I want to contract a designer or company to design a DC converter, prototype it, and prepare all gerbers, files and other assets required for production. This entity must have significant experience doing all these things. I'm prepared to spend $thousands of dollars.

How can i find such a designer or company?

 

There are several of us do contract work like that. Some of us have a company name, licenses, tax numbers and international banking set up.
Sometimes I work through "headhunters". They make it safer for both sides, but they take $10 to $20/hour off the top.
I could give you a headhunter name or two for US companies. I probably can find Japan, China and German names. My last big contract had engineers in four countries doing power electronics.
I am in the US, Colorado.

 

Sorry but my curiosity got the better of me. What is so special about this converter that the many thousands of commercially available ones would not work for you?

I had project that needed 12V to 3.3 and I got an off-the-shelf board of about 1.5 cm square that soldered right to my main board. The cost was a couple of bucks each in small quantity.

 

Sorry but my curiosity got the better of me. What is so special about this converter that the many thousands of commercially available ones would not work for you?

It's probably a secret.

 

I could give you a headhunter name or two for US companies. I probably can find Japan, China and German names. My last big contract had engineers in four countries doing power electronics.
I am in the US, Colorado.

Seeking a senior EE. I don't want to use headhunters.

What is so special about this converter that the many thousands of commercially available ones would not work for you?

You tell me. Maybe nothing! But i don't think this is available OTS.

Project 1

1. an isolated DC-DC converter
2. half-bridge or full-bridge
3. Vin: 12V to 24V regulated
4. Vout: 5V - 17V. If the converter is a fixed 2:1 ratio, that will fulfill the requirement
5. Unregulated: Vout can vary with changes in load or Vsupply, as long as Vout remains in 5-17V range.
6. Max Continuous Power: 13W
7. Frequency: 150 kHz or higher • Isolation: 200V • Thermal: Run cool with minimal or no heat-sinking

The above converter will power a single-cell lithium charger circuit (included in this requirement). Selected charger IC: BQ2530X. Circuit can be the reference design from the datasheet.

The converter and charger together must fit a 25mm x 40mm PCB.

Project 2

• Single-cell lithium charger firmware dev on a cheap uC, with similar features as BQ2530X.
• Different in certain ways from the BQ2530X (confidential)

 

When do you need this done?

 

When do you need this done?

It's not a rush job. Within about 2 months.

However, i would also like to get quotes for another, simpler project, involving only passive components, for which i only need a crude benchtop proof-of-concept (no PCB layout or prototype).

 

I believe several of these will satisfy your requirements:

Isolated 15W DC to DC converters

Of course they will produce a regulated output, but you said anything between 5 and 17V.

 

I believe several of these will satisfy your requirements:

Isolated 15W DC to DC converters

Of course they will produce a regulated output, but you said anything between 5 and 17V.

Thx for that! But these appear to be about $30/ea. I need about $3/ea.

 

Thx for that! But these appear to be about $30/ea. I need about $3/ea.

Lets’s guess $5K for the design. That would get you 167 of them at $30 each if you didn’t need more than that. To get the cost down to 3$ each you would have to buy 1667 even if the cost to manufacture was $0 or you need to purchase 5000 if the manufacturing cost was $2. Sounds like a tough price point to me.

The isolated requirement is the killer. That means a transformer.

 

Need $3/ea at 1,000 pieces.
Yep, transformer!

 

Need $3/ea at 1,000 pieces.
Yep, transformer!

Not happening in this universe.