Microchip Technology Design Partners: Empowering Innovation Together

Welcome to the latest edition of the Microchip Insider LinkedIn newsletter. Today, we’re excited to delve into the benefits of our Design Partner program–a collaborative initiative created to support and enhance the innovative capabilities of our clients and our partners who support them. Our mission at Microchip Technology is to enable our customers to take ideas from conception to production, and a cornerstone of this initiative is our Design Partner program consisting of a global network of third-party design services firms in over 65 countries that can speed your designs to market more quickly by providing personalized support for everything from general hardware design and consulting to full-scale contract manufacturing.

Microchip's Design Partner Ecosystem | Watch on YouTube

How to Unleash Innovation Using a Design Partner

It’s frustrating when you have an exciting idea for a new product based on the semiconductors you’ll be using, but your internal team lacks the specific expertise or resources to bring this idea to fruition. If you go outside your internal team for this expertise, you’ll need to know that the design firm has been pre-vetted to ensure they have a deep understanding of the semiconductor products and technologies you are using. Here are a few attributes to evaluate as you begin to think about using a design partner:

• Expertise & Speed: Are the available design partners veterans in its field, possessing a comprehensive understanding of the products you have chosen for your design, and any associated technologies and design support resources? This expertise allows them to streamline the development process, significantly reducing your time-to-market and getting your product into the hands of your customers sooner.
• Seamless Support: Are the design partners committed to providing comprehensive support throughout the entire product development lifecycle, starting with device selection through project review, redesign and prototype support? From the initial spark of an idea to the final stages of production, you need the design partner to be your trusted guide, offering expert advice and guidance at every step. They can help take your project from a simple sketch on a napkin to a market-ready reality.
• Confidence & Choice: Your project is unique. Is the design partner network diverse enough to accommodate you, and have a wide enough range of specializations? Within your area of specialization, are available partners rigorously vetted to ensure they meet your standards for quality and expertise? You must be able to choose the ideal partner for your specific needs, at any point in the design lifecycle.

Microchip’s Design Partner program has been created to deliver these attributes throughout your innovation journey.

The Microchip Experience: A Collaborative Journey

Microchip’s Design Partners are carefully vetted to ensure they possess the necessary skills and experience to assist our customers at any stage of their product development lifecycle. The network also includes partners who have specialized expertise in such areas as functional safety, FPGAs, IoT designs and more. Whatever your requirements, they can help take your ideas from conception to commercialization using our broad portfolio of semiconductor products and Total System Solutions.

The Design Partner program accomplishes this by fostering seamless collaboration between our valued customers and their Design Partners as they jointly develop systems based on Microchip products. Here’s a glimpse into the simple three-step process:

[1] Identify Your Needs: Customers identify specific project requirements and areas where they need outside expertise.

[2] Find a Design Partner: Customers can access a list of Design Partners on our website, and find a match that meets their project needs and technical requirements. We always recommend doing your due diligence when selecting a Design Partner. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Specs and requirements: Does the Design Partner have the skills necessary to create what you envision?
• Complexity: Do I require more than one Design Partner? (If yes, we strongly recommend you reach out to us to help facilitate these relationships.)
• Deadline: Does the Design Partner have the bandwidth to complete your project by the time you need it?
• For help choosing a Design Partner, feel free to contact us at designpartneradmin@microchip.com.

[3] Engage and Collaborate: Once a Design Partner is selected, customers engage directly with them to discuss project details and begin collaboration.

Investing in Your Success: The Benefits of Partnership

Working with a Microchip Design Partner offers a multitude of benefits that go beyond simply expediting the development process. Here are a few of the key advantages you’ll gain:

• Access to the Latest Technology: Our Design Partners are continuously trained on the latest Microchip solutions. This ensures that your design takes full advantage of the benefits these innovations can deliver.
• Insider Expertise: Not only are our Design Partners fully versed in our current solutions, they also have insight into upcoming releases so they can advise clients on offerings that may be coming down the pipeline and you can plan accordingly to maximize your product’s competitive edge today and in the future.
• These partners are carefully vetted to ensure they possess the necessary skills and experience to assist our customers at any stage of their product development lifecycle. The network also includes partners who have specialized expertise in such areas as functional safety, FPGAs, IoT designs and more. Whatever your requirements, they can help take your ideas from conception to commercialization using our broad portfolio of semiconductor products and Total System Solutions.

Testimonials

Hear what customers have to say about working with our Design Partners.

@Informatix Ltd

Surrey, U.K.

I have used Informatix on a number of medical products using 8- and 32-bit PIC? microcontrollers. The software has been a consistently high standard and delivered on time at a very reasonable cost. I have recommended Informatix to other companies and will continue to do so. I will also use Informatix on future designs when necessary.

Rudolph, London Medical Device Company

@Harkwood Services

Cambridge, U.K.

We hired Jeremy of Harkwood Services to manufacture some bespoke recording devices involving ECG, a microphone, a GPS and some other elements that we needed for a research project. We were really happy with the service that we received. Jeremy was always highly responsive and flexible and great at explaining issues. We were particularly impressed at the excellent after-care. Even after delivery and payment, he was incredibly patient and helpful at resolving operational problems. So I am really happy to recommend Jeremy at Harkwood Services.

Sam, London Children’s Psychology Research Company?

@Marcus Engineering, LLC

Arizona, U.S.A.

We contracted Marcus Engineering to help us bring a new optical surface metrology to market. The engineers and technicians at Marcus were key partners in designing the electronics and taking over small run production of our complicated system. They were very responsive to our every need.

Eric, Arizona Metrology Company

For more, read how our Design Partners helped clients create their projects while reducing development time and getting to market quickly in our case studies, here.

Qualified Design Partner Specialists Are Here to Help With Complex Designs

Our partners have been technically evaluated and are recommended to help within each of the complex design areas below. Browse our full list of Design Partners here.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Aerospace and Defense

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)

Functional Safety

Graphics

Intelligent Lighting

Internet of Things (IoT)

Medical

Motor Control

32-bit Microprocessors (MPUs)

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Power Conversion

Security

Sustainability

Touch

Wireless

5G/Communications Infrastructure

If you have questions about the program, watch the Coffee Break episode, “Exploring Microchip’s Design Partner Ecosystem."

As you can see, the Design Partner program is a powerful resource for innovation, empowering you to take your ideas from concept to market fruition. We’re confident that this program can be the missing piece that unlocks your next breakthrough product.

Visit our website today to learn more about the Design Partner program and find the perfect partner to propel your innovation journey forward. Together, let’s turn your ideas into reality.