SpaceCommsKit Engineering · Tennessee, USA

Custom RF & CubeSat
Engineering Services.

The SCK-2400 PC-104 CubeSat board is a platform. If your mission needs something we haven't built yet — a custom payload board, a bespoke RF solution, a mission-specific firmware stack — we build that. Boutique engineering. Flight-heritage thinking. Tennessee assembled.

PC-104
CubeSat Standard
+20
dBm Validated RF Platform
4
Layer Production PCB
US
Engineering & Assembly
The Difference

Not a Lab. Not a Factory.
An Engineering Practice.

Most custom hardware shops start from scratch on every engagement. We start from a validated, flight-tested RF platform and build outward. That means lower risk, faster timelines, and a team that has already solved the hard problems before your project begins.

🛰️

Validated Platform

Every engagement builds on the SCK-915 and SCK-2400 hardware stack — RF front ends, power networks, and firmware architectures we have already tested and documented. You are not paying for us to learn your problem space.

📐

Full Stack Capability

PCB design through firmware through ground station software. KiCad 4-layer design, TI CC2652P firmware on the SimpleLink SDK, C# ground station extensions — one team, one engagement, no handoff gaps.

🇺🇸

US Engineering

Design, assembly, and test in Tennessee. Components sourced exclusively from authorized US distributors. Relevant for university, government, and defense-adjacent CubeSat programs with domestic sourcing requirements.

📖

Publication-Quality Documentation

Every custom engagement is documented to publication-worthy standards. Schematics, firmware comments, developer guides, and decision logs — so your team can own and maintain what we build together.

What We Build

Engineering Services

Four core service areas — each built on the same RF platform foundation. Engagements can be scoped individually or combined into a full mission package.

SERVICE 01

Custom PC-104 Payload Board Design

Need a payload board that fits the CubeSat PC-104 stack and talks to the SCK-2400 comms board? We design it. Sensor integration, power management, expansion headers, RF shielding — the full hardware stack designed to your mission specifications and assembled in Tennessee.

4-layer KiCad PCB design to PC-104 standard
Sensor integration — I2C, SPI, UART, analog
Power regulation and protection circuits
RF shielding and EMI layout practice
Gerbers, BOM, and assembly documentation
Typical engagement: $5,000 – $15,000
SERVICE 02

SCK-2400 Integration & Firmware

You have a payload. You need it to communicate over the SCK-2400 RF link with your ground station. We write the firmware — CC2652P SimpleLink SDK, CCSDS framing, custom command protocols, payload data pipelines — and extend the ground station software to receive and display your data.

CC2652P firmware on TI SimpleLink SDK
CCSDS packet framing and telemetry pipeline
Custom command and response protocol
Ground station C# extension panels
Heavily commented, documented codebase
Typical engagement: $8,000 – $25,000
SERVICE 03

Full CubeSat Comms Stack

From PC-104 payload board design through RF firmware through ground station software — delivered as a complete, tested, documented communications stack for your CubeSat mission. This is the full engagement: hardware, firmware, software, and the documentation your team needs to own it.

Everything in Services 01 + 02
Integration testing on assembled hardware
RF performance verification — TinySA measured
Complete developer guide and decision log
Source code transfer and knowledge handoff
Typical engagement: $20,000 – $60,000
SERVICE 04

Mission Support Retainer

Ongoing engineering support through your integration, test, and launch phases. Firmware updates, ground station modifications, anomaly investigation, pre-launch RF verification — a dedicated engineering resource available on a monthly retainer basis through your mission lifecycle.

Firmware updates and bug resolution
Ground station feature additions
Pre-launch RF performance verification
Integration support and anomaly response
Priority response during launch window
Typical engagement: $2,000 – $5,000 / month
Who This Is For

The Right Fit

🎓

Universities & Research Labs

CubeSat programs that need a validated RF communications solution without building an in-house RF team. We understand academic timelines, grant budget structures, and the publication requirements that come with research hardware.

🚀

Small Satellite Companies

Early-stage teams building their first or second CubeSat mission who need custom comms hardware faster than an internal hire can deliver it. Flight-ready hardware from a team that has already made the expensive mistakes.

🏛️

Government & Defense Adjacent

Programs requiring US-sourced components, US engineering, and full documentation traceability. We source exclusively from authorized US distributors and maintain complete decision logs on every engagement.

🔬

HAB & Stratospheric Research

Researchers who have outgrown off-the-shelf HAB trackers and need mission-specific sensor integration, custom telemetry pipelines, and ground station software tailored to their data collection requirements.

Not the right fit?

If your project needs large-volume production, radiation-hardened space-grade components, or DO-178C certified software — we are not the right partner and we will tell you that upfront. We work best on small-batch, research-grade, and early-flight hardware where boutique engineering adds more value than a large contractor's overhead.

The Foundation

What You're Building On

Every custom engagement inherits from a validated, documented hardware and software platform. This is what accelerates your timeline and reduces your risk.

// SCK-2400 Platform
CC2652P Wireless MCU +20 dBm PA
PC-104 Form Factor CubeSat Standard
4-Layer PCB Stackup RF Optimized
SKY13317 RF Switch TX/RX Isolation
BMI-S-203 RF Shield EMI Protected
Tag-Connect JTAG + UART Boot OTA Capable
// SCK-915 Heritage
Mission V1 — Dickson, TN 30,847m Altitude
OpenLST Protocol Flight Proven
915MHz · +27 dBm Stratosphere Ready
C# Ground Station Open Source
// FIRMWARE STACK
TI SimpleLink LOWPOWER F2 SDK
└── RF driver + protocol stacks
└── BLE 5.2 / IEEE 802.15.4
└── OTA firmware update
CCSDS Framing Layer
└── Packet telemetry format
└── Command / response protocol
Payload Interface
└── PC-104 bus integration
└── Custom sensor drivers
Ground Station Extension
└── C# custom tab panels
└── Flight replay integration
📋
Every engagement is documented

Schematics, firmware source with full comments, developer guides, and decision logs. Your team owns what we build — no black box deliverables.

How It Works

The Engagement Process

1

Conversation

Tell us about your mission — what you need to measure, transmit, and receive, your timeline, and your budget range. No NDA required at this stage. We give you an honest assessment of fit within 48 hours.

2

Scoping

We define exactly what gets built, what the deliverables are, what the timeline looks like, and what the fixed price is. No hourly billing, no scope creep surprises. You know what you are getting before you commit.

3

Build

Hardware designed, fabricated, assembled, and tested. Firmware written, commented, and verified. Ground station extended and documented. You receive progress updates at defined milestones — not radio silence.

4

Handoff

Hardware ships. Source code transfers. Documentation delivered. A knowledge handoff session with your team ensures you own and understand what was built. Ongoing support available via retainer — or we hand off clean.

Start a Conversation

Tell Us About Your Mission

No commitment. No NDA required to start. Just tell us what you're building and we'll give you an honest assessment within 48 hours.

We respond within 48 hours. No commitment required. No NDA needed to start.