Embedded Hardware Development

Embedded Hardware Development

Embedded Hardware Development

E Chip Control Systems has experience in Embedded Hardware Development and working with various Microcontroller based designs, Embedded Hardware Development like PIC16F877A,PIC18F4550(Microchip),Atmega16&32A,Atmega328P(Atmel) and LPC2148 ARM7(NXP).
Hands on experience in working with various Communication protocols like RS232,I2C,SPI and Wireless communications like GSM,Bluetooth,RF,RFID.

 

Hands on experience in working with various peripherals like LCD and Dot matrix display,Seven Segment Display, Matrix Keypad ,RTC,EEPROM,Elctro magnetic and Solid State Relays,Buzzer,Opto coupler, DC Motor,Switches and different sensor interfacing.
Deep and detail understanding of various micro controller architectures like  Microchip,Atmel (Atmega Series), NXP (LPC Series). 
PCB design using Orcad,Altium,Eagle,Fritzing and Protel 99 tool. Schematic entry, new footprint creation (as per client requirement) to final Gerber file creation. Better understanding of EMI/EMC , Isolation, track width constraints, while designing the PCB

Electronics Design

From the specifications, the electronics design is undertaken using developers which are as experienced as the project is difficult. Often for simple single board microcontroller designs, more junior designers are used with an experienced supervisor. In the case of more complex designs with multiple add on boards, a better more experienced designer is required. Generally though, microcontroller based designs and small microprocessor designs or simpler FPGA designs do not require the best and most experienced designers.

As in the mechanical design case, risk reduction at early stages is a priority. An example of risk reduction could involve a trial hardware layout of the components on the circuit board to make sure that they will all fit. The goal might be to make a 4 layer board, maximum to keep within the BOM cost range. The trial layout would determine the physical layout, confirm that the heat could be disapated and all the components could fit comfortably using the preferred packaging approach (ie SMT, BGA, …) and that the other constraints were met.

System Integration

The designers will have periodic meetings to ensure that the two halves of the design are working together well. Often with plastic cases, the main concern is getting the connectors exactly aligned with the case and the case’s closing mechanism working well. With metal cases, issues of shorts between the board and the case can be problematic particularly given that the size of the box generally needs to be a minimum size.

At then end of the integration process, and after the testing process, a gold unit is achieved. It is this gold unit along with schematics, gerbers, and CAD drawings (complete with final tiny modifications) which are passed to manufacturing.