Embedded Controls & Custom Electronics

Below the PLC: purpose-built electronics for the interfaces standard hardware cannot reach

Midland develops application-specific embedded control and interface electronics for airfield and mission-support systems, where standard PLC or commercial I/O hardware cannot efficiently satisfy a requirement for distributed I/O, signal conditioning, communications conversion, equipment interfacing, environmental packaging or specialized monitoring.

The work is done by the engineering division of our parent company, CueBid Technologies, and runs from system architecture and component selection through schematic design, PCB layout, firmware, enclosure integration and system-level testing. Midland integrates and installs the resulting systems in operational airfield and mission-support environments.

Embedded electronics is a natural extension of Midland’s controls and communications practice. As airfield modernization projects increasingly require interfaces that standard PLC and commercial I/O hardware cannot efficiently provide, Midland develops purpose-built electronics where the system requirement justifies it.

These platforms are engineered as part of the larger electrical, control, communications and field-infrastructure system, not as isolated electronics.

Custom Controller and Interface Boards

Boards sized to the job rather than to a catalogue, designed from the first revision to the environmental, transient and electromagnetic requirements of the equipment they serve.

We design and build:

  • Microcontroller-based monitoring and control boards
  • Hardware supervision and automatic fault recovery
  • Protected and filtered 24 VDC power entry
  • Galvanically isolated field-interface architectures
  • Non-volatile event and trend logging
  • Line-replaceable architectures designed to preserve site configuration
  • Industrial-temperature component selection, including −40 °C to +85 °C rated parts
  • PCB fabrication and assembly to IPC Class 3 requirements through qualified manufacturing partners
  • Protective coating, component derating and design practices aligned with applicable FAA-G-2100 and MIL-STD-454 requirements

Field Signal Interfaces

Reading the status and analog points that installed equipment already provides, without disturbing the equipment.

Capabilities include:

  • Digital, dry-contact and open-collector status monitoring
  • Signal conditioning for legacy visual-aid equipment interfaces
  • 0–10 V and 4–20 mA analog acquisition
  • Equipment-voltage and sensor monitoring
  • Multi-stage transient and surge protection, FAA-STD-019 practice
  • EMI-filtered field interfaces
  • Shielded and ruggedized enclosure architectures
  • Interface characterization of existing equipment monitor ports
  • Designs targeting applicable MIL-STD-461 emissions and susceptibility requirements
  • Pre-compliance evaluation before formal qualification testing

Fiber and Serial Communications

Long airfield and plant runs without copper, and no network address in the field unless one is required.

We provide:

  • Long-distance serial communications over multimode fiber
  • Vault-side fiber to RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 adapters
  • Interfaces to serial-to-IP conversion appliances
  • Modbus RTU and agency-defined message formats
  • Read-only telemetry by default; control only when authorised
  • Galvanic isolation of the building from airfield surges
  • Deterministic scan and alarm timing
  • Communication-loss detection and reporting
  • Copper RS-485 options for short runs
  • Interface control documents for every link

Firmware, Tools and Lifecycle Support

Software and configuration designed for long-term maintenance and support.

We deliver:

  • Deterministic scan, debounce, alarm and trend logic
  • Signed firmware images and secure update procedures
  • Replacement-oriented configuration architecture that minimizes field setup and special service tools
  • Diagnostics and live-value tools for commissioning
  • Simulators for factory and acceptance testing
  • Reliability prediction and maintainability analysis
  • Documentation, spares planning and training
  • Support through agency test, review and approval processes
DESIGNED HERE. INSTALLED BY MIDLAND.

Discuss Your Requirements

From the schematic to the airfield.

One engineering team owns the system from electronics design and manufacturing oversight through integration, installation, testing and lifecycle support. Tell us which equipment you need to monitor and where the data has to go.