Project planning
Prepare an engineering brief.
Use this checklist with your team to clarify the work. You do not need every answer before starting a conversation.
Define the objective and open questions
What do you want to create, learn, or improve? Identify the research question, design decision, demonstration, or release that the work should enable.
Describe the system boundary
List the hardware, processors, firmware, operating systems, and interfaces involved. Identify the components that can change and those that must remain compatible.
Separate observations from assumptions
For new development, identify the assumptions behind the proposed design and the experiments that could test them. For existing systems, record expected and observed behavior, reproduction conditions, and the latest known working baseline.
Identify available evidence
List relevant logs, measurements, source and build versions, test fixtures, and documentation. Keep the initial inquiry high level; agree how to share project materials before sending them.
Make constraints explicit
Identify timing, performance, hardware access, lifecycle, security, and program requirements. Include dependencies on vendors or other teams.
Agree what constitutes completion
Describe how a result will be demonstrated, who will review it, and which source code, tests, tools, and documentation the team will need at handoff.
Questions for your application
Industrial & semiconductor equipment
What should the equipment or control system do? Which interfaces, new capabilities, or existing behaviors need engineering work?
Consider: Interfaces, cycle timing, electrical noise, and access to equipment during diagnosis.
Space & avionics
Which flight-computer or avionics interfaces are in scope? What evidence does your program need at handoff?
Consider: Startup behavior, real-time constraints, sensor interfaces, and repeatable simulation and test.
Automotive & connected platforms
Which processing and communication capabilities does the system need? What timing and operating conditions should guide the design?
Consider: Processor boundaries, Ethernet and CAN interfaces, timing, and system-level integration.
Medical devices
Which product interfaces and firmware versions are in scope for an authorized review?
Consider: Device interfaces, firmware access, trust boundaries, and verification of security changes.
Semiconductors, storage & displays
What throughput or interface behavior is required? Which measurements are available on the current platform?
Consider: Drivers, high-bandwidth data paths, storage and display interfaces, and post-silicon test.
Scientific & sensor systems
What does the instrument measure? Which reference data and acceptance criteria can establish a useful result?
Consider: Sensor interfaces, signal processing, numerical models, and reproducible measurements.
For the initial inquiry, send only unclassified, non-confidential information. Detailed project materials can be discussed once the scope and sharing arrangements are established.
Have enough context to start?
Send a short project summary to start an email conversation about technical fit, scope, and next steps.