McClain Electronics Engineering

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United States
Lakewood, CO
McClain Electronics Engineering

We do product design and development, specializing in aerospace and space applications.

05/30/2026

Behind every successful satellite mission is rigorous engineering validation.

Our team is reviewing temperature data from satellite propulsion system controller thermal and TVAC (Thermal Vacuum) testing. By comparing temperature profiles across multiple test environments, we can verify performance and validate critical design assumptions.

During this analysis, we discovered a thermocouple reporting inaccurate temperature measurements. Identifying issues like this early is critical without a detailed review of the thermal data. The problem could have carried into the final flight design.

This is why engineering reviews matter. It's not just about collecting data—it's about understanding what the data reveals and using those insights to improve reliability before launch.

05/27/2026

At our company, engineering is more than just designing hardware . It’s about listening, adapting, and delivering solutions that meet our customers’ evolving needs.

We’re currently implementing board updates following a customer-requested design change, demonstrating our team’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently to new requirements.
Recently, an issue was identified with the IC being used to interface with the UUT, and our engineering team was able to resolve and implement the required change.

Our agile development process, combined with a highly skilled engineering workforce, allows us to rapidly resolve issues, integrate feedback, and keep projects moving forward without compromising quality.

Innovation thrives when strong engineering and customer collaboration work together.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Their courage, selflessness, and dedication will never be forgotten. We are deeply grateful for those who served, those who continue to serve, and the families who carry their legacy every day.

05/23/2026

*Bridging high-speed digital control with precision analog performance*

Our latest SoC/FPGA development is focused on enabling seamless ADC/DAC communication over SPI through an AXI / AXI4-Lite architecture, delivering reliable real-time analog acquisition and output control for embedded systems.

Key capabilities include:
• AXI-based register control and monitoring
• Real-time ADC data acquisition & DAC output updates
• SPI command sequencing with dedicated FSM control
• TX/RX FIFO buffering for efficient data handling
• Multi-device SPI ADC support with DAC integration
• Interrupt and status logic for transaction monitoring
• Configurable clock generation and chip-select management

From low-level SPI timing control to processor-accessible register mapping, this design brings together hardware acceleration, embedded control, and scalable SoC integration into one streamlined architecture.

Projects like this highlight the complexity behind modern mixed-signal embedded systems — where precise synchronization between AXI buses, SPI transactions, ADC sampling, and DAC updates is critical for performance and reliability.

05/19/2026

Securing communication at Layer 2 means operating at line speed — and that brings some exciting engineering challenges.

One of the biggest focuses in this development effort is real-time packet analysis, encryption, and decryption without introducing latency or impacting network performance. The platform is being designed to inspect, protect, and manage Ethernet traffic in real time using an FPGA SoC-based architecture optimized for high-speed processing.

Key capabilities include:
• HDL-based real-time packet processing pipelines
• Programmable ACL and filtering engine implementation
• Abnormal traffic detection and event generation
• Secure packet encryption/decryption workflows
• LPDDR, PCIe, and NVMe SSD system integration
• Firmware drivers, policy control, and log management
• CLI, SNMP, REST API, Web UI, and NMS integration
• HDL simulation, firmware verification, and system-level validation
• Customer-specific network and security customization

Balancing security, throughput, and low latency at the Ethernet layer requires tight integration between hardware, firmware, and system software — making this a challenging and rewarding platform to develop

05/15/2026

How do you reduce product cost without sacrificing quality or performance?

That’s the challenge behind our latest Part Cost Reduction effort.

We’re taking a deep dive into the current EEE parts used in the design and identifying strategic substitutions and design adjustments that can lower overall product cost while still meeting customer expectations and technical requirements.

Smart component decisions today can create major savings tomorrow.

03/18/2026

We have been involved in a lot of automated test equipment (ATE) designs recently. This board is a custom interface board we designed which is part of new ATE that we are building right now.

Often times on ATEs there is a need for a custom interface board like this one. These interface boards help to take signals from the Unit Under Test, condition them, and then output them to the right connectors so they can be sent off to the controller / data acquisition system. Having a custom board in the system helps to simplify the architectures and can enable things like COTS harnessing to be used, saving lots of time and money.

12/01/2025

Thermal cameras are incredibly useful in electronics development.

By checking the temperature of parts on a PCB or top level assembly it allows designers to verify analyses and ensure parts aren't getting hotter than expected. They can also be useful for troubleshooting issues because the images can quickly reveal hot spots which might point to shorts or misbehaving components.

In this image we were evaluating a heater on this component in development in order to anchor the thermal model. This testing was completed successfully and this component is nearly ready for release!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from MEE!

08/19/2025

MEE performs lots of circuit analyses for our clients.

Analysis we perform includes functional / Worst Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA) and Electrical Part Stress Analysis, among others. One method for performing a WCCA is to use the program MathCAD. This allows the calculations to be done in a way that can be easier to read and manipulate vs. spreadsheets. Below is an example of some part parameter calculations in MathCAD for a M55342 resistor.

Of course spreadsheets can work just fine too for circuit analysis, and some clients prefer that format. Whether it is MathCAD, spreadsheets, or some other format, and we are able to accommodate whatever the client needs for their design.

Address

7586 W Jewell Avenue, Suite 102
Lakewood, CO
80127

Website

https://www.mcclainelectronicsengineering.com/

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