Electronic Product Design

Prof. N. P. Jangale
 Objectives
To study Importance of electronic product
design

To classify the product into different

categories

To analyze different stages in electronic

product development
 Basic flow of Product design
and its lifecycle
Design and development of electronic
products comes under Systematic
engineering.
Systems engineering- follows systematic
approach
Systems engineering- provides a
general framework to develop product.
Product development framework : Starts
from Concept till its disposal
All phases should maintain proper
documentation

System Engineering Aspects: General Framework for product development
 Concept Development
Define a problem for development
For defining the problem first look
into
Customer Objectives
Customer and End user needs.
Regions of operations
Constraints
Regulations and standards
 Customer Requirements
Consider:
Type and Culture of customer
Corporate, social, economic,
political etc.
Requirements define What of the
systems but not now.
At the end ,do analysis of
requirements and refine the
requirements.
Identifying the Customer Requirements

Product Development typically starts

by
Identifying-
What the customer wants
OR
User may be looking for
• Automating the existing industrial
process
• Expanding his current manufacturing.
Identifying the Customer
Requirements

Understand the requirement:

Marketing or sales person should
understand the requirements
thoroughly.
Proper Solution: A number of
meetings are required to correctly
understand the process and arrive
at proper solution.
 Classify Requirements
General Types:
1. Performance: range, speed, throughput,
resolution.
2. Reliability & maintainability: failure rate
3. Human factors & user interface: ease of
use
4. Safety and failure mode: fault analysis
5. Operational regimes & environment:
extreme temperatures
6. Logistic support: maintenance tasks.
 System Requirements
Specifications(SRS) Documents

After analysis and refinement of

requirements , prepare SRS
Document.
It includes functional requirement ,
performance requirements, interface
requirements ,design requirements
and development standards.
SRS provide
 Introduction to Product
Design and Product
Lifecycle
Product Design and Development:
-Systematic efforts
-Systems engineering – systematic approach and set
of methods for solving complex problems.
-Systems engineering– Provides a framework to
develop product.

Product development path:

-concept, design, test, delivery, up to documentation
and finally disposal

Results: best product at lowest cost

Flowchart : Aspects of systems engineering
 System Engineering
System Engineering is the process to be
related in designing a product which is a
system.
The system engineering is a systematic
approach with flexible methods to develop
complex system using various subsystem.
In system engineering it also efforts on
documenting requirements and then
arranged for the design synthesis for
system verification.
System Engineering deals with both the
technical and the business needs of all
stakeholders with the aim of providing
quality product.
System Engineering can be divided in
the following three parts

 Detailing of Architectural Design and requirements:

 An architectural design details gives the interface and
interaction of all subsystems.
 An architectural design is develop by system engineers
 Detailed design is created by design engineering team
 System Integration and verification:
 The system integration and verification are the part of the
product implementation phase.
 The subsystems created by all design teams must be
individually tested.
 System Engineering and Management:
 This part is directed by systems engineers for planning,
organizing and controlling the technical development of
the product as system
 Comparison of Electronic Product with reference to
the applications
Parameter Consumer Industry Military
Product Product Product
Temp (Degree 0-70 -25 to 85 -55 to 125
Celsius)

Performance Low Moderate High

Reliability Not good Good Highly Reliable

Cost to Low Moderate High

Performance
Ratio
Cost Low Moderate High
Electronic Product Design Stages
1. Market Survey- Literature review
2. Product specification – Electrical, Mechanical,
Environmental
3. Engineering Prototype- Research and
development
4. Pilot Production Batch- Sample units of
products are tested and verified
5. Environmental Testing- Temp, Vibration etc.
testing by test authorities.
6. Documentation – Manual, Catalogue, Design
Testing, Results.
7. Manufacturing- Production, Sales and Marketing.
 Step by Step Guideline to Electronic Product Design and
Development

 Concept- It is a stage where an idea for a new

product, a variation on an existing product,
identification of need for an undefined product causes
research to be done to define a product.
 Research- It is the stage at which the product concept
is utilized to identifying the technology, methods and
vendors involved in producing the product.
 Circuit Design- It is the stage where a schematic
diagram is created and a preliminary parts list is
created for costing and prototyping the product.
 Packaging and Printed Circuit Design- At this
stage, the device under design gets a proper enclosure
designed. This enclosure selection as well as
connectors, controls and displays must all be resolved
before the printed circuit layout commences
 Prototyping or trial Production- Sometimes
prototypes are built before stage 4, but the speed and
cost advantages of computer aided design are making
this more uncommon
 Design Review- It is the stage where the prototype and
initial units are evaluated for function, appearance, built-
cost and possible enhancements.
 Manufacturing Setup including Test Setup- It is the
stage is where the necessary test procedures and
apparatus and detailed assembly instruction and
documents are put in place in order to yield quality,
tested products when quantity production takes place.
 Agency Compliance- According to the nature of the
product some agency compliance may be required by
law.
 Follow up- After a product is out in to production; the
manufacturing facilities experience, the product support
data and the user responses.
 System Perspectives
 Some unusual constraints to each product
design methods as follows
1. Functionality- Does the product fulfill the all
requirements of costumer
2. Safety- Is the product safe enough in all
environmental conditions
3. Reliability- How long will it work as per stated
specifications
4. Cost- Is the cost as low as possible
5. Maintainability- How easy it to install at work
place and maintain
6. Utility- How easy to use and operate
7. Time- How long will take to develop and
produce and to launch in market
 Product Life Cycle

It is a course that a product sales and

profits take over its lifetime.
It shows the stages that products go
through from development to decline from
the market.
Phases of PLC: Product development,
Introduction/launch, growth, maturity,
decline.
 Product Development : Constraints

Functionality: does the product fulfill

the need?
Cost: Is cost as Low as possible?
Safety: Is product Safe enough?
Reliability: how long will it function?
Maintainability: how easy is it to fix?
Utility: How easy is it to use?
Time: how long will it take to
develop?
 Constraints
Constraints forces to measure both
the progress of development
conformance to the requirements.
Within such constraints , a product
passes through a life cycle.
 Concept Development
Define a problem
Understand the problem
Find out what, where, who , when of
problem
Before definition,
 Customer objectives
 User needs
 Regions of operations
 Constraints
 Regulation and standards
 Customer Requirements
Culture of customer
Corporate, social, economic,
political etc.
Requirements define What of the
system but not now.
Identifying the customer
requirements
Product development typically starts by
identifying what the customer wants.
Understand the requirement: Marketing
and sales person should understand the
customer requirement thoroughly.
Proper Solution: Large number of meetings
are conducted to correctly understand the
process and arrive at a proper solution.
A proper solution is the one that is techno-
commercially acceptable to both buyer and
supplier of the product.
Outline of Requirements
General types:
1.Performance: Range ,speed, throughput,
resolution size, weight, power consumption, EMI.
2. Reliability & maintainability: mean time
between failures, failure rate.
3.Human factors & user interface: response
latency ,ease of use, expertise required.
4.Safety and failure mode: hazard analysis.
5.Operational regimes & environment: temp,
extremes, stress range ,location , duty cycle
Requirements: refinement
Requirements to
specification

Customer’s requirement must be

correctly translated in to technical
specification of a product.
SRS Document
SDS Document
 Designing the product
It indicates how of the design.
Various approaches to design
Designed to specifications
 Paper design
 Prototyping with acceptable methods
 Development of R & D prototype.
• R & D prototype is thoroughly tested for
technical and functional specifications
• Field trials
• May requires some design modifications.
Engineering Prototype
To validate the design, do rapid
prototyping/Field testing.
Rapid prototyping- short duration
Useful for human interface aspects (ease of
use ,response latency)
Field testing- longer duration
Breadboard evaluation of circuits- falls
between rapid prototyping & field testing
Validation, Verification and Integration

Validation: Determines how well the

requirements suit the intend of system.
Verification: evaluates how well the system
satisfies the requirements.
Integration : Process of assembling the
components & subsystems & performing
the acceptance tests of validation &
verification.
Integration & Testing determines how well
the solutions fits the requirements.
 Production
Once the field trials are over ( Satisfying
the Design Engineer)
Product Documentation is prepared &
handed over to production department.
Production department will undertake the
making of a small batch of units (typically 5
units)
This batch is known as Pilot Production
Batch.
 Pilot Production Batch
Pilot Production Batch

The main purpose of making a pilot product

batch is to weed –out marginal design
problems.

Marginal Designs Will Fail in the Field.

Quality Assurance(QA)
testing
Once the production department and
R & D are sure of the design meetings
the specification.
Quality Assurance department test
results data on pilot batch units.
They are the final authority to declare
the product has passed all the tests.
Periodically random checks
performed on products
 Reliability

Reliability is the probability that a system

will perform its specified function in a given
environment.
Quality over time and development
The reliability definition emphasizes.
 Probability
 Intended function
 Time and Operating Conditions
 Failure

A Failure is the partial or total loss

or changes in those properties of a
device or system in such a way
that its functioning is seriously
affected or completely stopped.
Investing failure mechanisms helps
in increasing the designed product.
 Causes of Failure
Components used have incorrect
resistance, impedance ,
voltage ,current, capacitance, or
dielectric properties. These are called
as-Electrical Overstress (EOS) Failure.
Due to improper shielding for EMI or
due to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Improper Thermal management
causes thermal failure.
Completion of Product Development

Launching the product

Monitoring its growth , profit and
duration
Checking maintenance aspects
Observing product decline in the
market
Disposal
 Conclusion
Development phases of product
Need to consider all aspects
carefully in each phase for better
design and development.
Importance: testing, failure
mechanisms, reliability
Product life cycle.
 Man M/C Dialogue and
Industrial Design

Dialogue: Human interface of product

(HMI)
Defines: User’s view, set of
interactions ,understanding of
instruments.
Affects entire design of product
It is communication and establishes the
message and dialogue.
 Industrial Design
Multidisciplinary process - uses
many concepts to refine the design
of human interface.
It involves:
Design team: engineers (h/w,
s/w) ,graphic designers, model
makers.
Stakeholder : end users, customers
, influencers
Repeated discovery, development
& delivery
 User Interface
Define carefully the interface before
Code is written & circuits are
designed/packages are built.
User Centered Design
Successful Design- understanding users
Involve users in design process
Website visits, resident knowledge , user profile ,
focus groups , concept descriptions.
Capabilities & expectations of end users/
customers
Start with need of users
Consider interface design seriously as an
independent & imp problem
Users, Influencers & Customers
User-operator of device , customer-purchaser,
influencer-control over purchase & use.
5 Elements of successful
design
Elements contributing to good design:
Cognition
Ergonomics
Utility
Image
Ownership
Elements define user interface & ensure
useful & funntional dialogue
5 Elements of successful
design
Cognition- mental tasks & computations
involved in operating device , relates to
expectations of device
Ergonomics: concerns of human factors
Utility: measures ease of use , important for
a product in competitive market.
 Image : user’s perception of product & its
operation.
Ownership : level of commitment a user
exercises to use your product.
User Interface: prescription & process

Purpose of device
Prescription: what should be done-serve user
Process: how it is done
Elements of user interface
Analyze user needs
Specify
 Performance requirements
 Tasks
 Methods to do task
 Design for error recovery
5 Elements of successful
design
Users want to understand product & control
over events
Remote control for TV , VCR
People never learn to use full range of
functions
Cognition
Aspects : learning, memory, organization,
consistency,user capabilities
Learning: by user
 Provides incremental instructions for
inexperienced users
 Use short cuts around simple operations
 Give user relevant context so that they can
choose next steps.
 Use examples in instructions
 GUI-Icon ,windows, menus, buttons , knobs
etc
 (desktop PC users interface- power,
 Cognition
Memory recall: ease of use
Simplify amount , content , structure.
User’s short term memory connects one
event to next during interface dialogues.
Don’t requires user to remember long
sequences of operations.
Memory recall-recall directed search
(expert user) & recognition based scanning
(infrequent user )
Response latency of interface: not too long
 Cognition- Organization
It puts information where users expect to
see.
Organization : simple , concise , few
components.
Categorical menus preferred over
alphabetical/random organization.
Avoid too many colours , windows,
character sizes
Organize menu according to user.
 Cognition consistency
Consistency should be in form ,
colour ,operation-acceptance by user
Reduces training time
User capabilities
 User experience
 Frequency of use
 Occasional users
 Professional & personal preference of user
 Each user forms a mental model of
instruments/product.
 More functionality: more ease of learning :
decided by degree of consistency of use
between different functional domains.
 Ergonomics
Relates to human factors.
Concerned with Physical layout of
interfaces.
It focuses on accessibility , arrangement &
fit to make product usable.
Need to collect ergonomic data.
This data provides starting point or base for
interface design.
Anthropometric data : statistics on size ,
weight , other physical parameters .
Anthropology: The science of human
beings ; especially: the study of human
beings and their ancestor through time and
 Ergonomics

Capability of human population vary with

age, size, M/F, mobility, training ,
experience ( smart phone use)
Statistic constrain physical dimensions of a
work place.
Workplace
Lighting
Cues: are indicators of function.
( Visual /auditory/tactile–size , shape ,force ,
texture)
Ergonomics : Workplaces
Product may be used in wide variety of
situations.
Equipment arrangement , posture , seating.
Limits comfort, angle , reachability.
Design workplace with rules as:
Avoid awkward positions
Use normal limb movement & reach
limitations.
Reduce hazards
Minimize fatigue, control temp & humidity.
 Ergonomic : Lighting
Illuminating instruments & workplace
requires attention.
Consider lighting intensity, angle ,
uniformity of coverage.
Glare: distracting , may hide information on
computer screen , displays panels.
 Ergonomics: cues
These are indicators of functions.
Visual indicators provides rich cues
Lamps give active visual cues ( leds on
devices)
Pictorial symbols describes a situations
quickly & efficiently.
Symbols for battery , fuel , temp, alarm ,
warning
Shapes gives visual cues for
operation( door handles, knobs)
Auditory cues – to signal unique &
infrequent conditions ( automobile alarms,
fridge alarm)
 Packaging’s influence & its factors
 Design of instruments : affected by packaging & enclosure
 Packaging is the mechanical structure , support & orientation of
components within electronic product.
 Shape of enclosure: Power density, cooling.
 For packaging & enclosure selection, consider
 Cost
 Size
 Shape
 Weight
 Mechanism
 Materials
 Finishes
 Appearance
 Ergonomics
 Reliability
 Regulations and standards
Packaging’s influence & its factors
Different markets for electronic products
call for different packaging & enclosure
For consumer products- cost is prime factor
For industrial instrumentation – service
support & reliability
is imp
Medical Market – safe & rugged devices
Military equipment's – ruggedness ,
reliability , good performance( cost is lower
priority)
Packaging’s influence & its factors
Physical environment- biggest factor in
selecting package
Physical environment includes temp,
humidity, vibrations, shock, corrosion
Industrial , medical & military products
have regulations & standards- specify
operating ranges.
E.g military electronics have to operate at
ambient temp, between -55 to +125
degree centigrade
Maintenance and Life-Cycle Costs
Most of the designers fail in planning for the
maintenance system within the life cycle costs of a
system.
As a outcome maintenance becomes a bunch of
trials- and- errors tricks that may be very much
time consuming, incompetent and expensive.
Maintenance process must be cautiously designed
to get success in the product development.
Maintenance is classified as planned or unplanned.
Planned maintenance is the stock up of resources
within the system.
E.g. Lubrication in the vehicle or battery
replacement is planned maintenance.
Unplanned maintenance or repair comes in to
operation after a failure of the system
The Standard five levels of functionality
are as follows:
1. Disposable: Get a new one and throw
away the field component.
2. Cold spare: Switch in a let go technique
in the system to minimize the
interruption.
3. Line-replaceable unit: It removes the
failed module and replace with a spare
one.
4. Component replacement: Identity and
repair the specific failure component in
the system.
5. Fail operational: The generous way of
architecture is allowed for uninterrupted
Continue…..
 Once the maintenance philosophy is set up, the designer
needs to consider the problem-solving procedure.
 The indicative support may be entirely included within
the system, called as a built-in-test or it may require
external equipment such as an oscilloscope/digital multi
meter to confine the problem.
 The various ways of investigating a problem varies from
an automatic self-test to stimulating special test
connectors or pins that scan a circuit to probing
components with a meter.
 The documentation of product should explain and record
all procedures of analysis, repair and replacement.
 Good records of maintenance can help to solve any
serious issues that may arise whenever a system is
installed on side of operation.
 Life-Cycle costs with some example with components

Sr. CLASS Some Sample Components

No
1 System at Pay off design costs and Fixed
delivery of production system, Material
product and production staff costs.
2 Consumable Batteries, Fuel, Lubrication,
items Auxiliary supplies
3 Manufacturin Human recourses, Power
g process consumption
4 Maintenance Manual labor, Spare parts,
and repair Inventory, Downtime cost to
customer
5 Training and Operators and users,
documentatio Maintenance workforce
ns
 Failure, Iterations and Judgment
Each failure gives new learning experience to do
better in future and leads to success in the
product design and development.
Final requirements of the costumer can be
achieved by experimentation and iterations.
Most of the failures in engineering projects occurs
due to faulty decision not by faulty estimation.
Ultimately for designer to be a successful product
development the number of failure,
experimentation and iterations must be less as
possible.
Highly experienced designer with practical
approach, less iterations and early judgment of
failure may lead to best designer.
 Good Engineering
Good Engineering is the best combination of analytical,
experimental , logical and Judgmental skills.
Good Engineering also requires good level of integrity
and communication skills.
The high level of Integrity provides the basic
foundation to motivate accurate actions and
responses.
Good engineering also plans for the long term design
and development of the project.
Good architecting can help to develop long-term
visions, goals and plans such as testing, maintenance,
liability and ecological impact on the product
development.
Good engineering also employs new technology to give
customers understanding and control.
For better understanding of the project it
can have design reviews which may
determine the type of problems such as
experimental, customer specialty, limited-
run production and large production run
issues.
It is also depend on type of product to be
developed for particular market such as
Military, Industrial, Medical or Commercial
product.
 Architecting
The function of architecting is to conceive,
build, test, certify and operate a system so
as to continue its integrity and
perfromance.
The architecting of system is the collection
of different parts which produces a result
greater than its parts could produce
separately.
The main intention of the architecting is to
understand the interactions between the
components and overall result of the
system.
In complex system architecting can be
understand separately for parts of system
The architecting has four different
approaches
The normative approach: In which it includes
standard practices and quantitative solutions
such as communications protocols and design
handbooks.
The rational approach uses quantitative
analysis and algorithms.
e.g Scientific method of data collection,
hypothesis and testing, optimization through
analytical solutions is a goal in the rational work.
The argumentative approach uses broad
participation and aims for agreement.
e.g it requires good team dynamics and group
commitment to a common goal.
Continue….
The heuristic approach employs common
sense and rules of thumb that are based on
the experience and judgment of the
architect.
This approach is best for predicting and
avoiding drawbacks and for recalling
lessons.
Design methods for product
development

Top-down approach: It is limitation driven,

normative and balanced approach
Bottom-up approach: It is built from
current design like argumentative
approach.
Outside-in approach: It is interface driven,
rational , challenging and heuristic
approach.
Inside-out approach: It is technology
driven , experimental approach of
building a working product.
Design Concerns and Heuristics
 In the process of architecting of electronic
instruments designer must understand certain issues
to make effective trade-offs and produce good
designs such as:
 Standards
 Defensive design
 Interface definition
 Concurrent engineering
 Heuristics
 For understanding the trade-offs and optimization
most products have a critical factor that limits its
usefulness such as cost, weight or size, performance,
safety, power and reliability.
 The designer must optimize the design for that
particular critical factor.
Designer must select the philosophy of
design for product to be considering the
modular or custom design.
A modular architecture allows parallel effort
in design. Test and fabrication and it is
faster to build and verify.
A custom design can optimize a single
function for a particular application more
easily than the modular approach
Areas for consideration and optimization
includes the following issues:
1. Testability
2. Manufacturability
3. Maintainability
Teamwork and Trust
 The teamwork is essential model of a successful
product design.
 It is the synergism and the trust between different
people with various capabilities working towards a
common oblectives.
 Teamwork includes the user ,client, management,
designers, manufacturing procurement and vendors.
 The good teamwork requires assurance from all
members for working on same objectives.
 The good vision, responsibility, authority and
inclusion all are required in gaining the high level
commitment.
 The customer plays an integral part of the designer
team since based on his feedback product can be
redesign till it satisfy all requirements.