Project Management

Creating the design specification is a highly complex process, requiring the time and experience of a team of talented professionals. Decisions made at this early stage have an enormous impact on the success of the project. The customer’s investment in this phase is consistently paid back in more effective designs, timely delivery, and reduced overall project costs.

The Specification Phase drives the whole design process by carefully defining the specific goals to be met. It is critical that we understand and document the customer’s requirements, and that the customer understands and agrees to these details, before the actual design work proceeds. We find that properly written specifications result in the best designs for the least cost. This approach minimizes redesign and keeps the project on track to a successful completion. The steps in the specification phase include:

Project Setup – Each project is assigned a unique number which is used to track and catalogue all of our time and material, notes, email, parts, drawings, and other project costs and documents. Our assigned Project Number is provided to the customer with a short name/description. This designation will be consistently used for all communications, billings, specifications, and reports.

System Specification – This is a detailed technical description of the system. A sample specification outline is available by request.

Test Specification – This describes the procedure that will be used to determine how to test the system for acceptance. This specification will often reference the System Specification with some additional details on testing. A sample specification outline is available by request.

Software Specification – We describe the software in enough detail to allow a software engineer to estimate the size of the programming effort and to begin writing code. This document will often reference the System Specification, and may include overall flow diagrams, display screens, storage and interface requirements, and a user interface description. A sample software specification outline is available by request.

Preliminary Design – We draw preliminary rough schematics, select a processor, and do a rough mechanical layout based on the System Specification.

Customer Design Review – We present the System, Test and Software Specifications, and Preliminary Design to the customer in the form of a Design Review to be sure that they fulfill the project requirements.

Once the project specifications are approved, we are normally able to provide a cost estimate for the Detailed Design and Build/Test phases of the project, along with an estimated schedule and milestones. It should be noted that even the most well written specifications often still change during the design process.

Guided by the project specifications, the detailed design work can now begin. This phase of the process typically includes the following:

Detailed Design – We begin by performing design calculations and simulations and making detailed design decisions. We simulate analog circuits with Spice, and digital FPGA logic designs with simulation software. Because of the low cost of printed circuit boards and the excellent simulation software available today, most prototypes are built on PCBs. We may also start to lay out details of the firmware and software at this time.

Mechanical Drawings – We generate detailed drawings describing the enclosure and front panel layout and PCB mounting arrangement. We use AutoCAD for mechanical drawings because its files are compatible with most customer systems and with our own Protel® 99SE and Altium Designer®PCB layout packages.

Schematics – We complete the preliminary schematics created in the Specification Phase and finalize detailed wiring and component selection. Detailed component descriptions are added to the schematic database. The engineer chooses components based on what is appropriate for the design, as well as on availability and cost.

BOM/Netlist Verification – We verify that the netlist is complete and correct, and that the PC board will be correct if driven by it. This step assures that all components are identified and have complete descriptions.

PC Board Layout – The layout is done from the schematics, netlist, and BOM. We maintain the link from the schematic to the PC board via the netlist and BOM. Any changes that affect the schematic, netlist, or BOM are made at the source, so that the design database integrity is always maintained.

Firmware/Software – Detailed coding of firmware and software can now begin. The hardware engineer works with the software engineer while drawing the schematics, so that the processor architecture is appropriate for the design. The hardware engineer also provides memory maps and addressing information, so that the software engineer may begin to structure their code.

Design Review – Once the detailed design is completed, Martin Company does a formal review, with all project engineers and managers in attendance, to carefully compare the detailed design to the specifications. The customers may wish to attend this review or to have their own. In any event, the customer is presented with a written report of the design review.

In this phase, Martin Company builds the prototype, tests the design, and updates the documentation to reflect any changes found necessary. The following is a typical Build/Test Phase:

Parts Purchasing – Parts are acquired by our purchasing agent based on the BOM. New parts are purchased specifically for each project, an approach that consistently pays rich dividends in assuring the integrity of the design. This step confirms that the part numbers are accurate, provides an excellent verification of the BOM, and helps assure that projected prices and delivery stay on target.

Prototype Assembly – Most prototypes are assembled by our production department. Larger quantities may be assembled by an outside production house under our supervision.

Prototype Testing – The prototype is analyzed according to the Test Specification by the hardware or software engineer, or both, depending upon the project. The engineer or technician also troubleshoots and corrects any problems that are found. This process results in a Test Report, based on the Test Specification and measured results.

Operation Manual – The manual is written based on the System Specification. The customer may use the operation manual at this time, in order to test the prototype or to ship with products in production.

On-Site Testing – The customer may request that Martin Company assist in on-site testing of the prototype.

Final Documentation – Once the design is complete and the testing is successful, we review and finalize the documentation to assure that it is complete and correct. The documentation is archived on CD-ROM.

Project Delivery – Martin Company delivers a complete copy of the documentation and requested prototypes to the customer. We normally keep a copy of the documentation and at least one prototype to facilitate ongoing customer support.

Project Archival/Close – Martin Company archives the documentation and prototypes and then closes the job number.