To get your product to market, there are some important decisions you’ll have to make
Choosing the right processor is the first step in any embedded design. The processor is the backbone of every embedded project, which makes choosing the right CPU essential to a project’s success. The first step is determining if the processor supports the peripherals that are necessary.
The selection process can be overwhelming, contact us so we can walk through the benefits of each.
Once you confirm that the processor checks all the boxes, the next step is to test drive it. We have a variety of development boards which have compatible displays, cameras, and other accessories to allow customers to do a full proof of concept before committing to a design. In addition, all of our software options contain the relevant device drivers and configurations to allow for a seamless out-of-box experience.
Now that you have selected your processor, the next major decision involves which form factor to use. Should you …
- Design your own chip-down?
- Use a Single Board Computer (SBC)?
- Use a System on Module (SOM)?
- Hire a 3rd party like Boundary Devices to do a custom design?
The first choice is the Make vs. Buy choice. We put together a PDF guide that discusses the pros and cons.
If you decided, “We definitely need to outsource this part of the project,” these are the different ways that Boundary Devices can help:
- Explore the different SOM modules that we support and review our Single Board Computer options.
- Finally, read more about our custom design process.
In some embedded projects, the operating system selection is even more important than the processor/form factor selection. Embedded operating systems are not plug and play, so operating system selection is typically the biggest stumbling block. Selecting the wrong operating system can significantly delay the project, because it is difficult and time consuming to change. The guide below discusses the different embedded operating systems to help in the operating system selection process.
Contact us for help in navigating the different choices.
The final stage of the embedded design is the graphical user interface (GUI) generation. Although not every project has a display or GUI, those that do require the right tools to implement a high quality user interface.
Device management is also a critical part of the design process. How do you manage your devices once. they have been deployed in the field? How do you upgrade them and maintain them for security updates?