EDM International

DGCD has been providing outsourced expertise in electrical and software engineering for EDM International for many years. When EDM needed to modernize their popular PhaseTrakker® product for their utilities customers, they turned to a partnership they could trust. The clear objective was to make an industry-leading device that is smaller, more functionally advanced, more user-friendly, and cheaper to build than the prior model. Today the investment is paying off with an excited client base and growing sales.

DGCD fully develops the electronics and software in a close partnership with a longtime customer to bring an important advancement in their product line.

EDM has sold industrial measurement and safety equipment to utilities-level clients for many years. The PhaseTrakker® is an important product in the utilities industry used for identifying and tracking the phase of power lines and keeping line workers informed and safe. EDM approached DGCD with the goal of significantly upgrading the PhaseTrakker®. The new device needed to be smaller, easier to use, and integrated with important new features—and it had to remain safe and reliable in high-voltage, industrial environments.

DGCD came to the table with a sense of excitement and readiness for a creative and innovative process. Together with EDM’s internal team and the third-party mechanical design team, DGCD helped identify the possibilities, create the product specifications, quantify the development effort, and ultimately develop a product in a manner and budget that was effective for EDM. The design is cost-conscious, robust, and truly innovative.

DGCD fully designed the electronics and printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), added new innovative features, and developed all the various levels of software the product required. The software included the embedded control code, FPGA code, Linux-based code, and a graphical user interface for a touchscreen display. DGCD also worked with vendors to identify batteries, the touchscreen display, the processor chip, and other important pieces of the innovative technology that makes this an industry-leading product with an excellent margin.

DGCD delivered and programmed prototype PCBAs throughout the development process. Ultimately, DGCD supported EDM through the production ramp (even as supply chain issues created numerous challenges) and developed and managed strategies for compliance testing. Today, DGCD has supported EDM’s production effort and helped EDM ensure that there are sufficient units available for their better-than-expected sales.