Prototyping Your New Electronic Product Idea


By Jim Usery

Do you have an idea for an electronic product, the next must-have gadget, music or video system, time saver, or greatest problem-solving device that was ever invented? Even if you have the electronics product design expertise available, there are a number of tasks that you must complete and issues that you must resolve before you have an actual product design that can be produced, marketed, and sold. Once you have completed a product specification document and a marketing study, you should be prepared to have the product electronics and packaging design processes begun so that a prototype unit can be assembled and tested.

One of the first choices that must be made in the electronics design is which microprocessor or microcontroller architecture will be utilized if your product idea requires processing capability. Most microprocessor or microcontroller devices are available in a variety of configurations of internal memory sizes with some including non-volatile Flash memory for program storage, quantity and types of input and output pins, package types for surface mount or thru-hole applications, clock speeds, and interfaces that are supported by the processor without having to add additional devices.

Once a microprocessor or microcontroller family is selected, additional decisions must be made on which system clock frequency to use, how much processor and system memory will be required for the application, and how the software development processes are to be supported. The choice of processor architecture must consider the available software development and testing tools and the software design resources that will be required for your product's software/firmware design. Additional decisions must be made on how the software/firmware will be loaded into the processor's memory during the manufacturing process. Will the design allow the finished product to accept field or user initiated software/firmware upgrades, or will the product be a one-time programmable unit?

Before the processor portion of the design is completed, you must also define which types of interfaces to external systems will be required (serial port, parallel port, USB, Ethernet, wireless connection such as 802.11x or Bluetooth, infrared, etc.) and the minimum interface bandwidth rates required. All of these factors will play a role in choosing the best processor product to use in your design application. Some microprocessor/microcontroller product examples that you can research are the MicroChip PAL series and the family of products from Atmel as both of these suppliers provide some very powerful but low cost processor solutions.

Electronic components, including microprocessors and microcontrollers, are typically available in both surface mount and thru-hole versions. Some electronic components may be available in only one format (such as some transformers, relays, capacitors, power resistors, or connectors being available only in thru-hole packages). Surface mount components are preferred for any volume level production as they are usually less expensive to purchase, more readily available, and allow for more compact printed circuit board designs as the components take up much less space and can be applied to both sides of the board if necessary. Using surface mount technology may allow the printed circuit board design to use a smaller size and/or fewer layers, thus reducing raw board costs. However, surface mount components can make in-house assembly and soldering difficult if not impossible if you do not have the proper equipment and expertise.

The completed design will include a power supply section that will provide the voltage and current levels required by the design's components. Input power options could include plugging the unit into a 120 VAC outlet and converting the AC voltage to the appropriate regulated DC voltage levels internally as part of the power supply design. You could also choose to use an external power adapter that converts 120 VAC to a DC voltage level and then regulates this incoming DC voltage level to the level required by the design. A third option would be to have the product powered by batteries. If your product is to be battery powered, in addition to defining the battery technology and the number of amp hours of power storage in the batteries, you should also consider if a rechargeable battery design or an end user replaceable battery design is best for the product application and pricing.

Once the electronics design and the printed circuit board design are completed, the mechanical packaging and external enclosure designs can be finalized and the initial software development can be completed. Now it is time to have a prototype unit assembled and tested and decisions must be made regarding the manufacturing of the initial prototype units. Choices include ordering all of the components and assembling the prototype product in-house if you have the assembly expertise, subcontracting the prototyping process to a domestic contract electronics manufacturing company, or subcontracting the prototyping process to a contract electronics manufacturing company located off shore. If you do not have the expertise or equipment to properly assemble the prototype units, you should prepare a list of companies who can support your prototyping and production needs and begin the process of identifying your best options.

In addition to identifying who will assemble the prototype units, you should also be identifying which option you will use for manufacturing the production units. Choices include manufacturing the units yourself, contracting the assembly of the units externally with a domestic, or contracting the assembly of the units with an off shore electronics manufacturing service provider. If you plan to use an external manufacturing source, consider that some companies specialize in low volume specialty assemblies, such as prototype units or initial production, but are not able to cost effectively support high volume production levels due to capacity limitations. Other companies are in the opposite spectrum and specialize only in high volume levels. The quantity of units that would be high volume production from your point of view may not be large enough to elicit any interest a strictly high volume manufacturer. You should also consider delivery times from receipt of your purchase order as a factor in choosing an outside assembly source.

Another important factor to consider in this process of evaluating electronics manufacturing service providers would be the design assistance that they may be able to provide throughout the process of developing the product. Services such as electronics design and printed circuit board layout design, component selection and procurement process with assistance in multi-sourcing components, enclosure design, mechanical packaging design, and providing production capability from prototyping to low volume to high volume could all be of immense help to you. In addition, a contract electronics manufacturer may also provide suggestions to improve the manufacturability, lower component costs, and improve the product's reliability. Be sure to have an appropriate Non-Disclosure Agreement in place with any and all parties that are involved in this process to protect your intellectual property.

You must also define how will the manufactured product is to be tested and packaged. Once the product has been prototyped and tested successfully, it is important to determine the quantity of units to be manufactured for the initial production run and for volume manufacturing levels. You must also understand how many levels of distribution the product go through (with each level taking a cut of the margins) before it gets in front of a consumer to purchase.

If you are an inventor or have a great electronic product idea, I don't want to discourage you, but you must consider all of these activities and their associated costs before you commit to the thousands of dollars of expenses required for designing and prototyping your product idea. For instance, you should be prepared at a minimum to either perform yourself or to subcontract the completion of the following tasks:

- Product idea research (are there any existing products or patents already existing for this idea)

- Product specification document preparation (what it will do, how it will look, how will it be powered, and how the user will interface with it)

- Marketing study (what it will be named, who would buy this, how much would they pay, how will we get customers to purchase the product)

- Schematic or electronic circuit design process

- Creation of a bill of material or BOM and an approved vendor's list or AVL for each component in the design, preferably with multiple sources identified, with a BOM and AVL for each assembly level in the product

- Printed circuit board layout design process (single sided board, double sided board, or multilayer board; size of the pcb; board material)

- Mechanical packaging design with user interfaces (displays, buttons, switches, keys, interconnects, power supply, etc.); determining if the product assembly require sealing, internal conformal coating, or potting to protect against moisture

- Software/firmware development process and software tools required

- Prototype component procurement, prototype assembly and associated setup costs, and testing with software/firmware

- There may also be some UL and/or FCC regulatory compliance testing required depending upon your product application (such as FCC Part 15 and UL standards that may apply to the product category)

- Revisions to the designs as necessary based on initial testing results with possibly additional rounds of prototyping being required

- Any required changes from the prototype assembly and testing processes must be incorporated prior to the first production run. This may require changes to the schematic and printed board designs, changes to the mechanical packaging, changes to the software/firmware, or cosmetic changes to the enclosure packaging.

Jim Usery is the Sales and Marketing Director at Innovative Circuits Inc. (Corinth, MS). He can be contacted by the following: office: 662-287-2007; toll free: 866-887-7381; email: jusery@icimfg.com. Visit our website at http://www.icimfg.com


More Resources

Does It Really Take Money To Make Money (Online or Offline)? A Reality-Check of 2 Case Studies
The short and simple answer to this question is NO!Now, before you start screaming that I am crazy, out of my mind, have lost my marbles and all the other things that generally get tossed around when someone has the nerve to state something like that, let me clear a few things up.It does not take a monetary investment to get your business off the ground (aside from the everyday items you already have around your house).
Be an Entrepreneur
The Department of Labor predicts that the #1 employer in 2010 will be "self." A recent Internet poll of 25-44 year olds revealed that 90% of them hoped to own their own business.
Solo Mojo for Solo Entrepreneurs --- Where's Your Juice?
I recently read a magazine article about Andrew, a 42-year old businessman. He gave up a demanding law practice in the Northeast, moved South to launch a new furniture and interior-design store, and wrote his first fiction novel in the midst of that transition.
A Dorm Room With A View
As a senior in high school, he paid cash for a BMW with money made by selling newspapers. In 1983, as a college freshman, he sold custom-made PCs and parts out of his dorm room?hiding them behind his roommate's shower curtain whenever Mom and Dad visited.
The History of the Franchise Business - Learning about Business Opportunities by Looking at the Past
Hair care has been around as long as humans have been on the planet. The earliest record of personal hair care dates back 2.
Motivation and Commitment
Why do people start small businesses? The most frequently cited motivation for business start-ups is to allow the entrepreneur to achieve independence; money is secondary. Is this surprising? The other reasons named most often are that an opportunity presented itself, a person took over the family business, or the person simply wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Find Out If You WILL Be Successful As a Franchisee?
Will I be successful as a franchisee?One of the soundest pieces of advice to take when considering becoming a franchisee is to 'Assess Yourself'. Assess whether you can accept direction.
Outcomes - Thats What You Need to Focus On
Successful business owners and managers need to be veryclear about what outcomes they want. Whether you call them goals, objectives or targets, theseare the factors that you're ultimately judged on.
Corporate Espionage in Franchising
Franchising Trade Journals do not do well, because today with all the industry regulations only about 1800 active franchise actually exist in the US. Down sharply over the past five years.
The 5 Senses of an Entrepreneur
If you have seen me speak you will know that I believe the word 'entrepreneur' is used way too much these days. People seem to wear it as a badge instead of just getting out there and doing entrepreneurial things.
Work vs Play: Which is the Better Way to Make Big Money?
If you want to make big money, you have to play not to work."What do you mean by that?" You ask.
Entrepreneurial Traits that Drive Sales
Frequently overlooked and hidden deep within our marketing tool box is the ultimate marketing vehicle for your business - you! Many small business owners are so busy figuring out how to increase sales and revenue they forget to grow themselves as business owners. If you aren't evolving yourself, aren't you being counterproductive to your business development? Marketing our businesses isn't just about what ads to buy or what networking event to go to next; it's about us as people, as entrepreneurs.
Six Steps to Guarantee Your Business Success
Many of us slave away for years for one uninspiring company after another and dream of the day when we can sack the boss and go it alone.If you're contemplating starting your own business then I'm here cheering you on from the sidelines because the best decision I ever made was to walk away from my well paid but oh so frustratingly boring job and start my own business from scratch.
Entrepreneurship as Your Passion
Entrepreneurship has been my passion for as long as I can commit to memory to learning how to type, and that started in 5th grade! Strangely enough, I wasn't raised around lots of business owners growing up in New Jersey nor surrounded by many business-minded individuals.Initially, my passion was expressed through the notion that extra money can be made while working a corporate job.
Oil Change Guys History; Part I
How do franchise companies come to be? How do they start. What type of a person or entrepreneur becomes a franchisor? Below is the story of how one small company became a franchisor in the mobile oil change business.
Learn how to Compress Time
In the popular 1980's movie "Dune," man learned that by "folding space" the distance between two points shortened and he could cover those distances faster. Around 1995, we found a substance that could bend time in the business community -- it was called Venture Capital.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Isn't enthusiasm a good thing? Aren't we urged to be enthusiasticabout what we do? To be committed?We are..
Business Start Up Tips From Some Hearty Entrepreneurs
When's the last time someone asked you: "What's new?"If you're starting or growing a business, an e-business, or a web site, the answer is: "Everything!" - especially on the inside.Face it, launching a new enterprise - or taking it to the next level - can sometimes feel scary and overwhelming.
Selecting a Venture
The basic rule is simple: "Find a market need and fill it!" The process of finding the need, and the method chosen to fill it are where the difficulties arise.Based on our opportunity scan, does the market need a product or service that is not currently being provided? Is there a needed product or service currently being provided in a less than satisfactory way? Is some particular market being underserved due to capacity shortages or location gaps? Can we serve any of these needs with some competitive advantage?Remember that a business idea is not a business opportunity until it is evaluated objectively and judged to be feasible.
Vendor Relations
Communication is the key to vendor relations. In your small business, you will be in need of many products and services.

More Entrepreneurialism Information:

Related Articles

Its Good to Know Your Banker
Recently my bank opened a new branch that is a few miles away from my house. I used to visit the local branch that was located in the grocery store and enjoyed seeing the ladies on a weekly basis who were the tellers.
Should You Write Your Own Business Plan?
If you are just starting a company and looking for funding, or looking for additional funding for growth, you will need to develop a traditional business plan. Creating a business plan is a business hurdle that entrepreneurs seem to dread.
Creativity & Entrepreneurship - Key Questions From My Students
Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!Thought for the day:"It is not easy being an entrepreneur, but it is always rewarding. It takes great discipline, self-motivation, hard work and perseverance to achieve your dream.
Health Insurance for Solo Entrepreneurs
One of the most important benefits employed people enjoy is health insurance coverage. It is also the single most costly expense for self-employed entrepreneurs.
Empathy - Not Business Plans - Key to Your Home Based Business Success - Do You Have Empathy?
EMPATHY is a Natural Talent, you were born with it and you will never loose it. It can be a blessing or a curse in a home based business.
Venture Capital Negotiating Issues
When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues.
PTO; Justification of the Means and the Ends
Some would say about certain issues that the means do not justify the ends. Well more often the ends do not justify the means.
Good Questions, good Answers; Bad Questions, Bad Replies
I'm convinced that asking the right questions is one of the most important skills you need to become a successful business person. Questions have the power to direct you or to distort you.
Rambling Confessions of a Recovering Entrepreneur
I told my family that I finally accepted that my passion had become an ob- session, and you could even call it an addiction. They all laughed.
Online Women Entrepreneurs Need To Pace Themselves
Saving time means pacing yourself, being organized, and always prioritizing your duties, responsibilities and efforts.Pacing yourself means allowing time for unexpected situations, such as having enough time to check the ever-growing inbox, setting-up special autoresponders for automatic responses (a miraculous tool?really), and other technical issues of running an interactive website and blog.
Realism vs. Optimism in the Business Plan
The most important function of a business plan is to create interest among investors so that they write a check. In achieving this goal, business plan writers are often challenged by determining the proper level of optimism in their plan.
7 Lean Marketing Laws For The Inspired Entrepreneur
The following laws will provide guidance on how to act,think and work in a lean way. You can apply these laws toall areas of your life, work and business to get biggerresults from the time you invest.
How To Start a New Business
While it is tempting to just leap into a new business because of it's exciting possibilities, a few key planning points will vastly increase your chances of success. These steps aren't difficult, but they're easy to skip.
Evaluating an Opportunity
Business opportunities are often based on broad trends, such as:? demographic, such as the "graying" of America (creating opportunities in health services, for example);? sociological developments, like the "green" movement, with its emphasis on recycling and environmental sensitivity, and;? cultural changes caused by changing economic conditions and technological developments.Opportunities can also frequently be found in current and developing business trends such as:? the globalization of business,? the need for outsourcing created by downsizing, and? the burgeoning service economy.
Interview with Best-selling Entrepreneurial Authors Barbara Winters and Nick Williams
Ray Bradbury's quote, "You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down" may sound extreme but, as anyone building a business knows, it has a lot of truth in it.As a newly self-employed journalist / writer and life coach, I found Barbara Winter's book, "Making a Living Without a Job" invaluable so when I got a chance to interview her and Nick Williams in London, I was delighted.
Starting a Company on a Shoe-String Budget
A lot of people never start businesses because they believe they don't have enough money to do so. Unfortunately, these same people don't realize that many of the world's most successful companies were started on a shoe-string budget by an entrepreneur with limited resources.
Questions For The Entrepreneur To Be
Entrepreneurial e-gnorancePart 1: Questions for the entrepreneur to beIf you are an entrepreneur starting out, or have been around the block for some time but are yet to hit on the jackpot, you might be missing out some of the cornerstones of doing busingg through the new age media, the internet. Ask yourself the following questions and in seeking out answers to the, you may find the magic touch that could propel you to the success that drives you everyday.
Entrepreneurial Business Plan The Down And Dirty Way
Does the idea of running your own business sound exciting? Do you have a business up and running and want to take it to the next level?After coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs at various stages of their evolution, I've found that the answers to these 5 questions can make or break any endeavor. Of course there are lots of other areas that must be addressed, however these will get you moving in the right direction quickly.
Increasing Business BIGTIME with a Successful Referral System
What I've discovered from most of my small business clients is that most would prefer to build their business through referrals rather than through direct mail, advertising in newspapers, radio, TV. However, most leave the referrals to a somewhat chaotic, unplanned approach.
Drive Website Traffic Unconventionally, Force Your Children To Do It
If you believe that every little bit helps then keepreading..