[Lab Bench Online]
EiED Online>> Building The SoniqCast Aireo
Volume 2004, Number 13
William Wong
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ED Online ID #8904 |
September 29, 2004
ED: How did you choose and implement the system platform once the feature set was determined?
Gary: As the Aireo was the first into this space, we realized that many of the features and their implementation would require some amount of evolution. Likewise the standards that the product is based upon, 802.11, mp3, wma, digital rights management, etc. are ever changing. Thus a way of rapidly integrating new technologies and features on almost a mix and match basis dictated a very flexible platform. This led us to choose WinCE as the software platform. For the hardware, the Intel Xscale architecture is a natural choice under WinCE. Other mp3 platforms are based on propreitary hardware/software, which makes one dependent on the supplier to enable significant features.
ED: What are the key components (hardware or software) that made the Aireo possible, and which ones became available recently that made the Aireo possible?
Gary: Several items: 1. An open, low-cost platform as described above, enabled by WinCE 4.x and the Intel Xscale. While other OSes and processors could have sufficed, it's our belief that the Wintel combo offers an optimal combination of cost, size, and fast time to market.
2. Micro hard drives. The advent of low cost 1-inch HDDs under the $100 mark. The Aireo rode the first wave such HDDs introduced in late 03. This segment of the HDD market continues to expand in revenue and product variety.
3. Miniaturization and cost erosion of 802.11 technology, allowing embedded usage at a reasonable cost.
ED: How was the prototype developed and what type of design issues came up when migrating to the final product?
Gary: Evaluation platforms from Intel and 802.11 vendors allowed a rough facsimile of the platform to be created before first prototypes. This allowed software development to start early and skip a large form factor prototype; the first hardware prototypes were true form factor units. Two main issues were fought:
1. Design concurrency of the pc board and industrial design
2. EMI/EMC
1. The package design obviously determines the pc-board (pcb) outlines. Although both were developed in parallel, some amount of serial testing is necessary. Drop testing, for instance, can require a package change that affects the pcb outline and changes the layout. Thus package-design considerations, along with some prototype corrections, created a second hardware spin that was a significantly different layout. A final third spin for production was executed to clean up some minor manufacturing issues.
2. EMI/EMC in advanced portable products can be a significant challenge. High-clock-frequency processors are finding their way into these portable devices, where plastic always provides the enclosure rather than the metal typical of larger units: set-top boxes, DVD players, PCs, etc.
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