About me

Kai Chmieleffski

Between your idea and functional hardware, there is no project manager, no subcontractor, no misunderstanding. When you work with me, you work directly with the engineer. I develop electronics that I would use myself. Hardware that I put my name on — and mean what I sign.

Kai Chmieleffski in his lab

Kai Chmieleffski

B.Eng. Information System Technology
Freelance Electrical Engineer

"To understand what makes a good engineer, one must understand what drives them. We have a natural curiosity to experience how the things around us work.

We see a task and want to solve it, only then are we satisfied.
A solved problem gives us similar emotions to those a nurse might feel - Only: They get a smile, we get a blinking LED."

An engineer you can talk to.

PDI.Engineering is me – Kai Chmieleffski, electrical engineer from Ahrensburg. I am not an institution, not an agency, not an anonymous service package. When you hire me, you work directly with me, from the first email to the handover of the completed project.

Good communication is just as important to me as good technology. I gladly explain to you what I am doing and why. I address problems early on, not just when they escalate.

My strength lies in holistic development: I can accompany a project from the idea to the series device: schematics, PCB layout, prototyping, documentation, certification, and much more. For tasks outside my core area, I have built a network of competent partners over the years, which I can fall back on when needed.

I bring experience from measurement technology, railway technology, and years of independent project work, among others. Working with standards such as EN 50155, EN 45545, EN 61000, and others is known to me and, depending on project requirements, part of daily life, not checklists at the end of the project.

🇩🇪

Quality · Made in Germany

Do you remember "Made in Germany", at a time when this statement was still a seal of quality?

As an engineer, I want to put my name under the schematic - out of pride and as a guarantee for quality. This attitude has no expiration date. It just stopped being self-evident. I consider it self-evident.

"Made in Germany" was once a warning label. With this label, British manufacturers stamped inferior imported goods from Germany in 1887. The German engineers didn't mind: In just one generation, they turned it into one of the most valuable quality promises in the world for decades. Responsibility that doesn't end when the device leaves the factory. Precision as a matter of course. Longevity as a minimum requirement.

Professional Background

since
07/2022

Hardware & Obsolescence Management Engineer

Ruf Deutschland GmbH, Ammersbek

Hardware development for passenger information systems, product certifications according to EN 50155, EN 45545, EN 61000, obsolescence management, development coordination, and laboratory management.

since
10/2016

Freelance Development Engineer

PDI.Engineering

Full-scope hardware development from prototype to series device, schematic design, PCB layout, firmware, consulting, and documentation.

08/2021

04/2022

Product Manager PC Peripherals & Ergonomic Solutions

ICY BOX – Raidsonic Technology GmbH, Ahrensburg

Product discovery, marketing & sales strategies, market analysis, license management, and conformity assessment.

03/2018

11/2020

Electrical Engineering Developer

ZES Zimmer Electronic Systems GmbH, Oberursel

Development of electronic devices for the measurement technology industry, schematic development, PCB layout, prototyping, calibration and adjustment instructions.

2016

2018

Tutor Measurement Technology Laboratory

University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt am Main

Supervision of students, support of teaching events, preparation of laboratory experiments.

Academic & Vocational Background

2014

2020

Part-time studies in Information System Technology

University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt am Main · Bachelor of Engineering

Bachelor's thesis: "Developing a measurement method to record non-linear effects and the saturation behavior of power chokes as a line impedance stabilization network for EN 61000-3-3 flicker measurements"

Grade 1.0 (Excellent)
2008

2011

Apprenticeship as Information System Technician

Radio Thomas Lange, Heiligenhaus · Specialization: Devices and Systems

Two-time shortening of the apprenticeship period due to very good performance.

Annual Best Performance in the Trade 2011

What I work with

CAD / EDA

Altium DesignerExpert knowledge
Fedevel Academy: Learn to Design, Altium Essentials, Advanced Hardware Design, Advanced PCB Layout
Pulsonix / E.A.G.L.E.Advanced knowledge
KiCadBasic knowledge, actively learning
SPICE SimulationAdvanced knowledge
FreeCAD / Fusion360Basic knowledge

Software & IT

C / C++Embedded development (Atmel, ESP32, PSoC, Raspi CM)
LinuxDebian, TrueNAS, Embedded – Administration & Troubleshooting
MS Office / LaTeXExpert knowledge / Advanced
Photoshop / AffinityAdvanced knowledge

Languages

German Native speaker
English Business fluent
Norwegian Basic knowledge

Certificates & Further Education (Selection)

Advanced PCB Layout – Fedevel, 2024 Advanced Hardware Design – Fedevel, 2021 Learn Altium Essentials – Fedevel, 2019 Learn to Design Your Own Boards – Fedevel, 2018 Trainer Aptitude (AdA) DGUV V3 Qualified Person Driver's License Classes A & B