Reference designs solve the component selection problem. They don't solve the customer acquisition problem. Model T does both.
Reference design tools — online power supply configurators, automated schematic generators, and collaborative design platforms — have made component selection faster and more accessible. Engineers can generate a reference schematic for a buck converter, configure a sensor interface, or explore a microcontroller evaluation board without ever speaking to a vendor. For component-level design tasks, these tools are genuinely useful.
The limitation is scope. Reference design tools solve a narrow problem: given a set of input parameters, select and configure components. They do not analyze the customer's competitive landscape. They do not assess market positioning. They do not produce a business case for why a particular system architecture serves the customer's strategic goals. And they do not tailor the output to a specific prospect's product roadmap — because they have no concept of a "prospect."
For semiconductor vendors and distributors, reference designs are table stakes — every competitor offers them. They are a necessary resource but not a differentiator. Sending a prospect a link to an online design tool does not demonstrate engineering understanding of their specific challenge. It demonstrates that you have the same tools everyone else has.
Model T produces what reference design tools cannot: architecture-level product concepts tailored to a specific prospect's engineering roadmap. Each pursuit delivers 2–3 concepts that go beyond component selection to address system architecture, competitive positioning, regulatory considerations, and a business case for why the proposed approach serves the prospect's strategic goals.
The 18-step pipeline applies engineering judgment at every stage. A cross-functional team — business analyst, product manager, senior engineer — researches the prospect's existing products, identifies gaps and opportunities, evaluates the competitive landscape, and synthesizes this intelligence into concepts that demonstrate genuine understanding. This is the work that no automated tool can perform: connecting market insight with engineering architecture for a specific customer.
Backed by Promwad's 100+ engineers, 500+ completed projects, 20 years of experience, and ISO 9001 certification, every concept is reviewed by a domain expert before delivery. The result is an engineering artifact that serves as both a sales tool and a preliminary project scope — not a generic schematic that any engineer could generate independently in an afternoon.
Reference design tools are essential infrastructure. Every semiconductor vendor and distributor needs them, and they serve a real purpose: accelerating the component selection phase of product development. But they are table stakes, not competitive advantage. Every competitor offers similar tools, and prospects access them independently without needing vendor engagement. Model T operates at a fundamentally different level. It produces customer-specific system concepts that demonstrate engineering understanding of the prospect's domain — something no automated tool can replicate. The combination is powerful: reference design tools for self-service component selection (broad reach, low cost, high volume) and Model T for targeted prospect development (deep engagement, high conversion, pipeline generation). Organizations that rely solely on reference design tools for prospect engagement are competing on the same terms as every other vendor. Model T creates engineering-grade differentiation that automated tools cannot match.
No. Reference designs answer "how to implement this subsystem with our components." Model T concepts answer "what should this prospect build next, why, and how — using an architecture we've designed for their specific market position." The distinction is between component configuration and strategic system design.
Yes. Model T concepts often incorporate vendor reference designs as building blocks within a larger system architecture. The value-add is the system-level integration, competitive context, and business case that wraps around the reference design — transforming it from a generic resource into a customer-specific proposal.
Concepts include preliminary BOMs with identified alternatives. The 18-step pipeline includes component availability assessment, and Promwad's 20 years of supply chain experience (500+ projects across 7 industries) ensures that concepts specify components with realistic lead times and second-source options.
Promwad's 100+ engineers specialize in FPGA/SoC design, embedded Linux, power electronics and BMS, Edge AI and computer vision, safety-critical systems (ISO 26262, IEC 62304, IEC 61508), and industrial connectivity. Concepts are produced for systems within these domains — not for pure software, mechanical, or chemical engineering.