Innovation at the core. Check how Sii combines laboratory expertise with the best software and hardware competencies

Sii excels not only in software, digital, engineering, and business services; it also combines high-quality services with advanced laboratory facilities. And this unique combination is what sets the company apart when it comes to driving clients’ and Workers’ satisfaction to new heights. Look inside Sii’s labs to see where the heart of innovation beats and how embedded systems experts thrive, even after hours! 

Sii’s laboratories, equipped with a wide range of electronic, measuring, diagnostic, and mechanical equipment, are essential workplaces for embedded systems specialists for product development and electronic engineers in the hardware bring-up process. 

Rework or enhancing product development 

Sii works closely with its clients in embedded technologies, offering R&D support, as well as maintaining systems, solutions, and products. As part of this collaboration, the company frequently provides customers with project spaces to host their products at different stages of development. 

Sii’s laboratory and electronic prototyping equipment allow it to assist customers right from the very beginning of a project. Drawing from their extensive experience, Sii experts assist clients in designing and building initial prototypes, paving the way for their independent development before final hardware assembly. 

The client’s intellectual property security is taken very seriously by Sii. Thus, the company implements strict security measures and protocols to ensure thorough protection. 

— Meticulous preparation and continuous audits by external auditors, such as SERMA or TÜV, are conducted during the recertification of project spaces to comply with standards like Common Criteria (e.g., ISO 15408) or TISAX — comments Marek Natunewicz, Solution Architect at Sii. — Individual workspaces, complete with laboratory equipment, are separated with limited access for team members based on client needs and requirements — he explains. 

Receiving initial prototypes of devices as test platforms is a common occurrence for Sii. These prototypes often require frequent corrections and electronic rework due to instability issues. The team responsible for software development also profoundly understands the hardware’s capabilities and limitations. 

— Their knowledge proves crucial in advising clients on hardware modifications, a critical factor in overcoming system limitations during the early integration stages — adds Marek Natunewicz. — Lab work, especially regarding hardware adjustments, is critical to Sii’s validation services. The team creates innovative electronic workarounds to address hardware issues, making validation services even more effective — he concludes. 

— We advise, test, and recommend solutions that will allow the client to gain an advantage over the competition and maximize profits while maintaining quality standards — adds Przemysław Włoczkowski, Head of Hi-tech, Electronics & Industrial Engineering at Sii. 

Designing electronic circuits and implementing software frequently involves seeking compromises to fulfill all expectations. By influencing both hardware and software design, the team at Sii has consistently aided clients in making optimal decisions about product development and technological solutions.  

With the help of experienced engineers and carefully suited laboratory equipment, they can evaluate and test current solutions and, if necessary, propose and develop modifications to enhance product performance. 

Discover the projects that engineers from Sii’s Embedded Competency Center implement — read the article to learn about the unlimited possibilities of embedded systems and how we work. 

Fostering the culture of innovation through labs 

Sii provides its employees with access to lab facilities that can be used for working on internal projects or pursuing personal interests outside of working hours. These facilities cater to various common interest groups, such as Embedded Community, the car modification group, and those pursuing projects under the Passion Sponsorship program, including a 3D fountain and a sumo robot. 

One of the most interesting and complex in-house projects implemented and expanded for several years is the EVAA project. It involves programming, algorithms, electronics, and mechanical components.  

Read more about the EVAA project in our previous articles about the Passion Sponsorship Program and CIR certification. 

Watch the video to learn more about the Embedded Sii Competency Center. 

Order must be — Embedded Competency Center focus group 

Sii provides embedded system services from 16 locations across, with varying degrees of electronic expertise. To ensure consistency and optimization of lab equipment, a dedicated focus group of specialists from the Embedded Competency Center has been established.  

— The focus group’s task is to develop and recommend appropriate equipment, set diagnostic standards, and oversee lab retrofitting. As a result, Sii can provide high-quality services while maximizing return on investment — says Monika Jaworowska, Embedded Competency Center Director at Sii. 

Maintaining an up-to-date equipment inventory is crucial to developing laboratory spaces at Sii. This process allows continuous control over equipment flow, minimizing the risk of loss or damage and reducing unnecessary purchases. Regular inventory checks ensure that the equipment status aligns with the database records. 
 
— The equivalent of the human heart in the laboratory domain is tailor-made equipment. Without it, our engineers wouldn’t be able to deliver top-quality solutions — explains Bartosz Pośpiech, Senior Software Engineer at Sii and the focus group leader. — Therefore, we constantly monitor the demand for increasingly advanced equipment and maintain the existing equipment in an impeccable working order. An analogy here is that of a doctor and a stethoscope: just as a doctor requires a functioning stethoscope to assess a patient’s heartbeat conscientiously, engineers need efficient and adequate control and measurement equipment to determine the ‘hardwired pulse’ of their projects correctly — he adds. 

Client-centric approach and prestigious collaborations 

Sii’s laboratory competencies enhance its ability to provide support for managing equipment systems and other specialized services. 

— The vast majority of the services the Embedded Competency Center provides are implemented using client hardware. Therefore, having appropriate equipment for our laboratory workstations is invaluable — highlights Monika Jaworowska. 

Sii collaborates with established industry leaders to provide customized embedded system solutions that meet clients’ technological needs. 

The company has partnered with a recognized global leader in electrification, robotics, automation and drive systems to establish a dedicated laboratory at Sii’s Lublin office. This initiative aims to enhance both organizations’ dedication to e-mobility. 

The laboratory, connected to the project room, covers an area of 115 square meters and is protected with strict security measures, including specialized access control. It is also strategically isolated from the project area with an ESD floor and equipped with mobile workstations and simulators for efficient task management, including: 

• workstations for handling advanced e-mobility equipment, 
• development and testing areas tailored for e-mobility software and hardware; 
• modular electric vehicle (EV) charger simulators, essential for testing and implementing new solutions, 
• development stations for designing and assembling new modular EV charger simulators, 
• specialized hardware like LED BAR, HMI, and payment terminals are integrated with charger simulators, 
• a dedicated network infrastructure, ensuring secure and seamless connectivity, 
• 3D printers for prototyping, and general lab equipment like soldering stations, microscopes, oscilloscopes, and more. 

— Thanks to our equipment expertise, we can provide comprehensive services to support our clients by delivering entire systems and niche, specialized services, like building and caring for laboratory equipment — adds Przemysław Włoczkowski. — Sii’s excellence is demonstrated by the trust of renowned clients such as, for example, Alstom, NXP, ABB, and Widex, who recognize our reliability in delivering embedded systems solutions — he concludes.