 3D printing, Circuit development and PCB design, FPGA Design, Embedded Systems (8/16/32-Bit MCU), BGA/QFN soldering technology
- Founded
- 2013
- Industries
- Lighting technology / LED luminaires, Ambient lighting / facade illumination, Industry / control technology, IT infrastructure, Radio technology (DMR), Public transport / events / advertising technology
- 01
Idea generation and product specification
- 02
Circuit and PCB design
- 03
FPGA design and firmware/software development
- 04
3D prototyping of mechanics and assemblies
- 05
Production ramp-up with test fixtures and test software
- 06
Support and quality control throughout the lifecycle
Materials and Processes
FDM 3D printing
In-house prototyping of housings and mechanical parts with a dual-extruder printer.
ABS
3D-printed material for mechanical prototypes and housing parts.
PLA
3D-printed material, also for washable support structures and bicolor printing.
Circuit development and PCB design
Simulation-supported schematics and EMC-compliant PCB layout with Altium Designer.
FPGA Design
Vendor-independent development of FPGA systems and IP cores with an HDL simulation environment.
Embedded Systems (8/16/32-Bit MCU)
Custom control systems with and without FPGA interfacing.
BGA/QFN soldering technology
In-house prototyping including BGA rework and reflow.
Locations
Bielefeld
DEOffice, development and prototyping
- Lot size
- One-off pieces up to 100k (production support)
- Materials
- ABS, PLA, PCBs
- 3D printer (FDM, dual extruder)
- BGA rework station (2016)
- IR reflow oven (2015)
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D prototyping (FDM printing of mechanical parts/housings)Additive | – | – | – | – | ABS, PLA |
| Electronics development/embedded systems (8/16/32-bit MCU, FPGA, schematics, PCB layout)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-house prototyping of electronic assemblies incl. BGA/QFN soldering technology and reflowJoining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production support/production ramp-up with test fixtures and test softwareTesting | – | – | – | One-off piece – 100k | – |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D printer (FDM, dual extruder) | – | 1 | – | – | Bielefeld |
| BGA rework station | – | 1 | – | 2016 | Bielefeld |
| IR reflow oven | – | 1 | – | 2015 | Bielefeld |
Additional services
History
- 2012
Foundation of the Stahlkopf engineering office by Andreas Stahlkopf in Bielefeld.
- 2013
Introduction of Altium Designer; assignment of a DMX Manufacturer ID (ANSI E1.11-2004) by ESTA/Plasa.org and of a dedicated MAC-L/OUI address range by the IEEE.
- 2015
Introduction of TurboCAD Professional V21, a 3D printer with dual extruder, and an IR reflow oven; projects including LED matrix modules and a concept luminaire.
- 2016
Acquisition of a BGA rework station; projects WLAN LED control and power bank management.
- 2017
Grant of the German patent DE102009007505 B4 'Semiconductor component and illumination device'.
- 2018
Grant of the European patent EP2413667 B1 'Control device of a luminaire and luminaire'.
- 2020
Updates to Altium Designer 20 and Embarcadero RAD Studio 10.4 for cross-platform development.
- 2023
Tenth anniversary of the Stahlkopf engineering office.