McClain Electronics Engineering

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Lakewood, CO
McClain Electronics Engineering

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

11/04/2026

Our team is designing an RPDU Ideal Diode circuit to improve power efficiency in high-power applications.

Traditional diodes offer simplicity, but their voltage drop can lead to significant power loss and heat. By using a low-resistance, high-side NFET, we can reduce conduction losses and improve overall power-path efficiency.

Balancing the simplicity of a conventional diode with the efficiency of an actively controlled NFET. Additional gate-drive circuitry introduces complexity, but the potential reduction in power dissipation and thermal load can make it well worth the effort.

At MEE, we’re tackling these engineering tradeoffs to deliver smarter, more efficient power solutions for demanding applications.

11/02/2026

We’re evaluating procurement considerations for specialized energetics used in solid rocket motor ignition systems, integrating supply chain realities into the engineering design process.

Supplier capabilities, material availability, qualification, traceability, shelf life, and handling requirements can all influence design decisions and development schedules. Identifying these constraints early helps engineers make informed tradeoffs, anticipate dependencies, and reduce costly redesigns or delays.

The engineering challenge is balancing technical requirements with procurement feasibility while maintaining flexibility as the design evolves.

Proactive engineering today helps prevent procurement challenges tomorrow.

10/27/2026

Innovation in aerospace engineering isn’t just about developing new capabilities, it’s about designing smarter, more adaptable solutions.

Our team is applying systems engineering and architectural design principles to develop a common ignition system architecture that can support multiple solid rocket motor designs.

Traditionally, new systems often require a new architecture to achieve the necessary ignition capabilities. By taking a common-architecture approach, we aim to reduce the need for product-specific redesign while enabling consistent integration across a range of products and systems.

A key focus is exploring novel safety mechanisms that leverage high-voltage circuitry in place of mechanical functions, offering an alternative approach to addressing potential failure points and improving system-level safety

This work demonstrates the value of thoughtful systems engineering: moving beyond one-off solutions to create scalable, reusable architectures that support innovation across multiple platforms.

10/23/2026

At MEE, we use HyperLynx Signal Integrity Analysis to evaluate how PCB layout and trace geometry affect critical signals.

By identifying reflections, ringing, crosstalk, and timing issues, we can uncover hidden communication problems before they impact system performance.

Signal integrity is easy to overlook but critical designs are a step that matters. Simulation helps us validate critical signal paths and build more reliable electronics from the board up.

10/20/2026

Selecting the right high-current PCB power connector is about more than finding a component with the appropriate current rating. It requires a careful balance of electrical performance, thermal management, mechanical retention, PCB layout, and environmental qualification.

Our team recently evaluated multiple connector families to identify a suitable right-angle, PCB-mounted solution for an RPDU application.

Key engineering considerations included:

-Current-carrying capability and contact resistance
-PCB mounting orientation and space constraints
-Mechanical retention and locking mechanisms
-Thermal performance and environmental requirements
-Automotive and military specifications, including documented qualification and test data

One of the key challenges was distinguishing advertised performance ratings from documented test results while ensuring the connector’s mechanical design aligned with the system’s requirements.

Through a structured, engineering-driven evaluation, we help identify solutions that meet application-specific requirements without unnecessary design compromises.

Reliable power distribution starts with thoughtful component selection, validated performance data, and a clear understanding of the system’s requirements.

10/16/2026

Yesterday marked another year of doing what we love! Solving challenges, developing innovative solutions, and helping our customers bring their ideas to life.

We’re grateful for our amazing team, the customers who put their trust in us, and everyone who has been part of our journey. Here’s to another year of engineering, collaboration, and making great things happen!

10/15/2026

We’re developing a UVM-based verification environment for an AXI4/AXI4-Lite-to-SPI bridge and SPI control, helping ensure register transactions translate into accurate, reliable SPI communications.

From timing, data integrity, and protocol compliance to reset events, timeouts, and back-to-back transactions, we’re testing the critical corner cases before hardware integration.

With reusable verification components, automated regression testing, and coverage tracking, we’re improving design confidence and reducing debugging time.

10/13/2026

Getting humans and cargo safely to the Moon starts with precision engineering.

We’re working on the mechanical features and enclosure for a lunar LiDAR altimeter designed to map the lunar surface and support safer landings.

Maintaining precise alignment of the transmit and receive lasers and lenses while minimizing mass can be challenging.

As lunar exploration advances, this technology can help pave the way for transporting people, equipment, and infrastructure to support future missions and a sustained human presence on the Moon.

10/09/2026

Our team is designing a high-side current-sense filter for an RPDU using the INA225AQDGKRQ1. While the datasheet provides a recommended filter configuration, selecting the right component values requires looking beyond the schematic.

Too little filtering can let switching noise and transients impact the measurement. Too much can slow the response and potentially hide meaningful current transients.

We evaluated the recommended configuration and its response to find the right balance between noise rejection and measurement speed, a critical tradeoff when designing the analog front end of a current-sensing circuit.

10/06/2026

We’re currently developing an AXI4-Lite NOR Flash Controller IP for FPGA-based systems, providing software-controlled access to one or two SPI NOR Flash devices through a standardized memory-mapped interface.

The interesting part? Bridging two very different worlds: AXI4-Lite’s independent transaction channels and SPI Flash’s precise command, address, data, and timing requirements.

The design supports the full 256 MiB address range of the Micron MT25QL02G, including 3- and 4-byte addressing, FIFO operations, program/erase management, busy polling, timeouts, error handling, and dual-device operation.

This eliminates processor-side SPI bit-banging while enabling reliable Flash access for FPGA configuration, firmware updates, parameter storage, event logging, and redundant storage.

Address

7586 W Jewell Avenue, Suite 102
Lakewood, CO
80127

Website

https://www.mcclainelectronicsengineering.com/

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