I have led, contributed the design and development
of electronics, firmware and software driven products.
What made them so special and what made me love
the job? I think technologies, processes and people
are different either from software products those
run on Wintel PC desktops, UNIX boxes or Macs.
When you develop Web, Games, Database applications,
product team : project manager, architect, designers
and developers do not need to know intrinsic details of
underlying hardware unless they design device drivers.
However, for firmware intensive products, engineers
have to know micro processor and/or micro controller
powering the product, persistent (permanent) memory
storage devices, run time memory, interface and buses,
file systems, operating systems and even clock crystal
that drives the CPU, by giving clock ticks or the heart
beats of the system. One has to know what is ROHS
compliance and how to achieve that. What is BOM, how
to keep BOM organized, how to run environment tests
such as hot and cold weather cycles, shocks, wear and
tear of mechanical parts and mechanical parts will not
be sharp and edgy to cut someone's hands.
Devices must not electrocute people and animals
come into contact with devices - it is possible for
people to abuse such outdoor/field devices.
How to make batteries live long enough or sleep
where there is nothing to do to consume less power,
to conserve battery power, etc..
How to test Alpha, Beta tests and how to make sure
changes (if major hardware changes are inevitable)
can be accommodated?
The manager has to understand patents laws, how
to protect own innovations while bypassing other's
if necessary.
And so on....
I will love to write more about best practices I have
learned myself. Are you interested in?
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