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A well-designed and manufactured product starts with good planning and documentation including a design brief [design brief: a set of instructions given to a designer by a client. ] and specification [specification: a statement that tells the designer exactly what the product has to do and what the design requirements are. ]. Circuits are first modelled using a prototype board, before being assembled into a PCB [PCB: Printed Circuit Board ].
Evaluation and testing needs to be built in at critical control points [critical control points: the predefined points in a manufacture system where quality control checks take place. ] such as initial design, breadboard and PCB phases, and at the manufacturing stage. And you need to be familiar with the ways that CAD[an error occurred while processing this directive] is used in the electronics design process.
The design procedure
A design procedure is a series of steps which guide you through any electronic design-and-make process. Sticking to the procedure will help deliver a first-class product.
Following a design process
- Choose an area of study
- Write down in a few words the purpose of the project
- Prepare a desin brief
- Write down a specification
- Carry out research
- Use graphics, computer software and other techniques to generate design ideas
- Select the best design for further development
Once you have defined the purpose of your project, there are two important documents you need to write. These are:
- the design brief - a short statement of the problem to be solved. The brief should outline the design problem you are tackling, perhaps including one or two of the envisaged design features. Next comes
- the design specification . This is a longer decument, including full details of the functional and design features of the finished electronic product - as well as information on weight and size, maintenance, cost and safety.
The specification for an electronic product should include electronic factors such as component details, maximum working voltages, maximum currents, and temperature or frequency ranges.
Ergonomics and aesthetics
The factors which make a product efficient, safe and comfortable to use are called ergonomics. Considerations of style - the things which make a product look and feel good - are called aesthetics. You need to consider both ergonomic and aesthetic factors when planning your designs.
When designing circuits, for example, ensure that switches and other control components are placed so that they can be easily reached, and that output components such as LEDs can be easily seen.
A product's style is a more subjective matter, as different people may have different ideas of what looks good. Think about contemporary style, about what is currently fashionable, when designing your product. You may not want to follow the fashion - but you still need to know what it is!
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