Examples of Typical Digital Technical Engagements
This section describes some typical projects that we have been involved with in the past. The examples include the background, what was done to assist the project and the results.
Examples of Projects
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Situation
Client was creating a significant upgrade in their system. A design had been started, and needed to be updated and completed in a hurry.
Tasks Performed
Reviewed the existing documentation, assessed the required changes, wrote functional specification and brought in an FPGA engineer to complete the required pair of FPGAs. Updated and completed the circuit design in Orcad. Held design reviews, and interfaced with the layout engineer to assure signal integrity in the design. Tracked FPGA completion and coordinated Design Review Meetings.
Results
Client was able get the design completed quickly, and into test to meet schedule deadlines.
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Situation
Client was overloaded with work, and needed a very quick turn design for a complex simulation test card.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a definition for the tasks, and joined with a second engineer to work on a 30 sheet schematic in parallel to complete the project very quickly. Interfaced with layout person, and completed the card in record time.
Results
Card was completed with a card available within a month. This permited the simulation testing of a total large ASIC circuit in an FPGA. This sped up ASIC completion by several months.
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Situation
Client was overloaded in regular engineering staff and didn’t have capacity to design a large test system to validate their product with extreme telephone traffic.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the primary engineering staff to produce a specification for the card design and the FPGA design. Located FPGA designer. Completed the design and schematic capture to tight schedule, then debugged and tested it. Worked with systems engineer to make the circuit function at the system level.
Results
Finished the design with no defects in the card and got the system “up and running” in record time. Customer was able to locate data traffic problems in their design and correct them.
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Situation
Client was designing a large satellite communications PCB as part of a large system. They were short on staff with the required talent to complete the task.
Tasks Performed
Took over the final design of the card. Made changes to create newly required functionality and completed the card design and schematic capture. Interfaced with layout person, and led and performed the testing of the final card for functionality. Produced all of the formal design documentation to allow the card to be assembled offshore.
Results
Client was able to complete a design in trouble, and get it into initial manufacturing, ready for a system test without having a several month delay to find a new, qualified engineer.
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Situation
Client lacked engineering staff to complete a card level design needed for a system servo upgrade. They needed the design in a hurry, and had a low target cost. Card had to fit in a particular space available in the system.
Tasks Performed
Created a specification and block diagram for the new circuit that defined its inputs and outputs and overall functional requirements. Located Servo driver components, designed and did schematic capture for the card, interfaced with layout, shepherded the fabrication of the cards, wrote embedded controller code, debugged and tested the card itself and the card in the actual system.
Results
Completed the design in record time, ready well ahead of system schedule requirements. Prevented potential delay in system test of overall system.
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Situation
Client had received a contract and had only one design engineer, unfamiliar with microcontroller design. Design had to be completed very quickly.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a specification for the controller card and its functionality. Worked with another firmware engineer to create a software spec and prototype so he could begin coding of controller software very quickly in parallel with the card development. Then completed the design of the controller card, interfaced with layout person, worked with getting the card fabricated, debugged and tested the card by itself, and in the system.
Results
Customer was able to meet his schedule for a working initial prototype in record time of just over one month. Final product of a large number of cards in systems were deployed at their clients factory.
Examples of Typical Digital Technical Engagements
This section describes some typical projects that we have been involved with in the past. The examples include the background, what was done to assist the project and the results.
Examples of Projects
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Situation
Client was creating a significant upgrade in their system. A design had been started, and needed to be updated and completed in a hurry.
Tasks Performed
Reviewed the existing documentation, assessed the required changes, wrote functional specification and brought in an FPGA engineer to complete the required pair of FPGAs. Updated and completed the circuit design in Orcad. Held design reviews, and interfaced with the layout engineer to assure signal integrity in the design. Tracked FPGA completion and coordinated Design Review Meetings.
Results
Client was able get the design completed quickly, and into test to meet schedule deadlines.
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Situation
Client was overloaded with work, and needed a very quick turn design for a complex simulation test card.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a definition for the tasks, and joined with a second engineer to work on a 30 sheet schematic in parallel to complete the project very quickly. Interfaced with layout person, and completed the card in record time.
Results
Card was completed with a card available within a month. This permited the simulation testing of a total large ASIC circuit in an FPGA. This sped up ASIC completion by several months.
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Situation
Client was overloaded in regular engineering staff and didn’t have capacity to design a large test system to validate their product with extreme telephone traffic.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the primary engineering staff to produce a specification for the card design and the FPGA design. Located FPGA designer. Completed the design and schematic capture to tight schedule, then debugged and tested it. Worked with systems engineer to make the circuit function at the system level.
Results
Finished the design with no defects in the card and got the system “up and running” in record time. Customer was able to locate data traffic problems in their design and correct them.
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Situation
Client was designing a large satellite communications PCB as part of a large system. They were short on staff with the required talent to complete the task.
Tasks Performed
Took over the final design of the card. Made changes to create newly required functionality and completed the card design and schematic capture. Interfaced with layout person, and led and performed the testing of the final card for functionality. Produced all of the formal design documentation to allow the card to be assembled offshore.
Results
Client was able to complete a design in trouble, and get it into initial manufacturing, ready for a system test without having a several month delay to find a new, qualified engineer.
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Situation
Client lacked engineering staff to complete a card level design needed for a system servo upgrade. They needed the design in a hurry, and had a low target cost. Card had to fit in a particular space available in the system.
Tasks Performed
Created a specification and block diagram for the new circuit that defined its inputs and outputs and overall functional requirements. Located Servo driver components, designed and did schematic capture for the card, interfaced with layout, shepherded the fabrication of the cards, wrote embedded controller code, debugged and tested the card itself and the card in the actual system.
Results
Completed the design in record time, ready well ahead of system schedule requirements. Prevented potential delay in system test of overall system.
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Situation
Client had received a contract and had only one design engineer, unfamiliar with microcontroller design. Design had to be completed very quickly.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a specification for the controller card and its functionality. Worked with another firmware engineer to create a software spec and prototype so he could begin coding of controller software very quickly in parallel with the card development. Then completed the design of the controller card, interfaced with layout person, worked with getting the card fabricated, debugged and tested the card by itself, and in the system.
Results
Customer was able to meet his schedule for a working initial prototype in record time of just over one month. Final product of a large number of cards in systems were deployed at their clients factory.
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Need for Engineering coverage at small firm that lost their Digital Engineer
Situation
Client was creating a significant upgrade in their system. A design had been started, and needed to be updated and completed in a hurry.
Tasks Performed
Reviewed the existing documentation, assessed the required changes, wrote functional specification and brought in an FPGA engineer to complete the required pair of FPGAs. Updated and completed the circuit design in Orcad. Held design reviews, and interfaced with the layout engineer to assure signal integrity in the design. Tracked FPGA completion and coordinated Design Review Meetings.
Results
Client was able get the design completed quickly, and into test to meet schedule deadlines.
Requirement for a quick turn very large FPGA Simulation PCB design
Situation
Client was overloaded with work, and needed a very quick turn design for a complex simulation test card.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a definition for the tasks, and joined with a second engineer to work on a 30 sheet schematic in parallel to complete the project very quickly. Interfaced with layout person, and completed the card in record time.
Results
Card was completed with a card available within a month. This permited the simulation testing of a total large ASIC circuit in an FPGA. This sped up ASIC completion by several months.
Design of a large number of DSP Circuits on a single card to be used for testing a large PBX like system
Situation
Client was overloaded in regular engineering staff and didn’t have capacity to design a large test system to validate their product with extreme telephone traffic.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the primary engineering staff to produce a specification for the card design and the FPGA design. Located FPGA designer. Completed the design and schematic capture to tight schedule, then debugged and tested it. Worked with systems engineer to make the circuit function at the system level.
Results
Finished the design with no defects in the card and got the system “up and running” in record time. Customer was able to locate data traffic problems in their design and correct them.
Design of a special purpose satellite communications card
Situation
Client was designing a large satellite communications PCB as part of a large system. They were short on staff with the required talent to complete the task.
Tasks Performed
Took over the final design of the card. Made changes to create newly required functionality and completed the card design and schematic capture. Interfaced with layout person, and led and performed the testing of the final card for functionality. Produced all of the formal design documentation to allow the card to be assembled offshore.
Results
Client was able to complete a design in trouble, and get it into initial manufacturing, ready for a system test without having a several month delay to find a new, qualified engineer.
Need for a quick design of a microcontroller card for a servo controller
Situation
Client lacked engineering staff to complete a card level design needed for a system servo upgrade. They needed the design in a hurry, and had a low target cost. Card had to fit in a particular space available in the system.
Tasks Performed
Created a specification and block diagram for the new circuit that defined its inputs and outputs and overall functional requirements. Located Servo driver components, designed and did schematic capture for the card, interfaced with layout, shepherded the fabrication of the cards, wrote embedded controller code, debugged and tested the card itself and the card in the actual system.
Results
Completed the design in record time, ready well ahead of system schedule requirements. Prevented potential delay in system test of overall system.
Need for a fast design of a complex microcontroller card for a very large battery charging system
Situation
Client had received a contract and had only one design engineer, unfamiliar with microcontroller design. Design had to be completed very quickly.
Tasks Performed
Worked with the client to create a specification for the controller card and its functionality. Worked with another firmware engineer to create a software spec and prototype so he could begin coding of controller software very quickly in parallel with the card development. Then completed the design of the controller card, interfaced with layout person, worked with getting the card fabricated, debugged and tested the card by itself, and in the system.
Results
Customer was able to meet his schedule for a working initial prototype in record time of just over one month. Final product of a large number of cards in systems were deployed at their clients factory.