Benchoff Design Portfolio

Hardware, Embedded Systems & Strange Projects

I design, build, and reverse-engineer hardware, embedded systems, and unconventional tech. My work spans low-level firmware, PCB design, industrial design, and creative problem-solving—whether that’s modernizing a 1970s electric car, designing a $15 Linux handheld, or reverse-engineering legacy consumer electronics.

🛠 What I Do Best:
✔ Embedded Systems (RP2040, STM32, AVR, Linux SBCs)
✔ Hardware & PCB Design (High-Speed, CAN Bus, DAQ, Power Systems)
✔ Industrial Design & Manufacturing (3D Printing, CNC, Injection Molding)
✔ Reverse Engineering & Hacking (Legacy Hardware, Retrocomputing, UI/UX)

📌 Featured Projects

🚗 Restoring & Modernizing a 1970s EV

🔹 The Citicar Restoration – Bringing a vintage electric car back to life
🔹 Car CAN Bus Conversion – Replacing all relays & analog systems with a CAN-based network

💻 Embedded & Open Hardware

🔹 The $15 Linux Machine – A fully functional Linux handheld for under $15
🔹 Isolated Thermocouple Reader – A low-cost alternative to a $2,000 industrial module

🔬 Reverse Engineering & Retro Tech

🔹 BaudBox: A 256-Key ASCII Keyboard – A serial input device for manual debugging & obscure ASCII characters
🔹 Rebuilding a Zip Drive Tower – Stacking fifteen ATAPI Zip-100 drives into a USB RAID array

🎨 Industrial & UI/UX Design

🔹 Custom Silicone Keyboards – Designing low-cost, high-durability keyboards
🔹 Full-Color Circuit Boards – Experimental multi-color PCBs beyond standard manufacturing
🔹 Portable Dumb Terminal – A VT100-style ANSI terminal in a pocket-sized form factor

📄 About Me & Work

I specialize in building functional, practical, and sometimes ridiculous hardware. My goal is to design great products, solve difficult engineering challenges, and push the boundaries of low-cost, hackable, and open-source hardware.

⚡ Want to Work Together?

I’m open to collaborations, consulting, and full-time roles in:
🔹 Embedded Systems & Hardware Engineering
🔹 Industrial Design & Product Development
🔹 Automotive and EV

💬 Let’s Talk → Email Me

🚀 Bonus: Want Something More Fun?

🔄 Switch to System 7 Mode → (For the full retrocomputing experience!)

📷 Gallery