Planning an open-hardware controller for remotely operated hardware-in-the-loop labs and automated sequential board programming. Status: requirements and provisional component selection; no schematic, layout, firmware or validated prototype yet. This snapshot is not a fabrication package.

• Four target ports with consistent partially populated 1/2/4-port variants. Size is secondary to reliable development-lab use.
• Hybrid solid-state and relay/contact switching for target power, battery connection, shared J-Link routing and boot/reset controls.
• NXP MCXN controller preference; Zephyr firmware selected. MCXN236VKLT is provisional, not fully qualified.
• Management USB to the host. Target USB connections use an external hub; console UART uses external adapters. No onboard target USB switching or microSD switching.
• Linux and Windows host tooling with an agent-friendly, documented machine-readable interface.
• Factory assembled and tested; software-engineer-friendly keyed harnesses and a 3D-printable enclosure.

See requirements, provisional BOM and qualification gaps.

The intent is open hardware and open-source software. Hardware, firmware and documentation licences remain to be selected; this snapshot does not grant a blanket licence to third-party material. Manufacturer documents and private board material are not redistributed.